Turandot

Published Thursday 11 March 2004 at 13:25 by Jeremy Brien

The recent 12-page Times newspaper supplement on Opera 2004 totally ignored the 10-year success story of Ellen Kent and Opera International, while claiming that the top ten faces that really mattered in British opera were all men. Tell that snobbish and sexist nonsense to the opera-lovers who will pack no less than 45 main UK houses over the next five months to enjoy both the spectacular staging and fine singing of the Chisinau National Opera, presented by the largest single provider of opera throughout the UK - and a woman at that.

Puccini’s tale of the ice-maiden princess whose suitors face death if they fail to answer three riddles correctly benefits from stunning sets and costumes by Alexander Okun and three outstanding soloists. Ellen Kent is never afraid to augment her touring Eastern European companies with experienced international artists and here Rome-based soprano Natalia Margarit and Korean-American counterpart Rosa Lee Thomas sing with great purity in the title role and as the slave girl Liu, while at the same time contrasting their respective power complex and innocence to strong effect.

The controlled phrasing of Russian tenor Akhmed Agadi as Turandot’s would-be lover Calaf makes the familiar Nessun Dorma aria seem new-minted. Vladimir Dragos, Anatol Arcea and Vasile Micusa add Gilbert and Sullivan-style business to the three meddlesome ministers Ping, Pang and Pong and the orchestra, under Nicolae Dohotaru, is on this occasion particularly impressive in the brass section.