At the Vienna State Opera, Claus Guth stages Puccini’s last opera as a chamber drama of timeless topicality – far removed from all the Chinoiserie clichés and with shooting star Asmik Grigorian and audience favourite Jonas Kaufmann in the two leading roles. For soprano Asmik Grigorian, the role is a debut and she succeeds brilliantly. "Her singing reveals a woman’s soul” (Die Presse). In contrast, the foreign prince appears less as a swashbuckling conqueror than as a sensitive companion who reaches out his hand to a woman struggling with her demons. The role of Calaf is also a stage debut for tenor Jonas Kaufmann. He sings the famous aria “Nessun dorma” “with the greatest sensitivity” (Salzburger Nachrichten), “he is in his element in the top notes, his velvety timbre is convincing in every register”. (Der Standard). Conductor Marco Armiliato “delights with the unleashed splendour of Puccini’s sound” (Falter). Film image, synopsis and related credits courtesy of Stage Access and Monica Rittershaus.