Busoni, two scenes from 'Turandot'

Busoni composed incidental music for a production of Carlo Gozzi's play 'Turandot' in 1905. The 'Greensleeves' music was reworked for piano in 1907 to become the fourth of his seven Elegies, then, along with other earlier material, it was reworked once more in his two-act opera 'Turandot' which was premiered in 1917. The extracts featured here are the Song and the Dance from the opening of Act 2. In the Song, 'Greensleeves' has been harmonically emboldened (compared with the piano elegy), but still seems a singularly unoriental inclusion for a Chinese opera. In a letter of 1910, Busoni referred to Turandot as "the lady with the green sleeves" - so may be this is the connection. The composer moves further east in the Dance but, to my ears, does not really get as far as China! The extracts are performed by Opera Lyon under conductor Kent Nagano. In the Dance, the female chorus sings: Night turns to pale daybreak, light returns to our room. So life unceasingly flows to and fro. Maidens, come, rejoice! Soon your bridegroom will come to you. Night turns to day; in its arms it cradles life. Come, rejoice, rejoice!

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• #busoni
• #turandot
• #paulprocoplis