Turret Opera

Chapter 10 - Test Chamber 00

sp_a5_credits.bsp Credits

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“

Mia bambina, oh ciel — Prima Donna Turret

”

The Turret Opera is an event in the single-player campaign of Portal 2 in which a group of Sentry Turrets form a unique melody via the movement sounds of their weaponry casings.

The opera is introduced as an easter egg in Test Chamber 16 of GLaDOS' testing tracks in Chapter 3: The Return, hidden beside a wall with a gap near the start of the chamber, where a Turret can be seen inside it. Upon entering, Chell would be able to witness various Turrets beneath the room as they serenade to the Prima Donna Turret.

The Turret Opera is seen again for the last time, as a closure to the game's single-player campaign, based on the popular opera phrase "it's not over until the fat lady sings" - in which the Prima Donna Turret finally sings in the game along with the other Turrets.

The opera sequence begins after GLaDOS sends Chell on a lift towards the surface. The lift stops in front of some Turrets aimed at Chell, making it seem like GLaDOS's promise of freedom was a lie. Instead, the Turrets begin serenading her. As the lift ascends even further, Chell witnesses an even larger group of Turrets awaiting her arrival as the Prima Donna Turret sings the lead vocals and the Animal King Turret provides the bass notes. The opera is still audible as the lift arrives at the top, lingering until the moment Chell finally steps outside.

Cara Mia Addio! by Aperture Science Psychoacoustics Laboratory [2:33] | Download | Play

Finale Opera Lyrics

Transcript
Original	Translated
"Cara bel, cara mia bella, mia bambina, oh ciel, che la stima, che la stima, oh! Cara mia, addio. La mia bimba, cara, perché non passi lontana, sì lontana da Scienza? Cara, cara mia bambina, ah mia bel, ah mia cara, la mia cara, la mia bambina, oh cara, cara mia…	Dear, beautiful, my dear, beautiful child, oh heavens, that’s too bad, that’s too bad, well, My dear, farewell. My child, dear, why don’t you stay away, yes, away from Science? Dear, my dear child, my beautiful, my dear, my dear, my child, my dear, my dear…"

Trivia

• In the finale opera sequences, the Companion Cube from Portal can be seen flowing upwards through the tubes in the background as the lift rises. Some people have mistaken this for Doug Rattmann running around. Moving, in fact, is a Frankenturret.
• The word "ciel" in the lyrics is a play on words; it is pronounced almost the same as Chell.
• A single Frankenturret can be seen waddling behind the group of Turrets on the left side of the finale opera room.
• Before becoming a voice actress, Ellen McLain was an opera singer.
• It was revealed by Ellen McLain that she had done both Want You Gone and the Turret Opera finale in just a two hour leap after finishing one of them.
• In Portal 2, Weighted Companion Cubes can be heard humming it when nearby.

Sheet Music

Sebastian Wolff has transcribed the song and provided free sheet music:

• Sheet music for choir (SATB)
• Sheet music for solo piano

"Cara Mia Addio" can also be found on Spotify.