The music
Nessun dorma, explained
What Nessun dorma is, the moment in Turandot where Calaf sings it, why it became a World Cup song and why it names the Florence concert.
Book the Nessun dorma concert ↗Quick answer
Nessun dorma is the tenor aria from the final act of Turandot, sung by the unknown prince Calaf at night, after the princess decrees that nobody in the city may sleep until his name is found. The title means let no one sleep. It became world famous when a 1972 recording was used as the BBC’s theme for the 1990 World Cup.
What the aria is
Nessun dorma comes from the final act of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot, with a libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni, says Wikipedia. It is sung by the tenor Calaf, who is called il principe ignoto, the unknown prince. The title translates as let no one sleep. It is one of the best-known pieces ever written for a tenor, which is why the Florence concert borrows it for its name, and why many people who have never seen an opera can hum the tune.
The story at that moment
By the aria, Calaf has correctly answered Princess Turandot’s three riddles, but she still recoils from marrying him. He offers a final test: she has until dawn to guess his name. If she succeeds, he will be executed; if she fails, she must marry him. She decrees that no one in the kingdom may sleep until the name is found, or all will be killed. The aria opens at night in the palace gardens, as Calaf hears the heralds proclaiming her command.
What the music does
Wikipedia describes the aria as an expression of triumphant assurance that Calaf will win the princess. Its final passage features a sustained B above the stave, followed by a final A held even longer. The article adds that Puccini’s score does not explicitly require either note to be sustained: in the original, the B is a sixteenth note and the A a whole note. Both are high notes in the tenor range, so the aria is demanding for any tenor.
The opera behind it
Turandot is an Italian-language opera in three acts, set in Peking in legendary times, according to Wikipedia. Its principal roles are Turandot, a dramatic soprano, Calaf, a tenor, and Liù, a slave girl and soprano. Puccini died on 29 November 1924 and left the opera unfinished; the music was completed by Franco Alfano. It was first performed on 25 April 1926 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, conducted by Arturo Toscanini. The Florence concert uses the aria on its own, without any of that surrounding story.
How it became a World Cup song
Wikipedia says Luciano Pavarotti’s 1972 recording was used as the theme for BBC television’s coverage of the 1990 World Cup in Italy, which popularised the aria beyond opera, and that it reached number two on the UK Singles Chart. Pavarotti also sang it at the first concert of Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras, in Rome on the eve of that tournament’s final. The album of that concert outsold every other classical album. That history is why a concert in Florence can build an evening around a single title.
Hearing it at the concert
The concert’s title names Nessun dorma, and one reviewer was thrilled to hear it, but no piece is promised for a given night. Programmes change, and a reviewer noted that the recital departed from its printed programme. The booking page describes tenors with a chamber ensemble of piano, double bass and mandolin, so expect an arrangement for that small group rather than a full orchestra. The aria is sung in Italian. A short plot note, such as the one above, is all the preparation it needs.
Read next: Opera concert in Florence
Frequently asked questions
What does Nessun dorma mean?
It translates as let no one sleep.
Which opera is Nessun dorma from?
Puccini’s Turandot, in its final act, sung by the tenor Calaf.
Is Nessun dorma sung at the Florence concert?
The title names it and reviewers mention hearing it, but programmes change and no piece is promised for a given night.
Sources