Is it possible to have a great Turandot recording without a great Turandot? This recording almost convinces you that's the case. Whatever one makes of this fairy tale about a Chinese princess who beheads failed suitors, the score is among Puccini's most sophisticated and forward looking, and never has that been more apparent in Herbert von Karajan's interpretation. The opera unfolds in a magical blanket of orchestral sound (sumptuously rendered by Deutsche Grammophon's engineers), full of details even the most seasoned Turandot admirers might've missed. Plácido Domingo as Calef and Barbara Hendricks as Liu are ideal casting. But Karajan's tendency to cast light voices got the best of him: lyric soprano Katia Ricciarelli isn't commanding enough on any level to be considered adequate in the title role. --David Patrick Stearns
