44. Dante
DANTE
“It’s not sad at all actually, unless you are the princess I guess.
In the story, Princess Turandot, who is known for being cold-hearted and has sworn to never let any man wed her, requires any suitor who wishes to marry her to answer three riddles.
If they don’t answer correctly, they are put to death.
Calaf, who is an unknown prince, falls in love with her at first sight and is able to answer all three riddles correctly.
But Princess Turandot refuses to marry the prince because he is a stranger.
She doesn’t even know his name, and she is worried he will take her by force.
So, the prince makes a deal with her: if she can figure out his name before sunrise, he will accept death at dawn.
But if she can’t, then they will get married, and the princess agrees since she doesn’t have another choice.
“The princess is so upset that she declares that ‘nessun dorma’ or ‘none shall sleep’ until she learns the name of the prince. The lyrics of ‘Nessun Dorma’ speak to Calaf’s confidence that ‘none shall sleep’ and he will win the princess’s hand in marriage.
The play continues, and the princess even orders the torture of a woman close to the prince for his name, but the woman refuses because she is in love with the prince and doesn’t want to see him die. ”
“Wow, I don’t know if that is romantic or horrifying. So what happens next?” Rose’s response comes quickly, and I can tell the story enthralls her.
“I guess that depends on your definition of romance. The princess orders the woman to be tortured more, but before that can happen, the woman grabs a knife from a guard and kills herself.” This is not the conversation I anticipated having with Rose tonight, but I can’t get over her interest in the story.
She has let down her walls at this moment, and I’m starting to get the real Rose.
“Oh shit! She must’ve really loved the prince. I can’t imagine loving someone so much that I would sacrifice my life for theirs.”
I can.
“So does the princess ever figure out his name?” Rose can barely contain her interest and excitement. What she doesn’t realize is this story parallels ours in ways I hope she never has to find out.
“What do you think happens?” I can’t keep the smirk off my face. I love sharing this with her because this is the real Dante, not the facade most people get.
“If they don’t end up together after all that, then I officially hate this story.”
“Well, the prince doesn’t agree with the princess’s cruelty but still takes her into his arms and kisses her.”
“After his friend just died?” Rose can’t contain her outrage.
“More or less, yes. The prince wants to persuade Turandot to love him since they will be married. The princess eventually admits that ever since she met the prince, she has felt both hate and love for him. Regardless, she tells him to ask for nothing else and leave, taking his mystery with him. Instead, the prince reveals his name to the princess before sunrise, effectively placing his life in her hands.”
“What an idiot! Why does he even like this chick?”
“Love makes you do crazy things, I guess.”
“Weeeellll? Does she say his name before dawn and sentence him to death or not? You can’t just leave me hanging like that!”
“Well, in the final scene, Turandot and the prince go to her father, the emperor, and she announces that she knows his name.”
“That bitch!”
“Hold on. When she is asked what his name is, she declares, ‘It is love.’”
“And that’s how it ends? What the heck?” Rose responds with confusion and outrage.
“This opera has definitely received criticism and controversy, but what makes it even more interesting is that the composer Puccini died before the third act could be fully completed. It is said he left several pages of sketches and notes for how Turandot should end and instructions on who he wanted to finish the opera in the event of his death. Puccini’s son disagreed with the instructions, and a different composer was chosen.
There was criticism of the first version that was completed by that composer and was instructed to write another that more closely fit Puccini’s notes and sketches.
Ultimately, the conductor who had worked with Puccini ended up cutting several minutes from the second version provided, and that is what is traditionally performed. ”
“Wow. Who knew the opera world was so messy. How do you know so much about this?”
Now is my moment of truth. It’s my opportunity to open up to Rose about my childhood. I just have to be careful I don’t reveal too much.
“The man who raised me loved music but opera scores most of all. He always said that ‘in a world with so much pain, you have to be able to find the beauty,’ and to him, music was the beauty. He used to listen to this entire opera every Sunday afternoon while smoking a cigar and having a glass of amaretto.”
“Used to? He doesn’t listen to it anymore?”
“Now, he only listens to ‘Nessun Dorma’ from Act III.” I pause before continuing, not knowing how much more information I should share, but it feels good to have someone to confide in about this, and she, more than anyone, deserves to know.
“Why only that song?” Rose’s response is so earnest. I can tell she is actually interested in my answer.
“It’s… complicated.” I pause and take a long pull from my whiskey tumbler and finish the remaining liquid in one swallow.
Standing to refill my glass, I continue, knowing I need to get the words out.
“His daughter was murdered many years ago, and he has never found her killer. A little over a year ago, he found out he has stage 4 lung cancer, and ever since then, he has only played that song. I think it’s his way of reminding himself that, like the lyrics of the song, ‘none shall sleep’ until her killer is found, including himself.
” But his time is running out, and so is mine.