Portraying Oriental Female Roles in Italian Opera: An Asian Perspective

Abstract

More and more Asain faces are emerging on the western opera stage. The focus of this paper is the advantages and challenges of oriental performers on the international stage, taking "Turandot" as an example. Based on the oriental elements in Turandot, the research is conducted through the character Liù, a representative Puccinian oriental female character. The paper analyses how opera singers can better portray their characters on stage, illustrating the advantages that Asain singers have in portraying oriental roles, but also the linguistic challenges. The study compares the vocal characteristics of Italian with those of Chinese, and takes "Signore, ascolta" as an example to illustrate, as a native Chinese speaker, the technical aspects of the Italian lyrics when singing this aria. The paper finds that opera singers need not only the effective characterization but also accurate linguistic proficiency, so that the music can enter the audience's heart and bring them a richer artistic experience.