Turandot (Gozzi)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The characters Pantalone and Tartaglia in a production by Yevgeny Vakhtangov in 1922

The play Turandot is a tragicomic fairy tale in five acts written by the Venetian Carlo Gozzi . The piece is named after the main character Turandot, the daughter of the Emperor of China. The material comes from a Persian story, which became known in western culture through the fairy tale collection Thousand and One Days (or hezār-o-yek rūz ) (the plot is located there in Russia). The first performance of the work took place on January 22nd, 1762 in the Teatro San Samuele in Venice .

Well-known adaptations come from Friedrich Schiller ( Turandot, Princess of China ), Karl Gustav Vollmoeller ( Turandot , Chinese fairy tale game) 1911 and Wolfgang Hildesheimer ( The fairy tale of Princess Turandot ). Bertolt Brecht left behind the play Turandot or The Congress of White Washers , which only premiered in 1969.

Emergence

Both Ferruccio Busoni and Giacomo Puccini owe the inspiration for their operas to the friendship and collaboration with Karl Gustav Vollmoeller . It was he who, following in the footsteps of his compatriot Friedrich Schiller , snatched Gozzi's Turandot from oblivion. He researched the old theater archives of Venice until he came across the original version, its Commedia-dell'arte- He took over structures true to the original for his stage adaptation. It was also Vollmoeller who commissioned his friend Busoni to compose the music for his Turandot. Only the very close cooperation that lasted over a year, which left deep traces in Busoni's diaries and letters, gave rise to the desire in Busoni to return to the work a few years later.

In the case of Giacomo Puccini, it was Max Reinhardt's famous production of Vollmoeller's Turandot from 1911 that inspired him to write his opera. Thus, more than any other author or composer of the 20th century, Karl Vollmoeller contributed to giving posterity a forgotten author and one of his forgotten pieces. After all, his play had its premiere in London on January 18, 1913, where "Turandot", staged by Sir George Alexander with Busoni's music and Ernst Stern's set design, caused a sensation. It was not without reason that an English translation of Vollmoeller's “Turandot” appeared in London as early as the spring of 1913 and an American edition in New York.

The people

Turandot, Princess of China ,
steel engraving by Jaquemot after Ramberg
one of 50 figures in the Schiller Gallery , around 1859
Altum Emperor of China
Turandot Princess of China, daughter of the emperor
Adelma Princess of Tartar Country, Turandot's favorite slave
Zelima another slave of Turandot
Shirina her mother
Barach Shirina's husband, former tutor of Calaf
Calaf Prince of the Nogese Tatars
Timur King of Astrakhan, Calaf's father
Ishmael Educator of the Prince of Samarkand
Pantalon Altum's secretary
Tartaglia Grand Chancellor of China
Brighella Page master at Altum's court
Truffaldino     supreme eunuch in Turandot's seraglio

Place of action

The action takes place in a mystical, fairytale-like China at the court of Kaiser Altum.

The plot

first act

Calaf ;
Engraving by Fleischmann , Schiller Gallery

First scene
Barach and Kalaf - A city gate of Beijing
The prince Kalaf meets Barach again in Beijing. Kalaf tells how his father's kingdom was lost and he had to make ends meet. Kalaf learns from Barach that the stories about Turandot, the daughter of Emperor Altum, are not fairy tales. It is true that Turandot will only marry the prince who can solve the three riddles she poses for him. If he fails, he must be led to the scaffold. This fate has overtaken quite a few princes.

Second scene
Barach, Kalaf and Ismael
Ismael tells of the just executed execution of the Prince of Samarkand, of which he was tutor. He also tells how the prince once fell for a picture of Turandot only when he saw a picture. He throws the picture in the dust.

Third scene
Barach and Kalaf
Kalaf, having become curious, wants to pick up the picture, but is prevented by Barach. When he finally succeeds and he sees the picture of Turandot, he is instantly in love with Turandot and decides to face the riddle.

Fourth scene
Barach, Kalaf and Schirina
Kalaf gives his horse and his money away to Barach and his wife.

Second act

First scene
Truffaldino, Brighella - Great Hall in the Imperial Palace
A comical scene in which the two servants prepare the divan, a kind of council meeting of the imperial court, for the new riddle test.

Second scene
Kaiser Altum, Tartaglia, Pantalon
The Kaiser complains bitterly about Turandot's harsh, cruel demeanor. But he stands by the law that Turandot wrested from him, according to which the princes must solve the riddles or die.

Third scene
Kaiser Altum, Tartaglia, Pantalon, Kalaf
Kalaf insists in front of the Kaiser that his name and his origin remain anonymous for the time being. The emperor grants him this, whereupon the court servants try to dissuade Kalaf from his plan. This remains steadfast.

Fourth scene
The divan comes together.

Fifth scene
Altum, Turandot, Kalaf, Zelima, Adelma, Pantalon, Tartaglia
At the sight of Kalaf, Turandot senses that this prince, unlike all the other princes before, arouses in her an affection, which she, however, cannot admit out of pride. She poses the three riddles that Kalaf solves. Turandot is horrified, she would rather die than be led to the altar with Kalaf. Kalaf, on the other hand, does not want to force her to do so and now poses a riddle for her. She should say his name and his father's name by tomorrow. If she succeeds in doing this, she will be free again.

Third act

Scene one
Adelma, a slave - a room
Adelma, in love with Kalaf, makes plans for how she herself can escape slavery and win Kalaf.

Second scene
Turandot, Zelima, Adelma
Zelima urges Turandot to give in and consent to the marriage, whereupon Turandot hesitates. But only briefly, because she wants to defeat the prince, by whom she feels humiliated for having solved the riddle. Adelma, who overheard the conversation, encourages Turandot in this plan and promises to help her find out the prince's name.

Third scene
Kalaf, Barach - Hall in the imperial palace
Barach rebukes Kalaf for embarking on another riddle.

Fourth scene
Kalaf, Barach, Pantalon Tartaglia, Brighella
The emperor's servants lead Kalaf away.

Fifth scene
Barach, Timur
Barach and King Timur surprisingly meet again. The king had just seen his son Calaf being taken away. Barach only vaguely indicates what all this means.

Sixth scene
Barach, Timur, Schirina
Schirina tells how she told Turandot that Kalaf had lived in her house. Barach is immediately aware of the danger this means for him: Turandot will try to squeeze the name out of him.

Seventh scene
Barach, Timur, Schirina, Truffaldino
Truffaldino arrests Barach and Timur with the help of armed men.

Fourth act

First scene
Turandot, Barach, Timur, Schirina, Zelima - pillared hall
Under threat of violence, Turandot asks Barach to name them. This remains steadfast. Timur reveals himself as the father of Kalaf without revealing his name.

Second scene
Turandot, Barach, Timur, Schirina, Zelima, Adelma
Adelma tells Turandot that she bribed the guards of Kalaf and that she has a plan how to get Schirina and Zelima Kalaf to reveal his own name.

Third scene
Turandot
On the one hand, Turandot is extremely satisfied with Adelma's plan to enable her to defeat Kalaf. On the other hand, she realizes that such a victory would not make her happy.

Fourth scene
Altum, Turandot, Pantalon, Tartaglia
Altum tries in vain to change Turandot's mind. He now knows the names and offers Turandot to tell her so that she can appear as the winner in the divan. But she had to promise him that she would marry Kalaf anyway. Turandot proudly refuses and puts all her hopes in Adelma.

Fifth scene
Kalaf, Brighella - Brighella chamber
warns Kalaf of “ghosts” that could visit him at night. As a result, the “ghosts” Schirina, Zelima, Truffaldino and Adelma appear in Kalaf's chamber.

Sixth scene
Shirina, Kalaf
Shirina, disguised as a soldier, tells Kalaf that his father is in the palace. It is a good idea to send a signed message. Kalaf easily sees through their real intent.

Seventh scene
Zelima, Kalaf
Zelima pretends that Turandot has suggested the following trade: He names the names, but Turandot shakes his hand anyway. Kalaf doesn't trust her.

Eighth scene
Truffaldino, Kalaf
Truffaldino tries with the help of a magic root to elicit the names of the sleeping Kalaf, which he, as he mistakenly believes, succeeds in doing.

Ninth scene
Adelma, Kalaf
Adelma reveals herself to Kalaf as the king's daughter and tells him how she became a slave. She goes on to report that Turandot decided to kill him to avoid the riddle in the divan. In blind, furious despair, Kalaf calls out his name and that of his father. Adelma offers him a plan to escape, which Kalaf refuses.

Tenth scene
Brighella, Kalaf
Brighella fetches Kalaf to lead him to the divan.

Fifth act

First scene
Altum, Tartaglia, Pantalon, Kalaf - Great Hall in the Imperial Palace
Kalaf is surprised to find that he has arrived in front of the divan unharmed. Kaiser Altum is confident. He is expecting the wedding soon.

Second scene
Altum, Tartaglia, Pantalon, Kalaf, Turandot
Turandot, full of sweet revenge, proclaims the names she had learned from Adelma, whereupon Kalaf wants to kill himself with a dagger. Now Turandot falls into his arms to prevent this, because now she wants to become his bride. Adelma sees her last hope for Kalaf fade and takes Kalaf's dagger, but this prevents her from harming herself. He also campaigns at Altum to ensure that Adelma regains her royal dignity, which the latter grants.

Turandot concludes the piece:

Dear people of men - hear: I am good to you,
I am good to all of you. And because I'm repentant
Shall you not refuse me a sign of forgiveness!

Adaptations

Starting with the incidental music by Franz Seraph Destouches for the world premiere of Schiller's play in 1802, the following composers wrote stage music for Turandot: 1806 Friedrich Ludwig Seidl, 1809 Carl Maria von Weber , 1813 Joseph von Blumenthal and lastly in 1843 Vinzenz Lachner .

From 1809 ( Joseph von Blumenthal ) he wrote operas that deal with Turandot material: 1816 Franz Danzi , 1835 Carl Gottlieb Reissiger , 1838 Johann Hoven , 1840s Herman Severin Løvenskiold , 1867 Antonio Bazzini (under the title “ Turanda ”), 1888 Adolf Jensen , in an arrangement by Wilhelm Kienzl , 1888 Theobald Rehbaum . The most recently created operas are:

Wolfgang Hildesheimer varied the material between 1954 and around 1960 in two radio play and two drama versions, the adaptation as a television play (1963) does not come from Hildesheimer himself, but from Roman Weyl.

  • Turandot , radio play - Director: Not specified (1925)
  • Turandot , radio play - adaptation and direction: Gerd Beermann (1947)
  • Turandot , radio play - adaptation and direction: Ernst Drolinvaux (1954)
  • Princess Turandot , radio play (Hildesheimer) - Director: Gert Westphal (1954)
  • Princess Turandot , radio play (Hildesheimer) - Director: Otto Kurth (1954)
  • Turandot , radio play - Director: Otto Kurth (1958)
  • The Conquest of Princess Turandot , play (1961)

literature

The summarized sequence of scenes is based on

Carlo Gozzi: Turandot , tragicomic fairy tale in five acts, translated by Paul Graf Thun-Hohenstein. Reclam, Stuttgart 2012, ISBN 978-3-15-008975-0 .

The quote was also taken from this edition.

  • Frederik D. Tunnat: Karl Vollmoeller: poet and cultural manager; a biography. tredition, [Hamburg] 2008, ISBN 978-3-86850-000-4 . (Read about Vollmoeller's commitment and work for Gozzi and his Turandot)
  • William Ashbrook: Puccini's Turandot: The End of the Great Tradition. Princeton 1991.

Web links

Commons : Princess Turandot  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ William Ashbrook: Puccini's Turandot: The End of the Great Tradition
  2. ^ Adolf Jensen: Turandot. Opera poetry in three acts