Performance took place on Tuesday, October 24th, 2000 at 08:00 pm EST.

This was the first time I saw Franco Zeffirelli's production live (I saw the video with Marton, Domingo a long time ago).

The production is stunningly beautiful, particularly the second Act. One can never cease to be amazed by this set, all golden and very, very bright. The first and third acts were equally beautiful. As always, Zeffirelli places a lot of people on state but it did not matter, because the singers were very prominent and you could always spot them. If you ever have a change to see this production, pay close attention to how Zeffirelli uses the lightning to stunning effect, in the second Act, the scene between the ministers Pong, Ping and Pang, he used a different light for each of them and the contrast between this scene and the next (where Turandot appears for the enigmas) is riveting.

Now to the singing. I have to confess I was very disappointed with Richard Marginson. I had heard him last season in Mephistopheles and was very well impressed. In Mephistopheles his voice rang loud and clear, a true tenor voice, and he had no problems with the role which is very difficult. He even added a high note in the passage "Foletto, Foletto" (in Act 3). But Calaf does not seem to be a good role for him. Although the voice was still clear I could not say it was loud. The "tessitura" seems to bother him, in the first Act where Calaf asks the Principessa for mercy and dams her ("che io ti veda e che io te maledica") he had no venom on his voice and could and should have stressed veda and maledica, but alas nothing came out. His "Non piangere Liu" was also correct but had no passion, no Italian tone nor ring to it. In the Second Act, in the enigmas he was better and at the end of the Act, he used the alternative version with a high C ("no no Principessa altera ti voglio tutta ardente d'amor") but it did not ring out in a convincible way. His "Nessun dorma" was correct and at the beginning the voice trembled a little (a lot of vibrato). His singing in the final duet was better.

Jane Eaglen was also a disappointment. It was the first time I had heard her live and as she had made a couple of records and sang some very good Isolde on the radio I had a high expectation. The voice is large but not very much, I've heard larger voices before, and the middle range is specially attractive, the tone dark, like a true dramatic soprano. But in the high notes, the voice thins out and the impression is that she is having a hard time, it sounds constricted. And all the volume is gone. On the positive side, she tried to sing pianissimo when required (although not successful at all times) and she was able to sing a true pianissimo when echoing Liu in the phrase "amore" in the third Act. She had some problems with "In questa reggia" specially with the top notes, and in the enigmas although she was better, she did not have the stamina to soar above the chorus when telling Calaf she would never be his (this is a specially difficult part where a dramatic soprano is required to muster 2 high C's). She also managed a beautiful piano at the end ("Il suo nome è Amor!").

Angela Gheorghiu was excellent. It was also the first time I heard her live and was impressed. The voice is very distinctive and very beautiful. In the first act, she did sing the pianissimos but alas she does not have a floating pianissimo such as Ricciarelli or Caballe (but that is asking too much I guess). In the third act, she really excelled specially in the first aria, "Tanto amore , segreto" where she managed to float some of the loveliest notes I've heard. She is very much the diva and the audience loved her. If she controls her temper, not before long, she will be one of the MET foremost divas.

Robert Lloyd was very good too. Timur is a short role, but he made the difference, with a very fine interpretation and good tone.