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Home > Blogs > Arts and Entertainment > Archives > 2008 > October > 19 > Entry
Dayton Opera’s ‘Turandot’ triumphs
DAYTON — While love triumphs at the conclusion of “Turandot,” the last opera by beloved Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, the Dayton Opera has triumphed in its new production of the work, which opened a three-performance run Saturday night, Oct. 18, at the Schuster Center.
The three-act opera, set in a mythical Imperial China, is an elaborate spectacle of pomp and pageantry that also features moments of intense intimacy.
Stage director Benjamin Spierman writes in his program notes that a major challenge in mounting the work is balancing the private and the public in a convincing and dramatically satisfying way.
He and his strong cast — guided by the floor plan of Puccini’s emotive score — have succeeded spectacularly.
Incisive conducting by Steven M. Crawford, leading the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra in the pit, also helped the principal singers and large, reliable chorus flesh out the musical nuances.
Anchoring the performance on stage was the Korean-born tenor Dongwon Shin, whose powerful yet tender vocals make him an ideal Prince Calaf; while soprano Robin Follman, in the title role, presented an unqualified princess to die for.
Soprano NaGuanda Nobles infused the story with a purity of heart that nicely balanced Princess Turandot’s initially apparent lack thereof.
The trio of Ping, Pang and Pong — played, respectively, by baritone Kyungmook Yum and tenors Jin Ho Hwang and Joesph Hu — provided their requisite levity, along with a sense of personality that transcended stock characterizations — not to mention some lovely singing.
Additional performances are Oct. 24 and 26; call (937) 228-3630 for tickets.
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