When Turandot opens at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Dec. 9-11, 2022, it will bring to mind Filipino singers who distinguished themselves in the last Puccini opera.
There is no record of Filipinos who sang Princess Turandot but others were equal to other demanding roles.
The last to sing Liu in the Puccini opera was Maestra Irma Potenciano who was part of the 1979 opera production at the Manila Metropolitan Theater.
In that last production in Manila, Princess Turandot was Janet Alcorn and Calaf was Chris Lachonas with Frankie Aseniero as understudy. Manny Gregorio was Timur, Gamaliel Viray was Ping, Jonathan Malicsi was Pang, Enrico Saboren was Pong and Nomer Son as Mandarino.
Soprano Evelyn Mandac, the first and the last Filipino soprano to sing at the Met, was a distinguished Liu. She sang the part with the Princess Turandot of the legendary Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson at the Seattle Opera.
Reviewer Rosalinda L. Orosa recounted conversation with Nilsson who recalled rehearsals of Turandot where the soprano was Turandot and Mandac was Liu. Orosa’s story had it that during a break in the Turandot rehearsals, the buxom soprano gathered the lissome Filipina in her arms and gushed, “My dear, you sing like an angel!”
When their paths crossed once more, she asked Mandac, “When shall we do Turandot again?”
More of Orosa’s story: “For his part, Tucker who was Calaf in that opera, would hold Mandac’s hand reassuringly, thus betraying his concern for the talented stranger then appearing as Liu for the first time.”
A remarkable Calaf in Turandot was Ilonggo tenor Otoniel Gonzaga who, like Cecile Licad, also studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Gonzaga sang the opera’s most famous aria, Nessun Dorma at the Bamboo Organ Festival in Las Pinas and earned an ovation.
For the 2022 staging of Turandot, the title role will be sung by Korean soprano Lilla Lee. Liu will be sung by Rachelle Gerodias who debuted in Vienna in the same role some years back.
Turandot was the 5th offering of the CCP- Metropolitan Opera in HD season 4 shown at Greenbelt Cinema in 2017. Nina Stemme was Turandot while Marco Berti was Calaf.
Nedy Tantoco, one of the producers representing Rustan’s Group of Companies, said she decided to tie up with the CCP in time for the celebration of the 60th year of the Philippine-Italian Association (PIA). “Presenting Turandot by Puccini would be an appropriate way to further promote Italian arts and culture in the Philippines and in the process raise funds for PIA,” she pointed out.
Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente said the Italian Embassy was just too happy to support the project. “The Italian embassy will provide substantial financial contribution. Opera was created by a group of renaissance intellectuals in Florence more than four centuries ago. It is undisputable that the general public still tends to associate the very concept of opera to Italy and to the Italian language. For that reason, it is important for an Italian Ambassador to strongly support live performances of Italian operas especially after the long closure of theatres due the pandemic.”
The Italian ambassador agreed the staging of Turandot is timely and a grand way of celebrating the 75th anniversary of Philippine-Italian diplomatic relations. “I join Filipino opera lovers in anticipating the most popular aria in the Puccini opera, Nessun dorma.”
CCP President Margie Moran Floirendo said producing Turandot became feasible with the big helping hand of Rustan’s Group of Companies represented by Nedy Tantoco. “Nedy (Tantoco) has been impresario of opera for some time now. It is a timely cultural endeavor because we are observing the 75 th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and the Philippines. Moreover, the presentation will also help improve opera appreciation in the country.”
Jaime Laya, president of the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc. (FOSFI) said he was just happy to partner with the Philippine-Italian Association and the Cultural Center of the Philippines in the December opera presentation.
It will be noted that FOSFI has also co-sponsored another CCP opera production, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in January 2020.
The opera foundation was created under the leadership of the late Imelda Ongsiako-Cojuangco, precisely to promote appreciation of opera in the Philippines and to support talented Filipinos. Dr. Laya added: “We are delighted to join hands with PIA and CCP in this endeavor that brings the rarely staged Puccini opera in Manila. It is also a great opportunity to hear distinguished Korean and Filipino singers in one big opera collaboration.”
Italian director Maestro Vincenzo Grisostomi Traviglini who also directed Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor at the CCP in 2020 will arrive early November to direct the opera.
Assistant director is Prince Sisowath Ravivaddhana Monipong who was also part of the 2020 staging of Lucia di Lammermoor at the CCP.
(Turandot in Manila was made possible in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Embassy of Italy, Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc. and Rustan’s Group of Companies. The two-day opera gala is sponsored by LCS Group of Companies, San Miguel Corporation, Sta. Elena Construction and Development Corporation, BPI and Danny Dolor. Ticket prices: orchestra center P6,000.00 P4,000.00; orchestra sides (right and left) at P5,000.00 P3,000.00; balcony I center P2,500.00 P1,500.00 and sides (right and left) P2,500.00 and P1,500.00. For inquiries, call: Lulu Casas 09175708301; lgcasas@rgoc.com.ph; Maricar Alamodin 09175384508; esalamodin@rgoc.com.ph; Rustan’s Makati – 8813-3739 Loc 280; Rustan’s Shangrila – 8633- 4636 Loc 400; Rustan’s Alabang – 8850- 5592; Rustan’s Gateway – 8931-2460; CCP Box Office 8832-3704 and TicketWorld 8891-9999.)
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