Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Turandot, Princess of China A Chinoiserie in Three Acts
    Turandot, Princess of China A Chinoiserie in Three Acts
    Turandot, Princess of China A Chinoiserie in Three Acts
    Ebook191 pages1 hour

    Turandot, Princess of China A Chinoiserie in Three Acts

    By Karl Vollmöller, Carlo Gozzi and Jethro Bithell

    ()

    Read preview
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArchive Classics
    Release dateNov 27, 2013
    Turandot, Princess of China A Chinoiserie in Three Acts

    Related to Turandot, Princess of China A Chinoiserie in Three Acts

    Related ebooks

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Bad Behavior

      Mar 1, 2018

      Bad Behavior
      6 min read

    • Article

      Czech-born Director Milos Forman Understood The American Experience

      Apr 18, 2018

      Director Milos Forman was shaped by European sensibilities, but his films were shrewd and intimate portraits of the yearnings, transgressions, politics, sexual fascinations, rebelliousness and complicated conformities that soothed, rattled and challe

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Gall Of Saul

      Nov 30, 2023

      ● I HEAR THINGS ARE PRETTY rocky over in the Middle East, but how infinitely more dreadful had the Cambridge “Uni” production of Handel’s Saul actually gone ahead! Just in time, thank God, they realised how inflammatory it would be to perform this un

      3 min read

    • Article

      Writing Back to Guy and Harriet Pringle

      May 11, 2018

      I met Guy and Harriet Pringle in the winter of 1987. In those days, Turkish public television had a rather ingenious arrangement with public radio; they would show the dubbed series, and the radio would play the original soundtrack. I do not remember

      9 min read

    • Article

      Robert Thicknesse on Opera

      Apr 27, 2023

      I WAS AS EXCITED AS everyone else to learn that opera actually exists in New Zealand — two things surely linked before only by their joint gold for the world’s least fashionable phenomena. Not only that, but it turns out that Kiwis have a thriving ne

      3 min read

    • Article

      If Sheep COULD FLY…

      Aug 3, 2022

      If Sheep COULD FLY…
      6 min read

    • Article

      Pulp Puccini

      Oct 27, 2022

      ● NO DOUBT EVERYONE HAS a secret favourite among the triumphs of the past 12 glorious years; mine — surely the pivotal point in our fortunes — remains Michael Gove’s 2013 history policy, a reaffirmation of the great Whig narrative of British benevole

      3 min read

    • Article

      Hot Valks live!

      Oct 28, 2021

      ● WHO SAID CLASSICAL MUSIC IS dead? Well, catch yerself on, because Serj Tankian, lead singer of Armenian-American metalheads System of a Down, is coming to park his love guns on your lawn. The guy who brought you Genocidal Humanoidz (Azerbaijanis? I

      3 min read

    • Article

      Content Warning

      Sep 28, 2023

      Content Warning
      3 min read

    • Article

      Lisette’s good news ‘MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!’

      May 28, 2023

      Newshub Europe correspondent Lisette Reymer, 28, tells the Weekly from her flat in London’s East End why reporting on the King’s coronation was unforgettable. Lisette, tell us about the vibe in London on coronation day. It was such an amazing mix th

      3 min read

    • Article

      Gretel And The Secret Cave

      Feb 5, 2020

      Gretel And The Secret Cave
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Paladins of Palermo

      Aug 3, 2023

      The Paladins of Palermo
      3 min read

    • Article

      For The Love Of Panto

      Dec 17, 2021

      For The Love Of Panto
      7 min read

    • Article

      Make A Spectacle Of Oneself

      Oct 27, 2022

      AWARE THAT QUEEN Elizabeth I said to Robert Cecil, a much greater man than I, “Little man, little man: must is not a word to be used to princes,” I am hesitant to address my new Sovereign Lord with the word “must”. But the Coronation must not be a se

      3 min read

    • Article

      The New Commandments

      Apr 22, 2020

      IT’S getting sombre. The PM’s trip to St Thomas’s winded us all. Our bluff gallows humour, the usual British response to crisis, evaporated. His resurrection (at Easter, with a timeliness that even Dominic ‘Second’ Cummings could not have engineered)

      3 min read

    • Article

      Georges Clemenceau

      Aug 2, 2023

      Georges Clemenceau
      7 min read

    • Article

      Music

      Jul 26, 2023

      Music
      3 min read

    • Article

      Books to Escape With

      Jun 3, 2021

      Books to Escape With
      2 min read

    • Article

      Roger’s PROFANISAURUS

      Aug 5, 2021

      profanisaurus@viz.co.uk aroma diffuser 1. n. A scientific device that breaks “essential oils” down into smaller molecules, dispersing them into the air for a pleasant or calming effect on the gullible. 2. n. The arsehole. Barbie’s minge sim. Somethin

      8 min read

    Reviews for Turandot, Princess of China A Chinoiserie in Three Acts

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Turandot, Princess of China A Chinoiserie in Three Acts - Karl Vollmöller

      Project Gutenberg's Turandot, Princess of China, by Karl Gustav Vollmöller

      This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with

      almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or

      re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included

      with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

      Title: Turandot, Princess of China

      A Chinoiserie in Three Acts

      Author: Karl Gustav Vollmöller

      Translator: Jethro Bithell

      Release Date: September 30, 2008 [EBook #26730]

      Language: English

      *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TURANDOT, PRINCESS OF CHINA ***

      Produced by Chuck Greif

      PLAYS OF TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW

      TURANDOT

      PRINCESS OF CHINA

      A CHINOISERIE IN THREE ACTS

      BY

      KARL VOLLMOELLER

      AUTHORIZED ENGLISH VERSION,

      BY

      JETHRO BITHELL

      LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN

      ADELPHI TERRACE

      First Edition, January, 1913

      (All rights reserved.)

      DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

      SCENE: Pekin.—All the acting characters wear Chinese costume, except Adelma and Calaf, who are in Tartar dress.

      Cast of the play as produced at the St. James's Theatre, London, on January 18, 1913, under the management of Sir George Alexander.

      The action takes place outside the gates of Pekin, and inside the Emperor's Palace.

      to

      my friend that great artist

      FERRUCCIO BUSONI

      NOTE

      The very affecting history of the cruel Princess Turandot and the handsome Prince Calaf may be read in those Persian tales which are known by the name of The Thousand and One Nights.

      Twice already has the story gone over the boards: in 1762 in Venice as Turandotte, one of the fiabe of Count Carlo Gozzi; in 1804 in Weimar, as Friedrich Schiller's Turandot. Both versions lived their passing hour, and died to the stage.

      The present dramatisation of the ancient fable—a modest attempt to cast good metal anew—closely follows the Italian of the sardonic nobleman whose bones have been mouldering by the blue lagoons for over a hundred years.

      Karl Vollmoeller.

      THE FIRST ACT

      SCENE I

      One of the city gates of Pekin. Over the gate, planted on iron poles, a row of severed heads with shaven crowns and Turkish tufts.

      TIME: Shortly after sunrise. When the curtain rises the gate is closed. From within the roll of drums and military commands.

      BRIGELLA.

      (

      Behind the scenes.

      ) Halt! Present arms!

      TRUFFALDINO.

      (

      Behind the scenes.

      ) Halt! Slope swords!

      Open the gate! At ease! Quick march!

      (

      The gate is thrown open.

      TRUFFALDINO

      ,

      leading the eunuchs

      ;

      then, between

      PANTALONE

      and

      TARTAGLIA

      ,

      the

      PRINCE OF

      SAMARKAND

      ;

      behind them, at the head

      of his pages,

      BRIGELLA

      .

      The whole

      procession halts in front of the gate,

      they all draw up in one line, and gaze

      upwards at the bloody heads.

      )

      PANTALONE.

      (

      Stepping in front of the footlights.

      )

      My name is Pantalone, and I am a native of Venice. At

      the moment I am the Prime Minister of the

      Chinese Empire. Eh, what d'ye say? What

      I'

      m

      doing here in Pekin? H'm. (

      Puts his hand

      in front of his mouth.

      ) Venice got too hot for

      me. An ind-indelicate affair. My wife of

      course, you guess my meaning. (

      To the

      PRINCE

      .)

      This, your Royal Highness, is the place you

      have heard so much of. Have a good look at

      it,

      please

      . Make yourself

      quite

      at home. Yes,

      quite right, up there,

      please

      ! (

      To

      TARTAGLIA

      .)

      I say, my dear Lord Chancellor. Be so good as

      to show his Royal Highness the elevated position

      he will occupy in the near future. You have the

      information, I presume.

      (

      TARTAGLIA

      turns towards the

      PRINCE

      ,

      PANTALONE

      pulls his sleeve

      .)

      Don't forget, my dear Lord Chancellor.

      TARTAGLIA.

      (

      Stepping in front of the footlights.

      ) My name

      is Tat-Tra-Tartaglia (

      stammers

      ). From Naples.

      My mother always maintained that she was the

      daughter of a Spanish grandee, but I fear she

      was a fisherman's daughter from Po-Po-Pozzuoli.

      My father, on the other hand (

      stops short and

      looks round

      )——

      (

      PANTALONE

      makes signs to him

      .)

      PANTALONE.

      Better not.

      TARTAGLIA.

      Better not! That old scarecrow there makes

      out that nobody ever knew who my father was.

      He is a... li-li-liar. Excuse me, one moment,

      ladies and gentlemen. (

      To the

      Prince

      .) That

      head up there on the right, which I beg your

      Royal Highness graciously to observe, is the head

      of the valiant Prince of Hyrcania. A valiant

      prince, a sweet prince. But silly, silly. There's

      quite a nice open space next to him for you, a

      fine, sunny situation with a pleasant prospect.

      How would that do, eh? Company to your liking?

      All of 'em in the Almanach de Gotha.

      PANTALONE.

      (

      To

      BRIGELLA.) Send the executioner up with

      the pole. We'll let this charming young Prince

      select his own point of vantage.

      BRIGELLA.

      (

      To the headsman.

      ) What are you hanging

      about here for, you hangman, you? Up on the

      wall with you, by Hikey Mo! Up on the wall or

      I'll wallop you.

      PANTALONE.

      Halt! 'Sh! Don't forget!

      BRIGELLA.

      (

      Stepping in front of the footlights.

      ) I'm

      Brigella, begging your pardon. One of the old

      honest family of the Brigellas. As you can hear

      by the way I talk, I was born in Ferrara. There

      are lying rogues, drat

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1