The best way to reconcile after a falling-out is through honest communication and the willingness to move forward. That’s exactly what I decided to do with Theater Basel — one of Switzerland’s most respected opera houses, right up there with the Grand Théâtre de Genève and Zurich’s Opernhaus. I still remember, maybe two or three years ago, walking out of a Traviata performance in Basel that left such a bitter taste I actually muttered, “Is this what Verdi’s become? Poor man, he’d roll in his grave!”

But here’s the thing — I’m not a grumpy old man yet (though give it time — it’ll probably come when I’m retired in a little villa somewhere north of Parma with all my Verdi vinyls collection, and I would say every day, “It was better before!”). And when I saw Mané Galoyan was cast for Liu in Turandot, I thought, “Now’s the time.” So I took my car from Lausanne — five hours round trip — because let’s be honest, Puccini’s music has the power to move the whole world. And off I went to meet the fiercest Chinese princess in all of opera.

A lot of reviews start with “Where do I even begin?” But I know exactly where to start: with Mané Galoyan — one of the most extraordinary voices on the market today. I genuinely don’t understand why she isn’t booked year-round at every major European house. The Armenian soprano, who trained in Houston, absolutely owned the stage last night and rightfully earned the loudest ovation of the evening. Her Liù was breathtaking — rich, radiant high notes and heart-wrenching phrasing. It’s rare for audiences to interrupt the flow of Turandot with applause for Liù’s arias, but last night, everyone understood what a gift we were witnessing. What a privilege to hear her in Basel. I hope we see her back very soon.

Miren Urbieta-Vega, in the title role, was another standout of the night. The Spanish soprano lit up the stage during the iconic riddle scene and was in brilliant form at the opera’s end — even if, well… the end was Manon Lescaut.. let’s come back to that in a moment. With her striking height and commanding voice, Miren delivered a Turandot who was as imposing as she was nuanced. Whether in solo or in duet, she was magnetic.

Rodrigo Porras Garulo brought a refined, noble quality to Calaf. I might’ve hoped for a bit more punch and bravado in “Nessun Dorma” — something to really shake the seats — but his deep lower range and strong acting made up for a slightly restrained top. He painted a compelling portrait of a Calaf who was more thoughtful than boastful.

A huge shoutout to the trio of Ping, Pang, and Pong — David Oller, Ronan Caillet, and Lucas Van Lierop — who brought humor, charm, and tight coordination to every moment. Their Act II scene was a joy, full of fluid choreography and real camaraderie. I was at the second-to-last performance, and you could tell these three were in perfect sync.

Now, here comes the tricky part — and I’ll admit, this is just my personal take. Judging from the enthusiastic applause at the end, I may be in the minority. But I found the stage director’s choices… puzzling, to say the least. Picture this: It’s a rainy Sunday, you’ve just had roast chicken at your in-laws, and you settle in to rewatch Titanic. But instead, the opening scenes are from Avatar, and the last 20 minutes are swapped for Terminator 2. Confusing, right? Well, that’s how I felt last night.

The opera began not with the usual opening of Turandot, but with Crisantemi, Puccini’s elegiac string piece. And more shockingly, the final duet between Turandot and Calaf was entirely cut — replaced with the closing act of Manon Lescaut! Yes, you read that right. I came for Turandot, but by the end, I was watching Manon die on stage. Look, I love Manon Lescaut — the music is sublime — but that’s not the point. Why mash up two operas? Why deny us the full emotional resolution of Turandot?

Still, I’m not yet an old jerk. Not yet. But I do think audiences deserve clarity and coherence, especially with a work as iconic as Turandot.

One final nod to conductor José Miguel Pérez-Sierra. While the opening felt a little soft around the edges, he held the pulse of the performance admirably. And the transition from Turandot into Manon Lescaut was — to his credit — musically seamless. If you didn’t know Puccini’s catalog intimately, you might not have even noticed.

I’m already looking forward to Basel’s next season. Hopefully I’ll be back soon — maybe for La forza del destino? But please, let’s leave Nabucco and Act III of Rigoletto in their own operas this time, yeah?

CAST

Miren Urbieta-Vega

Rolf Romei

Olivier Gourdy

Rodrigo Porras Garulo

Mané Galoyan

David Oller

Ronan Caillet

Lucas Van Lierop

Conductor : José Miguel Pérez-Sierra