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b'The pain and fear of trauma can have a dramatic effect on your desire for love and intimacy.\\nThis is true for Puccini\\u2019s Turandot, the titular ice princess who cuts off her feelings\\u2026 and the heads of her suitors. In her first aria, \\u201cIn questa reggia,\\u201d Turandot explains that she will avenge the rape and murder of her ancestress from thousands of years ago, and that she is determined never to be possessed by any man.\\nIn this episode, host Rhiannon Giddens and her guests explore the truth at the heart of this aria: that time doesn\\u2019t heal all wounds, and that some are played out and recreated with every generation. At the end of the show, Christine Goerke sings \\u201cIn questa reggia\\u201d from the Metropolitan Opera stage.\\nThe Guests\\xa0\\nSoprano Christine Goerke loves the challenge of playing characters that seem unsympathetic, uncovering their complexity and somehow winning over the audience by the end of the opera. This is one of the many things that draws her to Turandot.\\xa0\\nActor Anna Chlumsky became an opera fanatic after working on the Broadway show Living on Love with co-star Ren\\xe9e Fleming. Turandot is a particular family favorite, and the former \\u201cVeep\\u201d star enjoys watching Puccini\\u2019s grand spectacle over breakfast with her daughters.\\xa0\\nWill Berger is the author of Puccini Without Excuses, a funny and informative guide to one of opera\\u2019s greatest composers. Berger is equal parts opera buff and metalhead, bringing his love of intense storytelling to his work as a writer and media commentator for The Metropolitan Opera.'