by Ben Hogwood. Image by Leopoldo Metlicovitz, courtesy of Wikipedia

On this day in 1926, the first performance took place of Puccini’s three act opera Turandot. The work was left unfinished at the composer’s death in 1924, but its premiere took place in the La Scala opera house in Milan, under the baton of Arturo Toscanini.

Turandot includes one of opera’s most famous arias, Nessun Dorma (None shall sleep), sung at the beginning of Act 3. With no spoilers for the plot, you can listen to a famous recording conducted by Herbert von Karajan below:

Published post no.2,868 – Saturday 25 April 2026