One big difference is a new aria he wrote for Princess Turandot. It was then revised seven times, with help from experts from the Puccini Foundation in Italy. Then, in just six weeks, he penned an 18-minute ending. Hao studied Puccini's texts and the opera for about a month. He wasn't scared, he says, because it was 'only a job.' But he did worry about doing it well, because he was writing for the 'very important' performing arts center. 'When I think about it, I think it was my destiny, my fate,' Hao says. They chose 36-year-old Hao Weiya, who was then studying opera in Italy. And they wanted a new ending written by a Chinese composer.

Partly because of this depiction of China, the opera wasn't performed in the country for nearly seven decades.īut when Beijing wanted to inaugurate its new, massive National Center for Performing Arts, officials decided to stage Turandot - one of the few Western operas set in China. The opera tells the story of a tyrannical, blood-thirsty princess, Turandot, who has unsuccessful suitors beheaded. Performing Turandot in China is rife with political difficulties. Now, a young Chinese composer has written a new ending. To date, the most-performed ending of Turandot was written by one of his contemporaries, Franco Alfano. Puccini died before he finished writing the music, leaving 23 sheets of manuscript sketches. This is the third ending written and the first by a Chinese composer.įor 84 years, opera buffs have puzzled over how the Italian composer Giacomo Puccini meant to end one of his best-loved operas, Turandot, which is set in a mythical China. Puccini died without finishing the opera. This version of the opera has a new ending penned by Chinese composer Hao Weiya.

Princess Turandot appears at a staging in Shanghai of the Puccini opera that bears her name.

Vin chero puccini opera song