This reminded me of a Turandot in concert form that I witnessed in Beijing in 1989. Indeed they do. It was decided then that those parts would be censored, and the music and chorus cut away. So we were treated to an abridged reading of the drama. Yet, even in the 1998 production, the poles surmounted by the decapitated heads of failed suitors called for in Act 1, are not seen.
Opera is the most extravagant of arts, and it offers the greatest possible illusions.
As we watched this Turandot, not far from the portrait of Chairman Mao at Tiananmen, we marveled at the artistic marriage of the Italian orchestra and chorus, singers from a handful of nationalities, and scores of Chinese artists. Here we saw two visions of the same drama, how they intertwine and separate to provide a vast tapestry of emotions and symbols. For once, it was not a question of being right or wrong, West or East. It was music and light that helped us understand and comprehend fully, for once. All Rights Reserved.