Nessun Dorma

“Nessun Dorma” is a famous aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot. The aria is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto (the unknown prince), who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot. Any man who wishes to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles; if he fails, he will be beheaded. In the aria, Calaf expresses his triumphant assurance that he will win the princess1.

The aria has become one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. Although “Nessun dorma” had long been a staple of operatic recitals, Luciano Pavarotti popularized the piece beyond the opera world in the 1990s following his performance of it for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which captivated a global audience1.

Listen to Puccini’s Nessun Dorma

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