The Sunday Opera continues with the 2018 season from the Lyric Opera of Chicago this week (6/24 3:00 p.m.) with Giacomo Puccini’s adaptation of a 1762 work by Count Carlo Gozzi, “Turandot.” Originally, this story of a Chinese princess who asks riddles and beheads anyone who seeks her hand was, in turn, based on a 12th century Persian work, one of seven that corresponds with the seven days of the week, colors, and then known planets, was originally about “Turan-Dokht” or the daughter of Turan, a Russian or central Asian princess.
In this performance, Turandot is sung by Amber Wagner, her Calaf is Stefano La Colla, Calaf’s exiled father Timur is Andrea Silvestrelli, and Liu, the servant who is caring for the exiled king is Maria Agresta. Commentary and comic relief are provided by the counselors Ping, Pang, and Pong performed by Zachary Nelson, Rodell Rosel, and Keith Jameson. We’ll stay in the region as Michael Kownacky brings you music by Carl Nielsen and his complete incidental score for a stage production of “Aladdin.”