The three enigmas of Turandot that have fascinated for a century

Three thousand lire for a stage at the Scalathat April 25, 1926: just under three thousand euros current. There wasn’t a single free seat there pigeon loft which decided the success or failure of a work was packed like never before. It was half past that evening Europe of culture in the temple of lyricalWhy Arturo Toscanini he directed the premiere of “Turandot” Of Giacomo Puccini. The composer had died in Bruxelles il November 29, 1924for a throat cancer.

During the hospitalization in Belgium he had with him 36 pages Of pentagram paperwith ideas and musical notes for the finale of the work in 3 atti e 5 paintings set «In Beijing at the time of fairy tales». He wanted that extraordinary Work started in 1920 ended with the metamorphosis of the cold and vengeful Turandot in a woman passionate e in love; he wanted “arrive at a final scene where love explodes“. Ma he destination he didn’t give him time.

Toscanini interrupts the performance halfway through the third act

That evening a century ago at Scala the words that accompanied the had just sounded Liu’s death («Sleep, forget, Liù, poetry!»), about halfway through third actwhen after just two bars Toscanini he had stopped and silenced theorchestra laying down the wand after a suggestive E flat in tone minor. The chronicles they say that the director turned to the public and said «Here the performance ends, because at this point the master is dead». Il silence it was total, in theater packed in every row of seats, in a posthumous gesture of emotion towards the deceased musician and of success for his latest work.

Benito Mussolini should have been present since royal boxma he rejection Of Toscanini to open the representation with the notes of “Youth” they made him desertevent: he limited himself to ordering to testify between primo and the second act a showy bundle of red carnations at the foot of the statue to Puccini al reduction of the theatrewith its staff gift delivered to a writing that everyone had the opportunity to read: «Mussolini to Puccini».

The assignment to Alfano to complete the score with the original notes

The score reported the third act complete, as agreed by the same Toscanini – which in any case directed a memory – with the managers of Casa Ricordi (Carlo Clausetti e Renzo Valcarenghi) and the son of Puccini, Antoniocreated by the Neapolitan composer Franco Alfanodirector of Turin Conservatoryon the basis of original notesbut that April 25, 1926 no one could listen to thatprocessing. Puccini he had not appointed anyone for that task and Alfanochosen by Toscaninihe was intimidated not only by the stature of the deceased composer but also fromauthority of the conductor.

His Work consisted in drawing the Puccinian spirit from those 36 sheets which he had brought into the clinic in Brusselsconnecting them with scattered notes. He elaborated two sectionsin one key dramaturgical more conventional, but the different step is felt, despite the choice to report the triumphal theme of the “No one sleeps”even with the addition of the verse «Laughs and sings in the sun / our infinite happiness» which was not in the libretto.

The cuts imposed by the director and the disappointment of the composer-reviewer

Toscanini had imposed cuts of lightening 109 jokes and then given the go ahead to the first of two versionsbut he hadn’t directed it. It would have been Ettore Panizza to direct the version complete il April 27at the second performancewith material from Alfanowho had systematically refused to participate in prove and would have manifested if not the rancor for the interventions of Toscanini operated on his work of composerat least the disappointmentignoring the remake.

It won’t be a coincidence Alfano will abandon since then Casa Ricordi and will publish forUniversal Vienna. It will define in one letter «disastrous» the relationship with the Scala per “Turandot” and will come to ban any execution of his works in theaters with the direction Of Toscanini. The version run on April 27however, will become the most widespread and well reevaluated in the contents, although there will be no shortage of other examples later completion of the work.

Among these, Luciano Berio In the 2001Chinese Hao Weiya In the 2008 and the American Christopher Tin In the 2024.

Universal success and the definitive curtain on Italian melodrama

Impossible to keep track of representations and of recordings Of “Turandot”present in billboard of theaters throughout the world. The romance Of Fodder «Nobody sleeps» has been extremely popular for a century universal hitand for the enthralling acute final it is also known as “I will win”cited and exaggerated even in the advertising.

Finally, it should be considered that after the first at La Scala Toscanini will never direct againunfinished work Of Puccini. When he interrupted her at the end of the autograph score he couldn’t even imagine that on those note was waning curtain on the sensational and unparalleled season of Italian melodrama who had conquered the world.