With Puccini's Turandot, the Landestheater Linz presents one of the great mythical works of opera literature: a fairy tale of power, cruelty, and the longing for human closeness, carried by an orchestra full of color and powerful soundscapes. Under the musical direction of Enrico Calesso, the story of the enigmatic Princess Turandot unfolds as a fascinating interplay between cold inaccessibility and the courage of a man who faces a deadly test.
A princess who refuses all men. And so she issues the decree that she will only give herself to the suitor who can solve three riddles she has set. If he fails, he will be beheaded. So far, all suitors have failed to win her favor. But now Prince Calaf, blinded by the princess's beauty, dares to take the test. Will he be able to solve the riddles and melt the princess's hard heart?
In his last opera, sound magician Giacomo Puccini transports his audience to an exotic, surreal China. Here, he draws on the sum of his creative work, employing passionate melos, virtuoso orchestration, and powerful choruses to reveal the human emotions behind the dazzling, fairy-tale façade. However, he died before he could complete the final scene, in which Turandot transforms from a cold princess into a loving woman. In 2002, the renowned contemporary composer Luciano Berio presented his version of the finale, based on Puccini's sketches, which will also be performed in Linz.
Premiere January 17,
Further performances: January 22, February 7, 12, 19, and 27, March 6 and 19, May 8, 15, and 22, June 13 and 24, July 6, 2026
