Turandot

A princess who refuses all men. And so she issues the instruction that she will only give herself to the suitor who is able to solve three riddles she has set. If he fails to do so, he will be beheaded. So far, all suitors for her favor have failed. But now Prince Calaf, dazzled 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, unreal China. Here, he draws on the sum of his creative output, using glowing melodies, a virtuoso orchestral treatment and powerful choruses to bring out the human emotions behind the dazzling, fairytale-like façade. However, he died before he could complete the final scene with Turandot's transformation from cold princess to 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.