ChrisVT2003 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) I couldn't find any conversation about Regiment's recent announcement on their programming; if there is another post on this topic I apologize! Anyways, what do you guys think about this program from what little we know? I know that Giacomo Puccini is the music's composer and that the music was originally used in a play that had 3 acts (or movements). I found the storyline on wiki and copied it to the bottom of this post if you're interested in a possible storyline, I think it fits Regiment's style perfectly...forbidden love, a life or death struggle, tragety and then triumph (usually 'cause the DM is lying dead on the field somewhere). Nussun Dorma (sp?) is definitly the only song of this play that I can remember being put on the field. Does anyone know if any corps (world class or other) has attempted any of these tunes on the field? I'd love to see how they were adapted. Anyways, just wanted to get a conversation going about this program choice- I am personally excited about its potential since it seems like such a good fit with what Regiment does best. I have no doubt that the color gaurd will be as strong as last years with the number of vets they have coming back and the drill designer did well in '05-'07. I just wish he had more experience writing for one of the top 4 corps. Regiment is the only corp he has designed for that has placed in the 8. Musically, the team on board now is going to be awesome. I think people will like the change in dynamic and voicing with the new arrainger. He puts the mellos on the spot with pretty difficult passages, and regiment's mello's are killer. Not sure if I know much about how he writes ballads though, which was Shaw's biggest strength. So anyways, let me know what you guys are thinking and if you have any more input on which songs might be used on the field from this play. I have them listed out below! Chris Songs: Signore, ascolta Non piangere, Liù Ho una casa nell' Honan In questa reggia, or son mill' anni e mille Nessun dorma! Tanto amore segreto Tu che di gel sei cinta Principessa di morte! Del primo pianto … Weitere STORY LINE: Anna May Wong as Princess Turandot, 1937 In front of the imperial palace A Mandarin announces the law of the land (Popolo di Pechino! – "Any man who desires to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles. If he fails, he will be beheaded"). The Prince of Persia has failed and is to be beheaded at moonrise. As the crowd surges towards the gates of the palace, the imperial guards brutally repulse them, a blind old man is pushed to the ground. His slave-girl, Liù, cries for help. A young man hears her cry and recognizes the old man as his long-lost father, Timur, the deposed king of Tartary. The young Prince of Tartary is overjoyed at seeing his father alive but urges him not to speak his name because he fears the Chinese rulers who have conquered Tartary. Timur tells his son that, of all his servants, only Liù has remained faithful to him. When the Prince asks her why, she tells him that once, long ago in the palace, he smiled upon her (The crowd, Liù, Prince of Tartary, Timur: Indietro, cani!). The moon rises, and the crowd's cries for blood turn into silence. The doomed Prince of Persia is led before the crowd on his way to execution. The young Prince is so handsome and kind that the crowd and the Prince of Tartary are moved to compassion and call on Turandot to spare his life (The crowd, Prince of Tartary: O giovinetto!). She appears, and with a single imperious gesture orders the execution to continue. The Prince of Tartary, who has never seen Turandot before, falls immediately in love. He cries out Turandot's name (three times) with joy, and the Prince of Persia echoes his final cry. The crowd screams in horror as the Prince of Persia is beheaded. The Prince of Tartary is dazzled by Turandot's beauty. He is about to rush towards the gong and strike it three times—the symbolic gesture of whoever wishes to marry Turandot—when the ministers Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and urge him cynically (Fermo, che fai?) not to lose his head for Turandot but to go back to his own country. Timur urges his son to desist, and Liù, who is secretly in love with the Prince, pleads with him (Signore, ascolta! – "My lord, listen!") not to attempt the riddles. Liù's words touch his heart. The Prince tells Liù to make exile more bearable and never to abandon his father if the Prince fails to answer the riddles (Non piangere, Liù – "Don't cry, Liù"). The three ministers, Timur, and Liù try one last time to hold the Prince ( Ah! Per l'ultima volta! ) but he refuses to listen. He calls Turandot's name three times, and each time Liù, Timur, and the ministers reply, "Death!", and the crowd declares "we're already digging your grave!" Rushing to the gong that hangs in front of the palace, he strikes it three times, declaring himself a suitor. From the palace balcony, Turandot accepts the challenge, as Ping, Pang and Pong laugh at the prince's foolishness. [edit] Act 2 Scene 1: A pavilion in the imperial palace. Before sunrise Ping, Pang, and Pong lament their place as ministers, poring over palace documents and presiding over endless rituals. They prepare themselves for either a wedding or a funeral (Ping, Pang, Pong: Ola, Pang!). Ping suddenly longs for his country house in Honan, with its small lake surrounded by bamboo. Pong remembers his grove of forests near Tsiang, and Pang recalls his gardens near Kiu. The three share fond memories of life away from the palace (Ping, Pang, Pong: Ho una casa nell'Honan) but are shaken back to the realities of Turandot's bloody reign. They continually accompany young men to death and recall their ghastly fate. As the palace trumpet sounds, the ministers ready themselves for another spectacle as they await the entrance of the Emperor. Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Sunrise The Emperor Altoum, father of Turandot, sits on his grand throne in his palace. He urges the Prince to withdraw his challenge but the Prince refuses (Altoum, the Prince: Un giuramento atroce). Turandot enters and explains (In questa reggia) that her ancestress of millennia past, Princess Lo-u-Ling, reigned over her kingdom "in silence and joy, resisting the harsh domination of men" until she was ravished and murdered by an invading foreign prince. Turandot claims that Lo-u-Ling now lives in her and, out of revenge, Turandot has sworn never to let any man possess her. She warns the Prince to withdraw, but again he refuses. The Princess presents her first riddle: Straniero, ascolta! – "... What is born each night and dies each dawn?" The Prince correctly replies, "Hope." The Princess, unnerved, presents her second riddle (Guizza al pari di fiamma – "What flickers red and warm like a flame, but is not fire?") The Prince thinks for a moment before replying, Sangue – "Blood". Turandot is shaken. The crowd cheers the Prince, provoking Turandot's anger. She presents her third riddle (Gelo che ti da foco – "What is like ice, but burns like fire?"). As the prince thinks, Turandot taunts him "what is the ice that makes you burn?" The taunt makes him see the answer and he proclaims "It is Turandot!" The crowd cheers for the triumphant Prince. Turandot throws herself at her father's feet and pleads with him not to leave her to the Prince's mercy. The Emperor insists that an oath is sacred, and it is Turandot's duty to wed the Prince (Turandot, Altoum, the Prince: Figlio del cielo). As she cries out in despair, the Prince stops her, saying that he has a proposal for her: Tre enigmi m'hai proposto – "You do not know my name. Bring me my name before sunrise, and at dawn (all' alba), I will die." Turandot accepts. The Emperor declares that he hopes to call the Prince his son come sunrise. [edit] Act 3 Scene 1: The palace gardens. Night In the distance, heralds call out Turandot's command: Cosi comanda Turandot – "This night, none shall sleep in Peking! The penalty for all will be death if the Prince's name is not discovered by morning". The Prince waits for dawn and anticipates his victory: Nessun dorma, sample (help·info) – "Nobody shall sleep!... Nobody shall sleep! Even you, O Princess" Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and offer the Prince women and riches if he will only give up Turandot (Tu che guardi le stelle), but he refuses. A group of soldiers then drag in Timur and Liù. They have been seen speaking to the Prince, so they must know his name. Turandot enters and orders Timur and Liù to speak. The Prince feigns ignorance, saying they know nothing. But when the guards begin to treat Timur harshly, Liù declares that she alone knows the Prince's name, but she will not reveal it. Ping demands the Prince's name, and when she refuses, she is tortured. Turandot is clearly taken aback by Liù's resolve and asks her who put so much strength in her heart. Liù answers "Princess, Love!". Turandot demands that Ping tear the Prince's name from Liù, and he orders her to be tortured further. Liù counters Turandot (Tu che di gel sei cinta – "You who are begirdled by ice"), saying that she too shall learn love. (The words of that aria were actually written by Puccini. Waiting for Adami and Simoni to deliver the next part of the libretto, he wrote the words and when they read them, they decided that they could not better them.) Having spoken, Liù seizes a dagger from a soldier's belt and stabs herself. As she staggers towards the Prince and falls dead, the crowd screams for her to speak the Prince's name. Since Timur is blind, he must be told about Liù's death, and he cries out in anguish. Timur warns that the gods will be offended by this outrage, and the crowd is subdued with shame and fear. The grieving Timur and the crowd follow Liù's body as it is carried away. Everybody departs, leaving the Prince and Turandot. He reproaches Turandot for her cruelty (The Prince, Turandot: Principessa di morte – "Princess of death") and then takes her in his arms and kisses her in spite of her resistance. (Here Puccini's work ends. The remainder of the music was completed by Franco Alfano.[16]) The Prince tries to convince Turandot to love him. At first she is disgusted, but after he kisses her, she feels herself turning towards passion. She admits that, ever since he came, she had both hated and loved him. She asks him to ask for nothing more and to leave, taking his mystery with him. The Prince however, reveals his name, "Calàf, son of Timur" and places his life in Turandot's hands. She can now destroy him if she wants (Turandot, Calàf: Del primo pianto). Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Dawn Turandot and Calàf approach the Emperor's throne. She declares that she knows the Prince's name: Diecimila anni al nostro Imperatore! – "It is ... love!" The crowd cheers and acclaims the two lovers (O sole! Vita! Eternità). Edited November 21, 2011 by ChrisVT2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornandsoccer Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 ... the drill designer did well in '05-'07. I just wish he had more experience writing for one of the top 4 corps. Regiment is the only corp he has designed for that has placed in the 8. No. He wrote the drill for Glassmen in their heyday, including the masterpiece that is IMAGO (/homer). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general_tsos_chicken2 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 jamey thompson is one of the best drill designers there is. His guard staging is in the echelon with mike gaines, and jay murphy (I think those three designers stage guards way better than anyone else). don't worry about the drill not sure quite yet about the show... I know nessun dorma will be great assuming don hill doesn't try to mess with it too much... I'm wondering if they will use material outside of Turandot however... I've listened to the opera many many times, not sure how much I thought would translate well to the field. Don Hill is the only slight concern I may have, but I really like what he did for the cadets when he worked with them hoping the guard is elaborately decorated like in their 91 show Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I know that Giacomo Puccini is the music's composer and that the music was originally used in a play that had three acts (or movements). Actually, the music was written for an opera rather than a play. Does anyone know if any corps (world class or other) has attempted any of these tunes on the field? I'd love to see how they were adapted. Yes, some music from Turandot has been used before: most notably "Nessun dorma", which Phantom played in 1991; they placed third that year. A great site for researching what music has been played before is CorpsReps.com. I have heard that this documentary about a 1998 staging of Turandot at the Forbidden City in Beijing (conducted by Zubin Mehta and directed by Zhang Yimou, a film director then best known for Raise the Red Lantern and Ju Dou but now for action movies like Hero and House of Flying Daggers) is quite good. It may be of interest to Phantom fans prepping for next season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rd Glasgow BB Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 If 2011's Juliet is anything to go by then the story will follow the opera quite closely but the actual music will probably come from more than one source i.e. not just from Turandot. Just a guess, who knows...??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornandsoccer Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 If 2011's Juliet is anything to go by then the story will follow the opera quite closely but the actual music will probably come from more than one source i.e. not just from Turandot. Just a guess, who knows...??? Depends on the arranging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BozzlyB Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Nobody can tell a story like Phantom can. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just A Plain Old Fan Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I may be reading too far into this, but consider the following: JD Shaw was the AMAZING soloist on Nessun Dorma in 91. Any chance this is a way for the remaining team to stick it to the guy(s) that left? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCIHasBeen Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) Puccini has written some of the most emotionally evocative music of all time. Puccini is great music for drum corps. Since Nessun Dorma has been beaten to death by every major tenor and figure skater on the planet for the last 20 years, it comes with an immediate recognition factor, even from people who typically eschew opera. Besides, it's been beaten to death 'cause it's a tune that no one ever tires of hearing, so it's never really been beaten to death. The Regiment traditionally has displayed a design sense (although I despise last year's uniforms) that one could see as bringing beautiful visual execution to this program. Sounds like potential for a whole lotta' win. Edited November 21, 2011 by DCIHasBeen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanguard87 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I may be reading too far into this, but consider the following: JD Shaw was the AMAZING soloist on Nessun Dorma in 91. Any chance this is a way for the remaining team to stick it to the guy(s) that left? The way you put it is terribly unfair, both to JD and the Regiment design team, but needless snark aside I've been thinking the same thing. With Regiment going through a period of revisiting its "greatest hits", it's certainly possible Turandot has been on the short list for a while (I'd be surprised if it wasn't), and that JD had been vetoing it. (Disclaimer: This is total speculation on my part. I have no first-, second-, or even third-hand knowledge that this is the case). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.