For his first venture into opera, Chinese film director Chen Kaige (most famous for Farewell My Concubine) mounted this production of Puccini’s final opera for the Palau de les Arts Reine Sofia at Valencia. Drawing on his intimate knowledge of traditional Chinese theatre and spectacle, Chen and his designers, Liu King and Chen Tong Xun, give us a Turandot in extravagant colours and choreography, true to the spirit of fable and legend, and far removed from the tired attempts at reinterpretation that mar so many contemporary stagings.

All the movement is highly stylised, so that even moments of extreme cruelty, such as the execution of the Prince of Persia in the first scene, and Liù’s suicide in the third act, are acted out with balletic movements, suggesting ancient rituals. For instance, at the end of “Tu che di gel sei cinta”, Liù winds her long silk scarf around Timur’s wrist and then strangles herself. The movement of the chorus and crowds of extras is expertly handled, and the set, using a long flight of stairs, allows the principals plenty of room for each set-piece aria or duet.

Maria Guleghina must surely now be the Turandot of our time. The role seems to hold no terrors for her, and although her enunciation of the Italian text is not always especially subtle, she makes up for it with facial gestures that show the gradual awakening of the Ice Princess. Marco Berti is a sturdy Calaf, his relationship well defined with Timur, a fine performance from Alexander Tsymbalyuk. Alexia Voulgaridou as Liù gives a warmly sympathetic account of Puccini’s favourite character, though she hasn’t the opportunity to achieve the “floating” quality at the end of “Signore, ascolta!”.

Zubin Mehta long ago recorded a favourite Turandot on disc with Sutherland, Pavarotti and Caballé (Decca, A/03). He was also in charge of the production staged in 1998 live in Beijing (on DVD from RCA) and his direction of the Valenciana Orchestra brims with drama and affection. This new performance cannot equal the old studio set for vocal thrills but I would suggest that it is probably the best bet now for a Turandot on DVD.