Customer Reviews

Turandot (Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series)

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At least not when it comes to Turandot.

This is a review of anything Burton Fisher is offering with regards to Turandot (libretto, analysis, review...etc). Save your money. Two reasons.

1) - Burton Fisher's libretto is a poor translation with obvious mistakes. For example, in Act III, Scene II, he translates "primo pianto" as "first kiss." It's actually "first tear," and to make matters worst in the VERY NEXT LINE Fisher translates it as "first tear." This is sloppiness beyond compare and certainly not worth your money (the libretto alone costs $9 in downloadable pdf format from his website!). There are other errors and questionable word choices (it's like he went out of his way to make the most awkward translation possible), but take my word that you're better off looking elsewhere. You can find an English translation for cheap from the Ricordi Collection (I found on for under $2 on eBay).

2) - Fisher's analysis of Turandot is completely wrong. He submits to the idiotic "this opera is just a manifestation of Puccini's 'mother complex.'" Besides the obvious difficulties in trying to psychoanalyze a person who's been dead for almost a hundred years and whom you've never met, the theory flies in the face of what's actually in the opera. He dares to write that Liu is "punished" by Puccini because she yearns for base love when there is clearly no better example in all of opera of a more transcendent love. You can check Julian Budden's "Puccini: His Life and Works" for a thorough rebuttal to this foolish line of reasoning. Despite having many women die in his operas, no one seems to accuse Verdi of a "mother complex."

So all this to say I don't recommend anything by Burton Fisher when it comes to Turandot - and if this is any indication I would be wary of just about anything Burton Fisher offers. This Turandot libretto/book/analysis is of tremendously poor quality and confusing if not harmful analysis.

I'm afraid I've yet to run across any trustworthy opera analysis series. The Black Dog Opera series seems to offer decent librettos (in nice hardcover) for very reasonable prices - and from my limited exposure the librettos are actually translated correctly, which is a nice feature. You can find free synopsis of any opera online.

The Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series is just wonderful; it's like a "Cliff Note" of the opera, and extremely informative and educational. I particularly like the size; these guides are not cumbersome and fit right into my shirt pocket. The ladies will find sufficient room in their pocketbooks.

The story narrative with the music examples is excellent. I prefer it to a libretto; indeed, it's a much easier way to follow the essence of the story. The essay is magnificent; very well written, not pedantic, and extremely insightful and comprehensible. I congratulate Burton Fisher for a job very well done and Amazon for making these handy, information-laden booklets available. The Opera Journeys Mini Guide Series is a wonderful contribution to opera education and opera appreciation.

My tip: acquire the entire collection because you will be in easy reach of superbly presented opera guides consisting of story analysis, principal characters in the opera, story narrative with music highlights, background, analysis, and commentary.

Heinz Dinter, Ph.D.