Every summer, Opera på Skäret attracts both new and returning stars to its productions. One of these is the conductor Lorenzo Coladonato, who this summer will lead his fourth production. Previously, he conducted The Magic Flute (2019), Un Ballo in Maschera (2022), and Rigoletto (2023).
But what makes him return time and again to Opera på Skäret? And what are his thoughts on Puccini and the music in Turandot?
This will be your fourth opera production at Opera på Skäret as conductor. What do you appreciate the most about Opera på Skäret?
– There’s so much I appreciate! The atmosphere is one thing. By now, I also know the production team I work with, the orchestra, and the choir and their dedication. Skäret and Kopparberg are an oasis for me. It’s nice to be away from the cities where opera houses are usually located. Here, there are no distractions. All of us involved in the production live and work together for a couple of months. It’s very special and a privilege to work together in such a focused way for an unusually long time, by opera standards. Here, it’s all about music and nature!
Have you conducted Turandot before?
– Yes, at the Bregenz Festival in 2015. I’m really looking forward to doing it again. I never really losetouch with operas I’ve conducted before. The relationship with the work continues to live within me; it becomes like a friend. Even if I don’t conduct or listen to it, I can “hear” it in my mind. That’s an important mental aspect.
What stands out to you about the music in Turandot?
– There are so many aspects. Throughout his career, Puccini tried to find new ways to approach opera. For example, Turandot’s character is very different from how women were usually portrayed – and still are today. For the first time, Puccini painted a cruel, ruthless female character, quite different from the typical heroines of his earlier operas. Meanwhile, the plot of the libretto inspired him to find new elements in his musical language and gave him the opportunity to enrich his style.
Puccini was an avid reader and a man of culture, something that is not widely known. He kept himself well informed of what was going on in the musical world around him. In April 1924, for example, he attended the first Italian performance of the controversial Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire in Florence. While the performance was met with boos and whistles, Puccini listened attentively and followed the performance with Schoenberg’s score in his hands, in the effort to find new elements to incorporate into Turandot. An example of this can be heard at the beginning of Turandot where two different keys are used simultaneously. Modern elements like these recur throughout the opera, especially in Turandot’s and the choir’s performances.
Turandot is set in mythical and fantastical Peking (now Beijing) in China. How is that reflected in the music?
– Puccini was fascinated by other cultures, including the Orient. For instance, in Turandot you can hear a traditional Chinese song called Mo Li Hua – Song of the Jasmine Flower, a folk song that is still very popular and has a history dating back to the Qing Dynasty. It recurs several times, especially in the first act. In addition, Puccini’s friend and musicologist Baron Fassini provided him with a musical anthology, from which Puccini selected several melodies to weave into his score. Not only that, inspired by Chinese and oriental scales, Puccini also composed his own Chinese-style melodies, which he integrated into Turandot.
Despite all these new elements, how can one recognize it as a Puccini opera?
– The music remains very typical of Puccini’s style, both in how he handles the voices and the orchestration. However, in Turandot he makes significant steps forward in the harmonic aspects of the composition, very often using altered chords and unorthodox concatenations.
What are the biggest challenges, in your opinion, with conducting Turandot?
– Every opera has its challenges, and Turandot is no exception, but there aren’t really any challenges that are unique to this opera. The difficulties that arise are dealt with in the moment while conducting – it’s a bit like Formula 1 racing; you just can never relax. Music always flows, never stops. For this reason, a conductor must be constantly alert, react immediately, take control of the situation and use his experience to guide the musicians and singers through the work.