WHILE critical opinion remains divided about Puccini's Turandot, the melodrama and inherent scope for spectacle provided by the libretto ensure its lasting favour with the public. These factors are exploited to, the full in Covent Garden's production by Andrei Serban, with Sally Jacobs's set reminiscent of the famous Fogong temple pagoda - cleverly lighted by F. Mitchell Dana to create muted but highly evocative surroundings for brilliantly costumed acrobats, dancers, guards and hatchet men.

The principals are more simply garbed but always in vivid striking colours that set them apart from the crowd, and thee disparate elements fuse successfully to give the impression of a macabre and grand Chinese carnival.

Daniele Gatti's tempi are uncertain at first, causing some ragged choral entries in the early scenes, but these are soon brought under control as the overwhelming power of the music sweeps the action forward. Sharon Sweet is a loud and wholly unlovable Turandot, with Guiseppe Giacomini a strong, sensitive Calaf, his fine performance undermined only slightly by increasing vocal exhaustion towards the end.

On opening night her illness made it difficult to discern the real merit of Nuccia Focile's appealing study of Liti, but there was impressive singing from Willard White as Timur, and, led by Peter Coleman-Wright, from Ping, Pang (Robin Leggate) and Pong (Alasdair Elliott) - all three tricked out in clowns' motley and behaving accordingly despite their ministerial status.