Turandot by Carlo Gozzi, summary Automatic translate

Carlo Gozzi’s tragicomic tale was performed in 1761. The author deliberately abandoned theatrical magic typical of his work. The playwright wanted to prove to strict critics his absolute ability to hold audiences’ attention through sheer dramatic tension. Three riddles and the mortal danger looming over the hero create a gripping plot. The plot hinges on the stubborn personalities and the intricacies of unpredictable fate.

The work gained worldwide fame thanks to the magnificent music of Giacomo Puccini. The great Italian composer created the immortal opera of the same name. On the Russian stage, the text gained widespread fame thanks to the production by the outstanding Yevgeny Vakhtangov. The director staged this production to great acclaim in 1922.

Act One

The plot opens with a grim display at the high city gates of Beijing. The severed heads of unfortunate princes are displayed on iron spears. The Nogai prince Kalaf arrives incognito in the foreign capital. The young man accidentally encounters his longtime tutor, Barakh. The old man has lived here for many years under the name of the Persian merchant Hassan, along with his wife, Skirina. Barakh is shocked by this meeting. The tutor believed his beloved pupil had died in a brutal battle.

Calaf tells his mentor the tragic story of his powerful family’s downfall. His father, Timur, the king of Astrakhan, lost his rightful throne. Power was seized by force by the ruthless Sultan of Khwarezm. The royal family wandered the world for a long time, suffering great hardship. The exiles endured severe hunger and constant humiliation. In the Caucasus Mountains, the fugitives were brutally robbed by bandits. Calaf begged at the doors of mosques in the city of Yaik. Later, the family moved to neighboring Khorasan. The young man worked as a common laborer in the palace of King Heykobad. After the complete destruction of Khorasan by Chinese troops, the fugitives took refuge in the city of Berlas. The local ruler, Alingver, presented Calaf with a horse and a sturdy purse of gold. Calaf came to China for the good wages of a soldier. The prince earnestly hoped to provide for his elderly, sick parents.

Barach strongly warns the young man against entering the capital. The old man describes in detail the harsh law of Emperor Altoum. The Chinese ruler’s daughter, the beautiful Princess Turandot, utterly hates men. She flatly refuses to marry anyone. The princess has had a cruel decree officially issued. Any suitor for her hand must publicly solve three complex riddles. Any mistake is punishable by immediate beheading.

At this tense moment, the city resounds with the mournful sounds of mourning drums. The executioner proudly carries the fresh, bloodied head of the young prince of Samarkand on a pike. The tutor of the executed groom, old Ismail, weeps loudly and inconsolably. In a rage, the man throws a miniature portrait of the princess onto the dusty ground. Calaf quickly picks up the beautiful image. Turandot’s flawless face instantly strikes the prince to the heart. The young man resolutely ignores Barakh’s tearful pleas. Skirina promises to make a rich sacrifice to the great deity Berginguzin to save the madman. Calaf firmly resolves to immediately enter the deadly competition.

Act II

The stage space smoothly transitions to the grand ceremonial hall of the Divan. Here, authoritative Chinese sages sit. Ministers Pantalone and Tartaglia are heatedly discussing the sudden appearance of a new daredevil. Pantalone’s secretary amusingly expresses outrage at the absurdity of the local bloody laws. Emperor Altoum expresses genuine sympathy for the handsome youth. The gray-haired ruler offers Calaf the opportunity to share his enormous throne and renounce risk forever. The prince respectfully but categorically refuses. The bold hero demands immediate death or the hand of the beautiful, proud woman. Tartaglia loudly reads the decree.

To the solemn sounds of a march, Turandot enters the hall. The girl is obediently accompanied by her faithful slaves, Adelma and Zelima. The princess asks Calaf to retreat, promising graciously not to ask deadly questions. The young man stubbornly insists on strictly adhering to the harsh conditions. Turandot slowly and consistently recites three difficult riddles. The answer to the first riddle, about an eternal, bright traveler, is the word "sun." The second riddle tells of an ancient, enormous tree with white and black leaves. This philosophical riddle is confidently solved with the word "year." The third riddle poetically describes a wondrous winged beast. This wondrous, powerful beast boldly conquers the raging sea and solid land. Calaf confidently gives the correct answer: "The Lion of Hadria."

The young man’s brilliant victory evokes the Emperor’s wild delight and the Princess’s profound horror. The disgraced Turandot falls unconscious on the throne. Regaining consciousness, the girl furiously demands new trials. Altoum categorically refuses his own daughter. The ruler sternly orders preparations for an immediate wedding. Calaf is sincerely touched by his beloved’s bitter tears. The victor decides to make a noble concession. He offers the Divan assembly a fair deal. The Prince poses a single riddle. The Princess must state his true name and the true name of his father before the next morning meeting of the Divan. A correct answer will bring certain death to Calaf. Failure will oblige Turandot to submit to the wedding without complaint. Altoum reluctantly accepts these new conditions.

Act Three

The events of the third act unfold in the opulent chambers of the women’s seraglio. The beloved slave Adelma suffers greatly from an internal conflict. The girl has secretly been in love with the courageous Calaf since his days of hard labor in Khorasan. The princess cunningly plans to learn the true identities of the strangers for the sake of her own liberation from shameful slavery. Turandot, meanwhile, suffers cruelly from wounded feminine pride. The faithful Zelima naively suggests that her mistress urgently consult a street fortune teller. The princess rejects the cheap, charlatan magic with utter indignation.

The tense situation is greatly complicated by Skirina’s unexpected visit. The foolish woman joyfully informs Zelima of her tenant’s magnificent victory. Skirina, quite by accident, lets slip that her husband had long been acquainted with the prince. The cunning chief of the palace eunuchs, Truffaldino, eavesdrops attentively on this conversation. A servant immediately organizes a street raid. Armed guards roughly seize Barakh and the gray-haired old man, Timur. The deposed Tsar of Astrakhan has just secretly arrived in Beijing. The old man barely had time to inform his faithful servant of the recent death of his wife, Elmaza. The eunuchs forcibly drag the resisting captives into the gloomy palace dungeon. By order of the emperor, Minister Brighella posts reinforced military guards at the high doors of Calaf’s bedroom.

Act Four

Late at night, Turandot conducts a brutal secret interrogation of Barakh and Timur in a spacious atrium with tall columns. A huge pile of glittering gold coins lies on a large table. The princess promises the captives enormous wealth in exchange for the necessary information. After receiving a firm refusal from the men, the girl angrily threatens to beat the old men with heavy rods. The captives steadfastly maintain a devoted silence. Adelma interrupts the bloody torture just in time. The cunning girl swears to her mistress to learn the great secret through subtle cunning.

At this alarming moment, the old Emperor Altoum appears. The wise ruler joyfully tells his daughter the excellent news. He cleverly intercepted the secret overseas messenger and learned with absolute certainty the true identities of the prince and the king. Altoum flatly refuses to reveal this secret to the stubborn Turandot. The ruler calls on the proud woman to surrender voluntarily. The girl stubbornly resolves to await Adelma’s swift return.

The action shifts to Calaf’s quiet bedroom. The weary hero is subjected to a series of treacherous nocturnal provocations. First, Skirina, wearing someone else’s soldier’s uniform, enters his room. The woman begs the prince to sign a short note for the weeping Timur. Calaf wisely refuses to leave his name on the piece of paper. Then Zelima arrives. The slave girl bears a false, conciliatory message from her mistress. The messenger asks for names as a sign of mutual trust. The prince coldly sends the girl away empty-handed. The comical eunuch Truffaldino carefully places a miraculous mandrake root under the head of the soundly sleeping Calaf. The eunuch absurdly interprets the random movements of the sleeping body. The fool leaves, fully confident of having successfully deciphered the letters of the cherished name.

Adelma is the last to enter the chamber. The girl boldly reveals her beautiful face. She passionately confesses to her lover her high noble birth. The slave was born the legitimate daughter of the powerful Khorasan king Heikobad. The girl frightens the prince with a terrible, fictitious message: Turandot allegedly ordered assassins to slaughter the young man at dawn. Adelma passionately proposes to Calaf that they immediately flee with her. The princess promises untold gold and reliable military support from the Berlas king Alingver. The young man categorically rejects the escape plan. The brave hero prefers to die honorably at the hands of his cruel lover. In a fit of amorous despair, Calaf loudly pronounces his true name and the name of old Timur. Adelma mentally rejoices. The cherished state secret is finally in her clutches.

Act Five

Early in the morning, the wise men once again solemnly assemble in the grand hall of the Divan. The decorated altar for the wedding is already fully prepared. The good emperor awaits a joyful, lavish wedding. Suddenly, Turandot appears in severe black mourning robes. The entire palace retinue is also dressed in deep sorrow. The princess mockingly taunts the silent Calaf. The girl loudly proclaims the names of the Nogai prince and the ruler of Astrakhan.

Calaf is crushed by the verdict. The young man quickly draws a sharp dagger. The enamoured hero desperately prepares to stab himself in the chest. Unexpectedly, Turandot rushes to the prince and firmly holds his hand. The girl publicly confesses her ardent love to the hero. The princess honestly declares her victory to be completely unfair. The mistress learned the names only through the vile betrayal of a slave girl. Adelma instantly realizes the complete and utter collapse of her secret amorous hopes. In a blinding rage, the princess snatches Calaf’s dagger. The girl resolutely attempts to end her own life. The young man barely manages to wrest the blade away by force.

Events unfold rapidly. Calaf fervently begs the emperor to mercifully forgive Adelma. Altoum readily grants the prince’s request. The ruler generously restores the princess to her rightful, wealthy kingdom of Khorasan.

The Emperor solemnly hands Calaf an important official letter. The unexpected death of the cruel usurper of Khorezm is revealed. The tyrant was ignominiously murdered by his own rebellious vassals. The Astrakhan throne is now completely vacant. The rightful ruler can safely return to his homeland. Old Timur receives his long-awaited freedom. The magnificent fairy tale concludes happily with Turandot’s beautiful address to the audience. The girl humbly asks forgiveness from all the men present for her past senseless cruelty. The princess sincerely and joyfully accepts the great love of the brave Calaf.