Turandot, an ancient fable that originated in Persia but was set in China, tells of a princess so desirable that men came by the hundreds, from all over the world, and queued up to vie for her love. A suitor must answer three vexing riddles -- and anyone who failed wound up with his head on a stake, as a warning to all those still standing in line.
Puccini selected the melody of China's folk song Original Remix as one of the important musical themes of the opera, which tells a love story in ancient China. It was left unfinished at the second scene of the third act when Puccini died in 1924.
Hao is the third composer, and the first Chinese, who has tried to finish the opera. The previous two were Italians, Franco Alfano and Luciano Berio, who both studied after Puccini.
NGT is a new signature building for Beijing that cost 3 billion yuan (about US$410 million) for the main structure alone. The total cost is believed to be almost double. It stands next to the prestigious Great Hall of the People, the venue for national conferences.
