PING PANG PONG

Though Puccini's Turandot is a deeply emotional and intense opera, the composer offers a rare moment of tranquility in Act II—a beautifully serene and reflective scene shared by Ping, Pang, and Pong, in which the three ministers of Princess Turandot’s court lament their duty of carrying out violent executions on her behalf.

During "Ho una casa nell'Honan" ("I've a house in fair Honan"), they turn their thoughts instead to their private homes, longing for a peaceful life far from Princess Turandot’s tyrannical and savage rule. Yet, while Ping dreams of his house in Honan, Pang of his forest in Tsiang, and Pong of his garden near Kiu, they ultimately recognise that they are forever bound to serve Turandot and enforce her cruel decrees.

For me, this moment serves as a perfect metaphor for a life consigned to samsara. Though one may long for peace, the chaos of the world rages on, and we rarely escape its storms.

And yet, in this brief, peaceful scene, a solution is revealed—

Contemplation.