Which opera features the tenor aria “Nessun dorma”?

The tenor aria “Nessun dorma” appears in Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot.

The aria is sung by Calaf near the beginning of Act III. Turandot, the princess of ancient Peking, has ordered that nobody sleep until Calaf’s name is discovered. Calaf remains confident that he will win and sings the aria’s famous closing words, “Vincerò!”—“I will win!”

Puccini died in 1924 before completing Turandot. Franco Alfano completed the opera using Puccini’s sketches, and the work premiered at Milan’s La Scala in 1926. The original first performance stopped after the music Puccini had finished; later performances included Alfano’s completion.

“Nessun dorma” became especially famous through concert performances and international broadcasts of football. It is sometimes incorrectly attributed to another Puccini opera because Puccini also wrote Tosca, La bohème, and Madama Butterfly, each with celebrated tenor music.