Turandot cover

Turandot

Herbert von Karajan · 1982

132 min · 55 tracks · classical music

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

93 /100
Summit
Higher than 100% of albums we've rated

Puccini’s recurring crowd and ceremonial writing frame strikingly different private scenes; the Liu-to-reconciliation turn is abrupt, but the performance sustains the opera’s larg…

What we noticed

  • The opening moves from the crowd’s clipped cries into the Mandarin’s execution announcement, then keeps the public ritual in view as Calaf and Timur enter.
  • Act II pauses the riddles for Ping, Pong and Pang’s extended trio, shifting from brisk exchanges to a slower recollection of their homes.
  • Liu’s sacrifice and death form the emotional turn before the final reconciliation, so the ending has to pivot quickly from private grief to public celebration.
Composition 25% of the score
9/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
9/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
8/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
8/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
8/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 5/10

Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

Disc 1

  • 1 Turandot: Un Mandarino / ‘Popolo di Pechino!’ 2:17
  • 2 Turandot: Le guardie imperiali / ‘Indietro, cani!’ 0:47
  • 3 Turandot: Calaf / ‘Padre! Mio padre!’ 3:08
  • 4 Turandot: Gli uomini / ‘Gira la cote!’ 2:27
  • 5 Turandot: La Folla / ‘Perche tarda la luna?’ 4:07
  • 6 Turandot: Ragazzi / ‘La, sui monti dell’est’ 1:14
  • 7 Turandot: La Folla / ‘O Giovinetto! Grazia!’ 3:38
  • 8 Turandot: La Folla / ‘La Grazia, Principessa!’ 1:56
  • 9 Turandot: Timur / ‘Figlio, che fai?’ 1:52
  • 10 Turandot: Ping, Pong, Pang / ‘Fermo! Che fai?’ 1:59
  • 11 Turandot: Le Ancelle Di Turandot / ‘Silenzio, ola!’ 1:54
  • 12 Turandot: Pang, Pong, Ping / ‘Notte senza lumicino’ 2:49
  • 13 Turandot: Liu / ‘Signore, ascolta!’ 2:47
  • 14 Turandot: Calaf / ‘Non Piangere, Liu!’ 2:29
  • 15 Turandot: Timur / ‘Ah! Per l’ultima volta!’ 3:19
  • 16 Turandot: Ping / ‘Ola, Pang!’ 1:18
  • 17 Turandot: Ping / ‘O Cina, che or sussulti’ 2:03
  • 18 Turandot: Ping / ‘Ho una casa nell’Honan’ 3:10
  • 19 Turandot: Ping, Pong, Pang / ‘O mondo pieno di pazzi innamorati!’ 1:52
  • 20 Turandot: Ping, Pong, Pang / ‘Addio, amore, addio, razza!’ 1:57
  • 21 Turandot: Ping, Pong, Pang / ‘Non v’e in China per nostra fortuna’ 1:48
  • 22 Turandot: Pong / ‘Udite trombe! Altro che pace’ 1:18
  • 23 Turandot: La Folla / ‘Gravi, enormi ed imponenti’ 3:14
  • 24 Turandot: L’Imperatore / ‘Un giuramento atroce mi costringe’ 3:37
  • 25 Turandot: La Folla / ‘Diecimila anni al nostro imperatore!’ 1:31
  • 26 Turandot: Il Mandarino / ‘Popolo de Pechino!’ 1:42

Disc 2

  • 1 Turandot: Turandot / In questa reggia 3:06
  • 2 Turandot: Turandot / ‘O, principi, che a lunghe carovane’ 4:25
  • 3 Turandot: Turandot / ‘Straniero, ascolta’ 2:03
  • 4 Turandot: Calaf / ‘Si! Rinasce!’ 0:56
  • 5 Turandot: Turandot / ‘Guizza al pari di fiamma’ 1:40
  • 6 Turandot: Calaf / ‘Si, principessa!’ 1:02
  • 7 Turandot: Turandot / ‘Gelo che ti da foco’ 2:03
  • 8 Turandot: Calaf / ‘La mia vittoria’ 1:53
  • 9 Turandot: Turandot / ‘Figlio del cielo!’ 2:08
  • 10 Turandot: Calaf / ‘No, no, principessa altera’ 3:29
  • 11 Turandot: La Folla / ‘Ai tuoi piedi ci prostriam’ 2:46
  • 12 Turandot: Gli Araldi / ‘Cosi comanda Turandot’ 3:47
  • 13 Turandot: Calaf / ‘Nessun dorma’ 3:15
  • 14 Turandot: Ping, Pong, Pang / ‘Tu che guardi le stelle’ 2:26
  • 15 Turandot: Ping / ‘Straniero, Ttu non sai’ 1:45
  • 16 Turandot: Ping / Principessa divina!’ 2:47
  • 17 Turandot: Liu / ‘Signor, non parlero!’ 1:34
  • 18 Turandot: Turandot / ‘Chi pose tanta forza nel tuo cuore?’ 3:00
  • 19 Turandot: Turandot / ‘Strappatele il segreto!’ 1:32
  • 20 Turandot: Liu / ‘Tu che di gel sei cinta’ 3:21
  • 21 Turandot: Timur / ‘Liu! Sorgi!’ 2:36
  • 22 Turandot: Timur / ‘Liu, bonta! Liu, dolcezza!’ 3:25
  • 23 Turandot: Calaf / ‘Principessa di morte!’ 3:53
  • 24 Turandot: Turandot / ‘Che e mi di me?’ 2:59
  • 25 Turandot: Calaf / ‘La tua gloria risplende nell’incanto’ 3:36
  • 26 Turandot: Turandot / ‘Piu grande vittoria non voler!’ 1:04
  • 27 Turandot: Turandot / ‘So il tuo nome!’ 1:30
  • 28 Turandot: La Folla / ‘Diecimila anni al nostro imperatore!’ 1:49
  • 29 Turandot: Turandot / ‘Padre Augusto’ 2:02

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Reference: MusicBrainz