GIACOMO PUCCINI'S TURANDOT
IN THE FORBIDDEN CITY –

an INTRODUCTION

Several times in history, famous personalities have tried to realize an opera production of Puccini's Turandot in the environment envisaged by the composer, the Forbidden City of Beijing. Even the great conductor Herbert von Karajan, however, did not succeed in fullfilling this dream, a wish he had expressed in the early 1980's.

For a very fortunate and select audience - only eight performances were given - this dream came true in September 1998. The climate in Beijing is known to be mild and dry in September, and is considered ideal for tourism and open-air events.

Each person sitting in the courtyard of the historic Palace was a witness to a drama of historic dimensions, a drama full of archaic force and power: the love story of the beautiful yet cruel princess Turandot.

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