The aria “Nessun dorma,” famously performed by Aretha Franklin, comes from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot.
“Nessun dorma” is sung near the beginning of Act III by Calaf, the opera’s unknown prince. Its Italian title means “None shall sleep,” reflecting the story’s command that everyone in the city must discover the prince’s name before morning. The aria builds toward the famous declaration “Vincerò,” or “I will win,” and is traditionally associated with a dramatic tenor voice.
Franklin gave the aria an extraordinary crossover moment at the 1998 Grammy Awards. Luciano Pavarotti had been scheduled to sing it but withdrew because of illness, and Franklin stepped in with little preparation. Although she was known primarily as a soul and gospel singer rather than an opera specialist, her performance received a standing ovation. A common mistake is to identify the aria as belonging to Aida or Tosca; both are operas by other composers or different Puccini works, but neither contains “Nessun dorma.”