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Wrestling with history Arias to know in Turandot Activity — Riddle me this Activity — Are you twitterpated? Activity — That’s Nessun-ough Activity — Dear Diary Activity — Reviewer knows best Activity — Storyboard
Contents Cast Overview & Synopsis Composer Biography Q&A with director Rob Herriot
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New to opera? Be sure to check out our educator’s guide, Your Guide to Opera, available as a free download online. It is designed to supplement this guide and offers an overview of the history of opera, activities for your class and useful information about attending our education dress rehearsals with students. Nothing beats the excitement of live opera! For more information on how your class can attend a dress rehearsal at special student pricing, contact us by email at education@edmontonopera.com or visit us online at edmontonopera.com/discover/education.
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Special thanks to our education community partners:
Photo Credits for all images: Reed Hummell, Nashville Opera’s Turandot, October 2015.
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Geoffrey Sirett — Ping (baritone) Government official/minister of the court James McLennan — Pang (tenor) Government official/minister of the court Christopher Mayell — Pong (tenor) Government official/minister of the court Matthew Bruce — Emperor Altoum (tenor) Emperor of China, Turandot’s father Othalie Graham — Turandot (soprano) Princess of China
Cast (in order of vocal appearance)
Michele Capalbo — Liu (soprano) A slave girl, old Timur’s caretaker David Pomeroy— Calaf (tenor) Exiled prince of Tartary, Timur’s long lost son Dion Mazerolle— Mandarin (baritone) Giles Tomkins — Timur (bass-baritone) The exiled king of Tartary, Calaf’s father
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Overview
Synopsis
Turandot was Puccini’s final opera, left incomplete because of his untimely death in 1924. Since its completion and premiere in 1926, the opera has seen thousands of productions across the world and has become an essential part of any opera house’s repertoire. What makes Turandot so magical? For starters, this opera showcases grand master Puccini at his most mature and accomplished — the score of Turandot is extravagant while being precise, the characters are layered and complex, and each aspect of the opera is larger than life. Further, Turandot is just a massive production that presents everything audiences love about opera. The costumes and scenery are opulent, the locale is exotic, the tunes are familiar, and the chorus fills the stage in almost every scene. Audiences are enthralled time and time again by the sensory delights of Turandot. Whether it is your first time at the opera or you are a seasoned operagoer, Turandot is a must-see. It brings together story, emotions, and beautiful music in a production that exhibits the power of live performance.
The plot of Turandot in a minute Princess Turandot never wants to get married, so she poses impossible riddles to her suitors. When they fail to answer, she sentences them to death. Along comes Calaf, instantly falling for Turandot, and thinks he has what it takes to solve the princess’s riddles. Much to Turandot’s outrage, Calaf answers all three questions correctly. Seeing Turandot upset, Calaf offers her a challenge: if she can learn his name by sunrise, Calaf will give up his life. But no matter how hard she tries, Turandot is unable to find out Calaf’s name. When she confronts him, Calaf is overcome by emotion and kisses her. For the first time, Turandot feels love. Her icy heart melts and she unites with Calaf in marriage. Detailed Synopsis Act One Outside the Imperial Palace, a mandarin reads out a royal proclamation: the Prince of Persia, who recently sought to marry Princess Turandot, will be executed because he failed to answer the princess’s three riddles. Any man who seeks Turandot’s hand in marriage must solve the riddles she poses; should he fail, he will be sentenced to death.
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Listening to this announcement are an elderly man, Timur, and his devoted helper, a girl named Liu. Calaf, who is also in the crowd, notices the pair and immediately recognizes Timur as his long-lost father. As the two men embrace in heartfelt reconciliation, the Prince of Persia is brought forward to face execution. The crowd pleads for him to be spared, but Princess Turandot appears and commands the execution to proceed. This brief appearance is all it takes — Calaf is in awe of Turandot’s beauty, and decides that he will try to win her love. Everyone in the crowd is horrified, including Liu (who is in love with Calaf) and Timur. Turandot’s three ministers Ping, Pang, and Pong, try to talk Calaf out of his fatal pursuit, but Calaf will listen to no one. He comforts Timur and Liu, then strikes the gong to announce himself as a new suitor. Act Two Ping, Pang, and Pong explain the number of men who have fallen to Turandot’s wrath, and hope that she will find love soon. A crowd gathers as Calaf is presented to the court. Turandot’s father, Emperor Altoum, asks the young man to retract his proposal and live to see another day. Calaf politely declines. Turandot enters and sings of her ancestor, Princess LouLing, who was abducted and killed by a prince. This wound has been passed down the generations and causes
Turandot to disavow marriage, asserting that no man will ever possess her. Turandot then poses three riddles to Calaf. To her surprise and anger, Calaf answers each riddle correctly. As the crowd celebrates Calaf’s success, Turandot remains angry. Still determined to win her love, Calaf approaches Turandot and serves her a challenge: if she can learn his name by sunrise, Calaf will give up his life. Act Three Turandot commands that no one in the kingdom shall sleep until she has found out the suitor’s name. An angry mob hunts down Liu and Timur, but Calaf tries to convince everyone that they do not know his name. Turandot enters and has Liu captured and tortured, but Liu does not give up Calaf’s name. She speaks directly to Turandot, wishing the princess to find love. Liu then takes a dagger and kills herself. The crowd gathers and takes her body away. Now alone, Turandot confronts Calaf. Overcome with emotions, Calaf kisses the princess and for the first time, Turandot feels love. She begins to weep. Now knowing he has melted Turandot’s heart, Calaf reveals his identity. In front of the entire court, Turandot announces that she has learned the stranger’s name: it is Love.
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Puccini experienced both failures and successes during his lifetime, including the premiere of Madama Butterfly, which required the work to be adjusted before premiering again a few months later (and received a much better reception the second time). He did not work easily with librettists, and Manon Lescaut lists only the composer, because approximately seven librettists worked on the piece at some point. Puccini was obsessed with creating the perfect libretto and the perfect dramatic experience. At the time of his death, Turandot was incomplete. At its premiere, it was performed as it had been written, but by the second performance, Franco Alfano had written an additional two scenes based on Puccini’s notes and sketches. Puccini’s personal life was also dramatic – he lived with a married woman, Elvira Gemignani, and had a son with her, finally marrying her in 1904 when her first husband died. By 1901, he had been in two automobile accidents, and died at the age of 65 on Nov. 29, 1924, of a heart attack in Brussels, shortly after surgery for throat cancer. A funeral was held in Brussels before his body was moved to Milan, where there was a second funeral. He is buried with his wife and son in Torre del Lago.
Composer Biography— Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) Born Dec. 22, 1858, in Lucca, Italy, Giacomo Puccini was the fifth child (of eight) and first son born to Michele and Albina Puccini. His family was musically inclined – in fact, members of his family had held the position of music director at the Cathedral of San Martino for decades. When his father died, the municipality of Lucca not only supplied his family with a small pension, but held the music director position until Puccini came of age. He was regularly exposed to opera, but it was upon seeing Verdi’s Aida that Puccini decided he wanted to compose for the art form. With the help of a grant from the Queen of Italy, he was able to attend the Milan Conservatory, and studied under Antonio Bazzini and Amilcare Ponchielli.
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How do you think the scenery and costumes (originally designed by Allen Charles Klein) support the narrative of Turandot? From a technical point of view, the set design gives me lots of places to put singers where they can be seen and heard, against a backdrop that is very beautiful and does, in fact, help tell the story. Some sets and costumes are purely functional and sometimes get in the way of storytelling, but this is the perfect example of designs that support the narrative and action in every way, while giving us something pretty to look at. How do you approach the character of Turandot? I love the character of Turandot. Her strength and her fierceness are amazing, but what I always find troublesome is her sudden transition from a place of fierceness to this loving, soft woman. The journey I want to see is the ice melting: both elements, the anger and the loving heart, have to be present from the start in order to make the character believable. Of course, her anger is a lot more obvious throughout the opera, but without multiple layers the character of Turandot can become very black and white. It is very exciting for me to be given this character as it allows me to work with the singer to try and find those layers.
Q & A with director Rob Herriot Rob Herriot is a master of the stage. Having previously directed The Magic Flute (2015) and The Mikado (2012), Edmonton audiences are familiar with his talent for superbly theatrical productions. Turandot will be no different. With opulent scenery, costumes, and some of the best singers in Canada, Herriot is ready to showcase his directing chops alongside Puccini’s timeless composition! What can audiences look forward to with Turandot? I am very excited about Turandot because it brings a vibrant production to Edmonton Opera that is traditional, yet not traditional. The scenery design reflects the ancient fairytale world that the opera takes place in — the iconic dragon and the pearl of wisdom are focal points that tell the story. We also have a remarkable cast that will make the music come alive and, of course, Puccini’s music itself is one of his best compositions. So when you bring the scenery, music, and stellar singing together, you have a pretty wonderful evening to look forward to.
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Have you worked with our Turandot (Othalie Graham) and Calaf (David Pomeroy) before? I only know Othalie by reputation, and I hear she is a terribly exciting singer. She has performed the role of Turandot many, many times and will bring a world of magic to this production. I have known David Pomeroy for a long time; in fact, we went to opera school in Toronto together. He is a remarkable singer, and he only gets better with age. This is David’s role debut as Calaf, and it is extremely exciting for me to be able to work with him on it. How does Turandot highlight the best of Puccini’s music? Turandot was the last opera Puccini wrote, and towards the end, he was able to compose some very dynamic music because he started choosing characters and stories that were strong and interesting. In Turandot, Puccini adds a mixture of anger and softness into a character who cannot admit that she is in love. This infuses the music with a whole new intensity. It captures the terrifying fierceness of Turandot while bringing joyous music in Calaf’s soaring ‘Nessun dorma’. The tender and moving music of Liu and Timur also contrasts with Turandot’s anger. The score is thus full of energy and takes you on a very dramatic journey.
What makes Turandot the must-see opera this year? The spectacle in Turandot is something that you have to experience live to believe. The music is highly demanding, which for me is like witnessing an Olympic sport. I want to see the singers soar and I want to see them triumph over the music, because when that happens, it is absolutely glorious. Especially if you are a first time operagoer, Turandot is a must-see. It brings an evening of exciting energy and vocal gymnastics, and you will certainly leave the theatre humming Puccini’s sublime tunes. To watch the video interview, head to Edmonton Opera’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/8eZRunImpvY
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undefeated wrestling champion of the Mongol Empire. Khutlun’s achievements are well documented, including by the Italian explorer Marco Polo. He wrote of Khutulun’s resolve to abstain from marriage, vowing that she would only marry if the suitor could defeat her in a wrestling match. Not only that, Khutulun asked each suitor to wager 100 horses before stepping into the ring. If he lost, she would keep the horses. And she did. Khutulun’s beauty attracted suitors from far and wide, but she kept winning and ultimately ended up with some 10,000 horses! (That number is likely a slight exaggeration). One particularly arrogant suitor even wagered 1000 horses instead of the usual hundred, but despite putting up a good fight, he lost to Khutulun. Eventually, Khutulun did marry, but not just for love. Since she had refrained from marriage for so long, rumours started swirling that Khutulun had an uncomfortably close relationship with her father Kaidu. To suppress this gossip and to uphold the kingdom’s reputation, Khutulun chose a man she liked and married him.
Wrestling with history: the origins of princess Turandot Puccini’s final opera, Turandot (1926), is based on Carlo Gozzi’s play of the same name (1762). Gozzi, however, was himself inspired by a story found in François Pétis de la Croix’s collection of writings from 1712. Pétis de la Croix was a French traveller who made his way across the Middle East, learning Arabic and translating important cultural works into French. While writing a biography of the great Mongol emperor Genghis Khan, Pétis de la Croix stumbled upon the exciting history of a warrior princess named Khutulun. Khutulun was a Mongol princess born in 1260. Her father, Kaidu Khan, was the Mongol conqueror of China and the great-grandson of Genghis Khan. Khutulun often joined Kaidu on the battlefield, becoming known for her courage and strength. Her greatest claim to fame, however, was her skill as a wrestler — Khutulun was the
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When Pétis de la Croix learned of Khutulun’s legendary status, he was inspired to write a story about her. For dramatic effect and to make Khutulun’s tale more fantastical, he significantly altered a lot of details. Firstly, he changed her name to ‘Turandot’, a combination of Persian words meaning daughter (dot) from Central Asia (Turan). Turandot also had nothing to do with wrestling or sport; instead of challenging suitors in the ring, she now threw impossibly difficult riddles at them. Although Pétis de la Croix created a new character that was very distinct from Khutulun, his story did maintain her portrayal as resolute and strong-willed. In all subsequent adaptations, including Puccini’s opera, Turandot is a figure of authority that cannot be underestimated. While the story of Khutulun has evolved, passing through centuries of Western orientalist fantasy, her heroism is still the stuff of legend in cultures that trace their roots to the Mongol Empire. Even in contemporary popular culture, Khutulun has made a comeback — Netflix’s internationally produced $90 million series Marco Polo features Khutulun prominently. So what makes Khutulun’s story endure? Perhaps it is the sheer defiance with which she lived; an attitude that Marco Polo notes: Khutulun would never let herself be vanquished, if she could help it.
Exoticism: “In music, exoticism is a genre in which the rhythms, melodies, or instrumentation are designed to evoke the atmosphere of far-off lands or ancient times”. Puccini strove for a semblance of Asian authenticity (at least to Western ears) by using music from the region in question. Up to eight of the themes used in Turandot appear to be based on traditional Chinese music and anthems, and the melody of a Chinese song named "Mò Li Hūa (茉莉花)", or "Jasmine", is included as a motif for the princess. Pentatonic Scale - A scale made up of five pitches. The most common pentatonic scale includes the pitches C-D-E-G-A, although other combinations of intervals are possible, including some that have a more “minor” inflection to Western ears. The black keys on a piano keyboard form another pentatonic scale. Pentatonic scales have been used in music from many cultures and throughout history, from China, Japan, and Java to folk music from Scotland and Hungary, as well as in American popular music, especially the African-American spiritual, jazz, Motown, and rock.
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Italian Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! Tu pure, o, Principessa, nella tua fredda stanza, guardi le stele che tremano d'amore e di speranza. Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me, il nome mio nessun sapra No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dir quando la luce splender
Arias to know in Turandot 1) ‘Nessun dorma’, opening of Act Three Excerpt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTFUM4Uh_6Y Luciano Pavarotti with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Zubin Mehta, 1990. ‘Nessun dorma’ is the first piece of the final act of Turandot. In the act before this aria, Calaf has correctly answered the three riddles presented to him by Princess Turandot. Nonetheless, she recoils at the thought of marrying him. Calaf offers her another chance by challenging her to guess his name by dawn. (As he kneels before her, the "Nessun dorma" theme makes its first appearance, to his words, "Il mio nome non sai!") If she finds out his name, she can execute him; but if she does not, she must marry him. The cruel and cold princess then decrees that none of her subjects shall sleep that night until the stranger’s name is discovered. If they fail, all will be killed. As the final act opens, it is now night. Calaf is alone in the moonlit palace gardens. In the distance, he hears Turandot's heralds proclaiming her command. His aria begins with an echo of their cry and a reflection on Princess Turandot.
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà Il silenzio che ti fa mia! (Il nome suo nessun saprà E noi dovrem, ahimè, morir!) Dilegua, o notte! Tramontate, stelle! Tramontate, stelle! All'alba vincerò! Vincerò! Vincerò!
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English No one sleeps.... no one sleeps, Even you, O Princess, In your cold room, Watch the stars Which tremble with love And hope! But my secret is locked within me, No one shall know my name! No, no, I shall say it on your mouth When the light breaks! And my kiss will break the silence that makes you mine! (No-one shall know his name, and we, alas, shall die!) Vanish, o night! Set, ye stars! Set, ye stars! At dawn I shall win! I shall win! I shall win!
2. ‘In questa reggia’, Act Two Excerpt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-GV5t5XLjg Birgit Nillson and Franco Corelli, Macerata Opera Festival, 1971 About the Piece In this aria, Turandot explains that she created the three riddles as a test for any prince who might want to marry her. She explains that in the same palace, countless generations ago (thousands of years ago), the reigning Princess Lo-u-Ling was conquered by the King of the Tartars, raped and murdered. In particular, she dwells upon the Princess' final crying out and her moment of death at the hands of a man. Based on the memory and the concept of that crying out having been carried down through many generations to Turandot herself, she resolves to avenge that death by imposing it on all men who fail in the attempt to marry her. She warns the prince that if he fails to answer any one of the three riddles, he will die.
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3. ‘Tu che di gel sei cinto’, Act Three
Vanquished by such fire, You will love him, too!
Excerpt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Gsj70wPrg Leona Mitchell, Placido Domingo, Paul Plishka. About the Piece The lyrics to this piece were actually written by Puccini himself. It is sung by Liù under torture, prior to her suicide. Turandot is clearly taken by Liù's resolve and asks her who put so much strength in her heart. Liù answers "Princess, Love!" TURANDOT Chi pose tanta forza nel tuo cuore? LIÙ Principessa, l'amore! TURANDOT L'amore? Turandot demands that Ping tear the Prince's name from Liù, and he orders her to be tortured. Liù counters Turandot: You who are enclosed by ice,
Having spoken, Liù seizes a dagger from a soldier's belt and stabs herself. Though only 8 lines long, the aria marks a keystone of act 3 and, in its contrast between Liù and Turandot, of the opera as a whole. Text and Translation Italian Tu che di gel sei cinta, da tanta fiamma vinta, l’amerai anche tu!… Prima di questa aurora io chiudo stanca gli occhi, perché Egli vinca ancora… Per non vederlo più! Prima di questa aurora, io chiudo stanca gli occhi per non vederlo più! English You, who are enclosed in ice, Conquered by such flame, You will love him, too! Before the dawn,
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I will wearily close my eyes, So he can win again‌ And I will never see him no more! Before the dawn, I will wearily close my eyes, And I will never see him no more!
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3. Reflecting on the brainstorming you did in the previous step, select three to five key words and look them up in a thesaurus. 4. Use figurative language. Figurative language uses words or expressions with a different meaning than the literal meaning. For example, similes or metaphors describe an object by comparing it to other objects.
Activities Activity — Riddle me this! Grades 4 and up, pre-performance activity In Turandot, Princess Turandot poses three riddles to each of her suitors, in order to evade marriage and prevent others from pursuing her. In this activity, students will use their wits to create their own set of riddles. Activity: Turandot used riddles to protect something she valued: her respect for her ancestors. The suffering of her ancestor, Princess Lou-Ling, was so important to her that she vowed to never marry – that is, unless someone could solve all three of her difficult riddles. Students will put themselves in Turandot’s shoes, and come up with some new riddles for her. The following steps should help students to write their own riddles: 1. Select an answer – look around the room for inspiration, or choose one of your favourite things. Remember to choose something that is a concrete answer. 2. Brainstorm around your answer. Write down everything that comes to mind about the answer that you’ve chosen.
Below are the variations of Turandot’s riddles through different versions, namely Carlo Gozzi’s 1762 play, Friedrich Schiller’s 1801 play, and Puccini’s 1926 opera. Gozzi’s Turandot Riddle Number One We notice her presence in lands high and low, In cities, the country—wherever we go… In war, as in peace, she is safe in her place And everyone living has looked on her face. She is friendly to all and she strives for our gain, Yet her unequalled splendor can drive men insane. You know who she is, but don’t know that you do— Now answer me, stranger—my riddle is through. Answer: The Sun
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Riddle Number Two The tree in which the hours of human life are told Is as young as a newborn infant, Yet infinitely old. Its leaves are white on one side, On the other, black as sable. Tell me what this tree is, Prince, if you are able. Answer: A Year Riddle Number Three Tell me the name of the kingly beast Who makes the world tremble and ruins his foes, Still mighty today as he was in the past, Winged and four-footed, in active repose. His hindquarters rest on the restless seas, His breast and his forepaws cover the sand. His untiring wings will never cease To cast their protection over the land. Answer: The Lion of St. Mark
Schiller’s Turandot Riddle Number One A tree on which men grow and fade; Old as the world, yet ever new; Its leaves, on one side, live in shade, On th’ other bears the sun’s bright show. Each time it blooms a ring it wears, It tells the age of each event. Upon its bark men’s names it bears, Forgotten e’er its life be spent. What is this tree, so young, so old, So sunny warm, so icy cold? Answer: A Year Riddle Number Two Canst thou the fragile mirror name, Reflecting all creation on its limpid face; ‘Tis closed within a narrow frame, Yet compasses high heav’n’s blue vault of endless space. This crystal is of priceless worth, But yet the poor possess it, nor possession pay; It is the brightest gem on earth, It gives and yet receives its heaven-born brilliant ray. What is this mirror bright and clear, Free given to all, to all so dear?
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Answer: The Eye Riddle Number Three What is that thing, held cheap as dust, Yet honor’d by the Emperor’s hand? ‘Tis made to pierce, with sword’s keen thrust, But sheds no blood, tho’ wounds like sand, In number deep inflicts; robs none; Enriches thousands; rules the earth; Makes life with ease and smoothness run; Has founded kingdoms; ended dearth; Most ancient cities it has built, But ne’er caused war, nor war’s sad guilt. Answer: A Plough Puccini’s Turandot Riddle Number One In the gloomy night an iridescent phantom flies. It spreads its wings and rises over dark, infinite humanity! Everyone invokes it, everyone implores it! But the phantom disappears at dawn to be reborn in the heart! And every night it’s born and every day it dies! Answer: Hope
Riddle Number Two It flickers like flame, and is not flame! Sometimes it rages! It’s feverish, impetuous, burning! But idleness changes it to languor! If you’re defeated or lost, it grows cold! If you dream of winning, if flames! Its voice is faint, but you listen; it gleams as bright as the sunset!” Answer: Blood Riddle Number Three Ice that sets you on fire and by your own fire is made more icy! Perfectly pure and dark! If it sets you free, it makes you a slave! If it accepts you as a slave, it makes you a King. Answer: Turandot
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maximum of 140 characters, and could include the use of hashtags (#) and usernames (@), or any other shortened language forms. 3. Have students create an “Emoji Story” to tell the story of the Opera: they can do this by recreating specific scenes/arias, or summarizing the plot of the opera as a whole. The stories created should focus on struggles and triumphs of the characters, or themes presented in the opera. Encourage students to take multiple approaches to the project: they can be funny, creative, clever, etc.
Activity — Are you Twitterpated?
During intermission and after performance, Grades 7 & up Twitter allows people, in 140 characters or less, to share their immediate thoughts and feelings with anyone person interested in reading the tweets. Similarly, the use of arias within an opera allows characters to communicate an emotional state to the audience. Most operas were written long before computer technology. What might characters in an opera tweet if Twitter was available to them? Choose one of the following: 1. Have students tweet about their Dress Rehearsal performance by “Live-Tweeting” the event. Have students create 5-10 Tweets about the opera: the plot, their reactions, etc. Tweets are restricted to a maximum of 140 characters, and could include the use of hashtags (#) and usernames (@), or any other shortened language forms. Have students read their tweet aloud to the class and tweet them to @EdmontonOpera. Encourage the students to be clever, funny, or start a conversation. 2. Working individually or in groups, students will write 15-20 tweets from the perspective of one or more characters in the opera. The tweets should provide not only a synopsis of the entire plot but should also serve to reveal the motivations and feelings of the characters or convey some of the themes of the opera. Tweets are restricted to a
Guiding Questions for Discussion • How do the tweets deepen our understanding of the characters, plot, or themes of the opera? • What are the limitations of this form for personal expression? What are the benefits of such a form? • Identify and compare the uses of Standard English and slang in the tweets. How does their use change the meaning of the text? • How does communicating via twitter differ from other forms of language? • How does this affect how others view your experiences?
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Activity — That’s Nessun-ough
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New York Stories – Life Lessons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxu7-Rwhlys
Grades 5 and up, pre-performance This activity will allow students to explore the relationship between opera and popular culture by focusing on one very famous aria, ‘Nessun Dorma’ from Turandot. Students will be able to explain the effect that allusion to opera has on our understanding of contemporary art. Although opera is over 400 years old, it continues to influence popular culture today. Using the links or video sharing websites such as YouTube, watch one or more of the following (teachers may watch videos beforehand to determine if these videos are appropriate to show their class): • KIA – The Matrix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjnFWcr6s3A • Daredevil (Netflix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO61TCgbMas • Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation o Scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU2TU-E6OE o With Commentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw6MB gOs1jU
Guiding Questions for Discussion As a group, engage students to consider/discuss any of the following: • How do the directors make use of the aria? Does it add emotional content, dramatic tension, comedic value, etc.? • What purpose does the Pop Culture version serve? Is it effective? If so, in what ways is it effective? If not, why? • How does the Pop Culture version compare to the Traditional version? You may answer this question after seeing the opera. • Why would Pop Culture choose Opera, or at least the allusion to opera, to convey their message? • Can you think of other ways Opera has influenced modern culture?
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Guiding Questions for Discussion • Foundations: o How old are you? Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you have any family that we know of? What are your friends/family like? o What is your relationship with the other character in the opera like? How would your friends/family describe you in three words? (Think of mental, physiological, and physical characteristics) o What is your best quality? What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? • Getting deeper: o What are your dreams and goals? What drives you to try to reach those goals? How does this affect the choices your character makes in the story? What steps in the opera do you take to achieve your objective? o What obstacles stand in your way? Are there any obstacles that are beyond your control (social status, other character’s actions, laws, etc.)? How will you overcome those challenges? What are the outcomes of your choices?
Activity — Dear Diary
Grades 4 and up, post-performance In this activity, students will try to further understand the characters in the performance that they have just watched by doing an in depth character study. Guide the students through the following discussion questions to understand their character’s motivations, strengths, struggles, etc. Activity: Have students consider the characters and the role they play in the story. Divide the students into groups, and have each student choose a character to research. Students will need to create a series of journal entries which reflect conflicts present throughout the story of the opera that your class went to see. They can write all of their entries on one character, or write a few entries for multiple characters. TURANDOT | CALAF | LIU | TIMUR | PING | PANG | PONG Students should write 5-10 entries in total, and should do a character study to first to help them understand their characters more. The character study should be handed in with the journal entries. Students should use the following questions to help understand the characters.
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o Looking back from the end-point of the opera, would you have done anything differently? Today: o Are there any characters in modern-day television, literature, movies, theatre, etc., that remind you of the character that you chose? Are there any characters with similar characteristics or traits? o If your character were alive today, how would they be more or less successful? What might they have done differently to achieve their objectives? How is the character’s personality expressed through the music of the opera?
Activity — The Reviewer Knows Best
Post-performance activity, grades 4 and up After watching Turandot with your class, allow students to reflect on and describe what they experienced by creating a newspaper review. Encourage students to share their review with the rest of the class.
Activity: You have been hired by the Edmonton Journal to write a review of Edmonton Opera’s Turandot. Be sure to focus on choices that were made by the artistic team: the sets, lighting, costumes, casting, etc. You can also describe areas such as the mood, motifs and themes of the opera. And don’t forget to include a captivating title! Allow students to present their reviews to classmates in small groups or as a class.
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Action, and Resolution/Dénouement/ Catastrophe. After filling in their storyboard with those elements, have them present their storyboard to the class. b. Option B: They will need to divide the story of the opera into five specific sections: Setting (Time and Place), Characters, Problem, and the main events or the plot. After they have filled in that information in their storyboard, they can present it to the class. 4. For younger students, consider filling out the storyboard as a class, focusing on Characters, Setting/Place, Time, Problem, and Events. Next, have the students fill in their own individual copies to take home. 5. Remind students that there is more than one correct answer for this assignment. For example, students might have a different idea of what event is the “climax”, or have differing opinions on what the “problem” of the opera is. 6. Below are the two templates for this assignment:
Activity — Storyboard Grades 4 and up, post-performance activity A storyboard is a sequence of drawings, typically with some directions and dialogue, representing the shots planned for a movie or television production. It can be used to graphically represent the main elements of the plot (exposition, climax, etc.), or focus on the general plot, setting, and characters. In this activity, students will reflect on the performance of Turandot that they just attended, and create a storyboard to represent some of the aspects of the production. Activity: 1. Choose one of the provided storyboard templates for your class to work on, or create your own to better suit the learning needs of your students. 2. Divide your students into groups of 3-5 and provide each group with templates for a storyboard. For added creativity, they can construct their own, so long as it includes the same elements as the template that you select. 3. Explain to the class that their task is to fill in the elements of their storyboard with aspects of the story of the opera that your class went to see. a. Option A: They will need to divide the plot of the opera into five specific elements: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling
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CHARACTERS
CHARACTERS
SETTING
SETTING PLACE
PLACE
TIME
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
EVENTS
EVENTS
TIME
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