Turandot Project, The

Synopsis: In 1997, documentary film-maker Allan Miller embarked on a film project with renowned conductor Zubin Mehta and celebrated Chinese film director Zhang Yimou as they joined forces in a production of Puccini’s opera Turandot in Florence. Before the year was out, an extraordinary opportunity arose: to stage Turandot in its original setting in the Forbidden City of Beijing. The outdoor production was an undertaking on an epic scale-including the expansion of the site with the construction of huge new sets, the creation of hand-sewn Ming Dynasty costumes and the adding of hundreds of soldiers and local extras, to lend a lavish authenticity to the staging. This video chronicles an unprecedented cross-cultural collaboration, combining the pageantry of this opulent opera production with a cinematic portrait of the struggles and triumphs of Zubin Mehta and Zhang Yimou to mount their production in this most historic venue of China.
Language: English
Country: United States
Year of release: 1999
Year of production: 1997
Notes: DVD special features: additional rehearsal footage, director and castbiographies, theatrical trailers.
Subjects: Music
Keywords: China; opera; Puccini, Giacomo (1858-1924)

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