Puccini- Nessun Dorma (with English subtitles) - Francesco Merli 1937

The great Italian tenor Francesco Merli sings Nessun Dorma on the first complete recording ever made of Turandot in 1937. He doesn't hold the high note at the end, he just pauses for a moment on the semiquaver that Puccini wrote. There is actually no textual justification for holding on to this note as all tenors now do, indeed have to do whether they like to or not. I don't know who started it, of course it is fun and also very exciting, But it is not what Puccini had in mind, and often singers make this a heroic showpiece when it is actually a lyrical nocturne. If we look at the text the ideas are more lyrical and the concept of victory is only to be found in the final notes. Personally I don't miss the held high note, but many will no doubt not appreciate Merli's sensitive, poetic nocturnal interpretation and beautiful voice.... well that's their problem! I don't go to the opera just to hear high notes, do you?

I'm sorry about the way it is cut at the end, that's how the CD was tracked!

Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!
Tu pure, o, Principessa,
nella tua fredda stanza,
guardi le stelle
che tremano d'amore
e di speranza.
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me,
il nome mio nessun saprà!
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò
quando la luce splenderà!
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio
che ti fa mia!
(Il nome suo nessun saprà!...
e noi dovrem, ahime, morir!)
Dilegua, o notte!
Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle!
All'alba vincerò!
vincerò, vincerò!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Nessun
• Dorma
• Turandot
• Merli
• Puccini
• dramatic
• tenor
• Calaf
• Ghione
• bel
• canto
• tenore
• pavarotti
• domingo
• potts
• corelli
• del
• monaco

[pubeeyy]

so if that translation is right then how come at the top of the screen for the last few words it sais mine at last and u put i will win...?? and i dont think the paper with the notes on is rong.....answers please

[CzarDodon]

There is a huge difference between translating something to be sung, where you need to cater for notes and rhythms and singable vowel sounds, and providing a faithful translation of the meaning of a text. In italian the verb 'vincere' means to win, vincerò is the future tense of 'vincere' in the first person singular. So the "paper with the notes" which is called the score, was translated for someone to sing, whereas I translated the actual words.

[CzarDodon]

Neither of them are wrong (not rong) and the third person singular of say is spelt "says" and not "sais"

[colfer222]

another great post CzarDondon...unfortunately i never came from a background that gave any exsposure to this sort of music but it really is wonderful to see these great people perform,i only wish i could have bee there to see them live....thanks again for your posts...

[CzarDodon]

Thank you, Its always a pleasure to share great music and great performers and to discuss, agree disagree and even fight with people who feel passionate about it.

[RK831]

Finally! A version of Nessun Dorma which follows Pucinni's original score exactly.

[robertoesquivelzeta]

This is what I call SINGING, this is a tenor!!!!

[Joeasia1981]

Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini era un grande maestro.

[Subtropicx]

Umm WOW

[SidSideslip]

What a composer writes and what a master performs should never be held to exactitude, otherwise you have pedantry, not living art. Pucinni wrote his ideas and it will always be his legacy. But what a performer does with it can also make our souls soar in his/her way.

I say this humbly, as a a traditional musician who, although I love what I am blessed with from a genius composer, could never conform to exactly, for then it would not be me and what, however humble, I have to offer from my heart.

[Sm2Lb]

Wow! There are intelligent, polite comments and arguments about the music here. That is a rare occurrence on You Tube.

[indgiu]

thanks for uploading this

[martindogo]

LA GAMBETEA MUY BIEN BRAVO!!!!

[MeganxFaith]

My dad listens to this while he makes diner and sings it at the top of his lungs. haha everytime I hear this song I instantly think of him <3 love you dad xoxo

[CK18238]

Fine tenor, a bit forced on top.

[CzarDodon]

@FabDN41 Well I never said it was JUST a lyrical nocturne, I'm afraid here you are "climbing up mirrors" as they say in Italian, Of course eroticism and heroic deeds come into play in this opera but the first half of the aria is lyrical in TEXT and MUSIC it becomes heroic at the end, paternity, publicly and forcefully is simply not in the music no matter how hard you try