Turandot

Puccini’s opera Turandot was left unfinished at his death in 1924 as he struggled with writing its finale, and upon his passing Franco Alfano ventured into completing the score from the Maestro’s sketches. Although there have been attempts at writing alternate endings, today Turandot remains a repertory staple in the Puccini-Alfano version.

The opera blends epic choral scenes with such memorable lyrical moments as “Nessun dorma”, probably the most famous tenor aria ever. Despite large swathes of Oriental colour and modernistic harmony, Turandot stands in the mainstream tradition of Italian opera; possibly – as scholar Michele Girardi argues – both the last masterpiece in that genre and a hint towards future broken paths.

La Fenice production