STYLE
How to Score the Right Look in Peking This Season
With a new season around the corner, it is time to look in the wardrobe, throw out the old, and find new trends that will transform your look!
This season long t-shirt-like tunics are all the rage. Tunics coming in a variety of fabrics. Women are wearing long tunics down to the ground with fashionable belts, while men are wearing shorter ones down to their knees revealing a bit of calf. If you catch a chill, throw on a classy padded jacket over a pair of pants. If it’s a special occasion, ditch the hemp and go for sleek silk instead. Ladies, try the new “Slave Liù” look with a yellow tunic and purple belt! When it comes to hair, both men and women are continuing to go for long styles. Remember, your hair comes from your ancestors and you wouldn’t want to be disrespectful by cutting it!
Now that you’ve gotten in touch with the new fashions of the season and found the perfect style, you are ready to strut down the streets of Peking with confidence!
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The Emperor Altoum runs the Imperial City with a tight fist and a traditional sense of style. But we all know that it is really his daughter, Princess Turandot, who is responsible for the glamour and elegance of this royal dwelling.
No one is allowed to enter or exit the palace without the Emperor’s permission, since it is seen as an extension of heaven and the Emperor as the earthly counterpart to god. However, our reporters found a way to beat the system and give you this never-before-seen inside report!
As we crossed the 52 meter wide moat and entered through one of the five gates in the wall enclosing the city, we got our first glimpse of this expansive kingdom. The guards on the watch towers kept a careful eye on us as they held their crossbows ready.
The palace is certainly fit for an emperor, complete with 9,999 rooms! The buildings have sloped roofs adorned with ornate carvings and lanterns. Statues of lions and other exotic animals are littered throughout the grounds.
Inside the palace the Emperor dines in the imperial dining room where each meal is comprised of eight main dishes, four side dishes, and three soups. The Emperor Altoum even has a separate kitchen reserved solely for the preparation of beverages. To ensure that the Emperor’s food has not been poisoned, a servant pre-tastes each dish.
In the afternoon the Imperial Court can be seen engaged in leisurely activities such as painting, calligraphy, listening to or playing music, playing Chinese chess, kite-flying, or even lighting fire-works! All of this takes place in the perfectly manicured Imperial Gardens where labyrinths of old trees, pavilions, flowers, and footpaths with mosaic patterns made from small stones wind throughout the grounds. The rooms go on forever as do the services and people that come with them. It’s good to be the Emperor!
People Peking’s
TurandoT: A loveR to dIe foR!
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Princess Gives Up Murderous Courtships–Declares Love for Calaf
Writer
DeVries,
Hunt, and Michelle Krisel, Editors
Graphic Design, m-art.org
Credits
page 2 opera production:
Cooper for Royal Opera House Covent Garden; Page 1 and 2 (LiÙ): IStock Photo; Puccini: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division; Page 3 and Imperial City: Bright Qube; Above (tunic): Royal Opera House Covent Garden Education and community Programs • 202.448.3465 • education@dc-opera.org • www.dc-opera.org
Credits Carol Dory,
Christiane
Martha
Marty Ittner,
i llustration
Cover and
Bill
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4 Peking's People
E nt Education d
LifestyLes of the Rich and famous Inside Report on the Imperial City
Left
Local Beauty Commits Suicide Stabbing Shocker!
Noted ComposeR dRops deAd Peking Opera
Unfinished
NEWS tuRANdot: A loveR to dIe foR
Bloody Reign ceases
After a reign that many have described as the cruelest of the century, Princess Turandot has given up her murderous courtships and declared her love for Calaf, the recently exiled Prince of Tartary.
More than 25 suitors have tried their luck with Turandot’s three enigmatic riddles. The Prince of Persia most recently accepted the challenge and after failing to answer the riddles correctly, he was beheaded to the cries of the mob, thus joining the other suitors in their unfortunate fate.
It was then that Calaf, at the front of the mob, became mesmerized by the sight of Princess Turandot. He declared, “I see her radiant face!” and despite witnessing the
death of the Prince of Persia just moments earlier, he could not resist ringing the gong to accept Turandot’s challenge.
To the delight of the crowd and the agony of Turandot, Calaf answered all three riddles correctly. Turandot was in such anguish that Calaf offered a challenge of his own: “My name is still a mystery to you. Discover it, and I will die.”
Chaos spread across the kingdom as the mob sought out the prince’s name. Meanwhile, Calaf sang of his imminent victory, “Nobody shall sleep! Even you, O princess. Victory is mine!”
The crowd finally dispersed late into the night leaving Calaf and Turandot alone.
An anonymous source tells us that Calaf passionately embraced Princess Turandot. Insiders say that, after wooing Princess Turandot, Calaf revealed his name and put
Noted Composer Drops Dead
Giacomo Puccini, an Italian composer said to have been working on an opera about Peking, died late last night in Brussels where he was receiving treatment for throat cancer. European reporters inform us that the opera remained unfinished at the time of his death and no one knows how this twisted love story will end. If he takes any stories from the reign of our Princess Turandot, it is sure to make an intriguing opera!
Puccini (1858–1924) began composing the opera Turandot in 1920 and died before it was finished. His friend and musical colleague Franco Alfano completed the third act from sketches left by Puccini. When the world premiere was held at the most important opera house in Italy, Teatro alla Scala, it was performed only up to the point where Puccini was forced to put down his pen— after the death of LiÙ.
his life in the princess’s hands. As dawn broke and the crowd began to gather, Turandot declared the prince’s name as “Love.”
The wedding ceremony was performed later that evening. The happy couple can now be seen strolling through the Imperial Palace hand in hand.
StabbinG ShoCkS PaLaCe Local Beauty Commits Suicide
The slave-girl Liù stabbed herself to death in the palace garden on the night of the name-hunt after being interrogated by Princess Turandot. Liù and her owner Timur were brought before the palace because they had been seen with Calaf. Rumor has it that Timur is the exiled King of Tartary and Prince Calaf’s father. The interrogation was brutal and when threatened with further torture, Liù declared that she was the only one who knew the prince’s name and killed herself in what seemed to be an attempt to save Timur’s life. It is believed that Liù was actually in love with Prince Calaf because he once smiled at her. This pure-hearted beauty will be greatly missed.
ENTERTAINMENT
Calaf’s Song Turned Trendy
Deepest secrets often come out when you think that no one is looking. Thanks to one of our top investigators, we were able to listen in on Prince Calaf’s inner thoughts the night of his proposal to Princess Turandot. As the city was in an uproar trying to unveil his name, Prince Calaf opened his mind, heart, and voice as he confessed his feelings in a song that is being called “Nessun dorma.” Why his thoughts were in Italian, no one knows, but his words were strong and powerful. Below is a translation:
Nobody shall sleep!...
Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, o Princess, In your cold room, Watch the stars, That tremble with love and with hope. But my secret is hidden within me, My name no one shall know...
No!...No!...
On your mouth I will tell it when the light shines. And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!...
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars! At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!
With such memorable words, this song is sure to be a hit! Experts are saying that they will not be surprised if this song is sung by famous artists at sports events, in plays, operas, or even movies. Keep your ears open. This is going to be big!
“Nessun dorma” is one of the most famous opera arias of all time. You can find it in all areas of pop culture from the reality TV show “Britain's Got Talent” to the World Cup to the movie Bend It Like Beckham
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It is said that though Calaf hardly noticed Liù, Puccini loved her best. It was not his original intention to have Liù die, but it became inevitable as he developed the drama: “LiÙ must die. I think there is no way of giving her part the importance it requires unless she dies under torture. And why not? Such a death could have great effect on changing the cold-hearted Princess’s mind.”
Listen for the gong in the orchestra when you come to see Turandot at the Kennedy Center. This instrument helps give the music an authentic Chinese sound.
Gong!
Original imperial: Cheap!
missing that authentic sound in your band? Standard suspended gong, 30” diameter, can be heard up to 50 miles. This gong, an original from the imperial palace, will give you a killer sound! it can also be used for calling peasant workers in from the fields or for processions. We can even teach you how to “prime” the gong by lightly hitting it before the main stroke… this will enhance the sound, let the instrument speak sooner, and shorten the delay for the sound to bloom. This is not an easy skill to learn on your own. Buy now and get an extra mallet for free!
Making Your Magnificent Mask
Ping, Pang, and Pong, the Emperor’s royal ministers, have the entire kingdom laughing with their delightful masks! You too can be the life of the party by adding a trendy mask the next time you go hang out with friends. Depending on your budget, you can make your hot new mask out of paper, wood, or ceramics.
2 Peking's People Peking's People 3
Puccini dead at 66, leaves behind unfinished opera
