Turret Opera

The Turret Opera, as seen at the end of the game.

“

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.

This opera sequence began by which the Turrets are pointed towards Chell, striking a predicted moment that GLaDOS would lie to Chell for giving her the freedom to leave the Enrichment Center. Surprisingly, the Turrets began serenading to her instead. As the lift ascends even further, Chell was able to witness an even larger group of Turrets awaiting her arrival as the Prima Donna Turret became the lead singer while the Animal King Turret provides the background bass to their melody. After finally reaching the surface world, Chell was still able to hear the echoes of the large Turret Opera melody moments before the game ends.

Finale Opera Lyrics

Transcript
Original	Translated
"Cara bel, cara mia bella, mia bambina, oh Chell, 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 Chell, 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.
• 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

See Also

• Portal 2 Soundtrack
• Want You Gone
• Still Alive (song)