Finely sung revival stays with you far longer than a Chinese takeaway.

Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
June 24, 2015

For the musically minded, Turandot remains Puccini’s magnum opus. His last and greatest work, its impressionistic score laced with Chinese gongs and woodblocks, it shows the master of verismo pushing further into unexplored musical territory than ever before in his quest for novelty and a good story. Famously unfinished at his death in 1924, the awkward lurch from the tragedy of suicide to the triumph of love in the final scene has endlessly frustrated, yet this gloriously tuneful, glittering icon of operatic art holds its own regardless, with memorable melodies, daring harmonies and more than a little help from its big hit – the ubiquitous Nessun dorma.

There’s not much too that hasn’t been written about Graeme Murphy’s excellent choreographically envisaged staging since it first aired at the Sydney Opera House back in 1991. However, it’s worth taking a moment to refresh our minds about what turns a fine production into a repertoire mainstay and why it’s likely to be with us for a few years yet. Firstly, Murphy doesn’t try to contemporise, understanding that a timeless tale that can...