“Turandot”: a very brief review (if I may)

Yesterday’s “Turandot,” revived after a long break on the ROH stage, was spectacular, bombastic and, oddly enough, less camp than one could expect from the post-commedia del’ arte opera buffa opulently decorated with chinoiserie. Those who still remember that notorious headline from 2013, “Turandot is a disgusting opera that is beyond redemption” by Michael Tanner, won't be disappointed: it’s a qualified guilty pleasure for the “Nessun Dorma” admirers against all odds.

To be serious, I can’t see any flaws in the modern production: the performance itself, the set design (no performative “cultural appreciation”, but love to carefully curated grandeur) and, of course, the soloists themselves—everything was solidly enjoyable and delightful. However, unlike the Spectator's music critic, I preferred SeokJong Baek (Calaf) over Sondra Radvanovsky’s Turandot: something in her soprano, certain metallic undertones that never went away throughout the second and third acts, put me off. But Baek’s tenor, magnificently strong and effortlessly smooth, was a treat for the ears.