South Florida Classical Review

Aleksandra Kurzak and Roberto Alagna in Puccini’s Turandot at Florida Grand Opera. Photo: Lewis Valdes

Star power lit up the stage of the Arsht Center on Tuesday night at Florida Grand Opera’s production of Puccini’s Turandot. The husband-and-wife team of Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak sang the roles of Calaf and Turandot. 

The singing of the two leading protagonists was thrilling and on a world-class level, elevating the rest of the cast to perform at their best.

Taking on the dramatic soprano role of Turandot, the Chinese ice princess, Kurzak approached the part more lyrically than many sopranos. In the narrative “In questa reggia,” Kurzak’s voice emerged luxuriant, her high notes clear as a bell. She captured the princess’ chilly urgency and latent fear in the riddle scene with no shortage of vocal power. Turandot’s final transformation was bathed in subtly colored projections.

From Calaf’s first utterance, Alagna’s voice had an abundance of ping and strength. He vaulted “ Non piangere Liu” to the rafters and his tenor turned heroic as he answered Turandot’s riddles. “Nessun dorma” resounded with passion and heft. The final duet founded the two singers equally assured, their timbres well blended. (This was the final of just two performances by Alagna and Kurzak; Jennifer Rowley and Dominick Valdes Chenes sing Turandot and Calaf in the remaining performances.)

As the slave Liu, Yulan Piao’s soprano was on the lightish side, but she brought a fine sense of pathos to “Signore ascolta.”  She rose to the challenge of “Tu che di gel sci cinta” and Liu’s death scene, bringing tonal beauty and exquisitely contoured pianissimos. Adam Lau’s firm bass encapsulated the blind, deposed king Timur. His threnody over Liu’s dead body was powerful.

Raymond Diaz, James Mancusso and Levi Adkins as the state ministers Ping, Pang and Pong were well matched and vibrant. They made the trio’s extended scene at the opening of Act II into something more substantial than usual. Ray Gonzalez brought a larger vocal instrument to Emperor Altoum than the comprimario type often heard in the role. Alex  Granito’s baritone sounded strong and imposing in the Mandarin’s proclamations.

Jeffrey Marc Buchman made the most of Allen Charles Klein’s much-travelled, forty-five-year old sets and costumes which have seen better days. New scenic projections by Erin Teachman gave the settings more color and flair and Robert M. Wierzel’s lighting went a long way toward making the ancient production look serviceable.

Rosa Mercedes’ choreography was a central component of Buchman’s concept. A female executioner spun a dynamic, appropriately frightening sword dance and the graceful movements of the female dancers provided a visual counterpart to the rising of the moon chorus. Buchman’s stage pictures were often stunning and he vividly characterized the individual character’s emotions and struggles.

Under director Jared Peroune, the well-drilled chorus sounded vigorous and full bodied, and the crowd scenes were musically as well as theatrically stunning. Although his tempos tended toward the slower vein, conductor Jonathan Brandani impressively commanded the score’s grand arc. He drew excellent playing from the orchestra, especially the lustrous strings.

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In pre-performance remarks, Florida Grand Opera executive director Maria Todaro paid tribute to former FGO music director Willie Anthony Waters who passed away on March 8 at age 74. During his FGO tenure 1986-1995, Waters conducted a diverse repertoire that ranged from Mozart and Rossini to Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Strauss and Carlisle Floyd. He was later general director of the now-defunct Connecticut Opera in Hartford and an active guest conductor with opera companies in the United States, Europe and South Africa.

Florida Grand Opera repeats Turandot 7:30 p.m. March 26 and 28 at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. fgo.org

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