Turret Opera
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| Cara Mia Addio | |
|---|---|
| Release |
April 19, 2011 |
| Genre | |
| Length |
~1:30 (in-game) / 2:33 (Portal 2 soundtrack) |
| Singer | |
| Writer | |
| Featured on | |
The Turret Opera is an opera made of Aperture Science Sentry Turrets featured at the end of Portal 2, where they sing the song "Cara Mia Addio," a cinematic, operatic song.
"Cara Mia Addio" is an Italian aria, but it is not accompanied by official lyrics. Fans of Portal 2 with an understanding of Italian have both transcribed them in their original tongue and translated them into English. The song was composed by Valve composer Mike Morasky, but the librettist is unknown.[1] Ellen McLain is the vocalist for the song,[2] as she also voiced GLaDOS and the turrets. In an interview, McLain claimed that she "made up the words out of [her] bad Italian [...] on the spot".[3]
Contents
Overview[edit]
The opera can be seen/heard after Chell awakens in GLaDOS' main control room and is subsequently expelled from the facility via an elevator. The game then cuts to an ending cinematic where Chell first encounters a group of four sentry turrets who, after aiming their lasers at Chell, begin to play the music of the opera as if they were accordions.
After seeing these turrets, the elevator continues its upward path and eventually ends up in a large amphitheater-like room full of turrets. The singer appears to be a turret that is wider/larger than the other, more typical turrets and also has a spotlight on it. The thicker size of the apparent turret could be a play on the American stereotype that Grand Opera sopranos are typically overweight and related colloquialism that "it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings."[4] The official Portal 2 guide gives further credence to such conjecture, as it refers to the "fat" turret as the "Soprano Turret.".[5]
Also of note is an enormous, crowned animal king sentry turret in what seems to be jaguar-print camouflage, which can be seen in the back of the amphitheater during the opera. It appears to be playing the deeper bass tones of the opera.
Through the song, the turrets say goodbye to Chell, showing some affection for her and advising her to continue her life away from GLaDOS and science.
Lyrics[edit]
The lyrics were partially improvised.
- "The composer, Mike Morasky was the driving force behind the Turret Opera. He wrote all the music. He requested that I use my legit voice (operatic sound) on some of the takes. He chose the takes to use. He asked me to make up some words. So I did so in my bad Italian."
- ― Ellen McLain[6]
Original (Italian + Spanish)[edit]
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English[edit]
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- ↑ There has been much debate over the exact words sung here, but a correction was made at a panel in 2014: "[The song]'s not all in Italian. [...] 'Qué lástima' is actually 'oh that's too bad' in Spanish, and 'Ch'ella stima' is 'I esteem her', which is great, but that's not what I meant."
Ellen McLain, MAGFest XII on YouTube
- ↑ Note that "ciel" ("sky" or "heaven" in lyrical Italian) is a pun on Chell's name, as it sounds roughly the same.
Notable opera members[edit]
The Soprano Turret[edit]
The Soprano Turret, also known as the "Turret Wife" in the game files and song title by it, or the Fat Lady, is first seen in Test Chamber 11, going up in a lift right before Chell enters her own lift. It is next seen in Test Chamber 16, where the Turret Quartet plays the song "Turret Wife Serenade," as titled by volume 1 of the Portal 2 soundtrack. She is last seen in the Single Player campaign Turret Opera. She is also witnessed in the ending credits of the Cooperative Campaign.
The Turret Quartet[edit]
In the first test where Turrets can be destroyed with Thermal Discouragement Beams (Test Chamber 16), there is a Turret behind a metal grating. If this Turret is destroyed, the grating will come off, and one can then enter the vent and discover four singing Turrets below, each in a separate compartment and with the Soprano Turret, idle, opposite them. The vent also features scribblings done by Doug Rattmann.
The Quartet is seen again during the opera song at the very end of the game, which they open at the first elevator stop, before being picked up by the Turret group in the amphitheater.
The quartet appears again in SteamVR Home's Turret Singers, for which the cake is the quest item to be awarded after listening to the entire song.
The Animal King[edit]
The Animal King turret appears at the back of the Turret Opera's primary room, serving as the source of bass tones.
Trivia[edit]
- The "animal king" turret seen in the background is first mentioned in one of the Aperture Science demonstrational videos seen during the elevator rides in Chapter 1: The Courtesy Call.[7]
- On the far back third tier, between the "fat" and animal king turrets, right of center and in front of one of the lit, concrete walls, a single Frankenturret can be seen hobbling along.
- Many people confuse the silhouette with that of Doug Rattmann with a Companion Cube on his back, however, it has been confirmed that the silhouette is simply a Frankenturret.
- Earlier in the game, there is an easter egg where four sentry turrets can be seen playing the Turret Wife Serenade. The "fat" turret ("Turret Wife") is also present in a crate across from them, but does not sing.[8]
- In Test Chamber 07, where the Preservation of Mass achievement is earned, the opera or something similar can be heard in the background.[9] It hums as an accompaniment to the tune played by the Companion Cube.[10]
- After GLaDOS retrieves Chell from space, the melody of the opera can faintly be heard as Chell passes out.
- Ellen McLain, the voice of GlaDOS and the turrets, voiced every turret individually. The recording sessions directly followed McLain's recording of "Want you Gone". After recording many layers of the Opera (Do do do, Va va va, etc), Mike Morasky asked McLain to make up some lyrics, which she did so in her bad Italian she learned in Highschool. McLain was told that the Opera would serve as the goodbye to Chell and the player.[11]
Gallery[edit]
The first mockup of the ending.
Concept art of two rows of Turrets reminiscent of the opera scene.
Portal: The Uncooperative Cake Acquisition Game Opera Turret card.
List of appearances[edit]
Main games[edit]
- Portal 2 (First appearance)
Other[edit]
- Portal: The Uncooperative Cake Acquisition Game (Non-canonical appearance) (Soprano Turret only)
References[edit]
- ↑ Jonathan Coulton's website
- ↑ An Podcast17 Interview with Mike Morasky
- ↑ An interview with Ellen McLain on YouTube
- ↑
It ain't over till the fat lady sings on Wikipedia
- ↑ Portal 2: The Official Guide
- ↑ Reddit Ellen McLain interview
- ↑ Portal 2 - Animal King Takeover on YouTube
- ↑ Portal 2 - Singing Turret Choir (Easter Egg) on YouTube
- ↑ Portal 2: Walkthrough - Part 5 on YouTube
- ↑ Portal 2: Easter Egg? The Companion Cube Plays Music on YouTube
- ↑ Ellen McLain voice of GLaDOS in Portal 2 Panel at Anime Midwest 2011 on YouTube
External links[edit]
- Portal 2 Turret Opera on YouTube
- Portal 2 Animal King Takeover on YouTube
- Turret Opera - a cappella on YouTube
- Correct lyrics by an Italian professional translator
- Sheet music by Sebastian Wolff
- It ain't over till the fat lady sings on Wikipedia
