Nessun Dorma (arr Vinson)

Giacomo Puccini

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Subtitle: No One Sleeps

General Info

Year: 1926 / 2009
Duration: c. 2:35
Difficulty: II (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $55.00 | Score Only (print) - $5.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra Alto Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Convertible Bass Line
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III

(percussion detail desired)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Nessun dorma (English: "None shall sleep") is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto (the unknown prince), who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot. However, any man who wishes to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles; if he fails, he will be beheaded.

In the act before this aria, Calaf has correctly answered the three riddles put to all of Princess Turandot's prospective suitors. Nonetheless, she recoils at the thought of marriage to him. Calaf offers her another chance by challenging her to guess his name by dawn. (As he kneels before her, the Nessun dorma theme makes a first appearance, to his words, "Il mio nome non sai!") If she does so, she can execute him; but if she does not, she must marry him. The cruel and emotionally cold princess then decrees that none of her subjects shall sleep that night until his name is discovered. If they fail, all will be killed. As the final act opens, it is now night. Calaf is alone in the moonlit palace gardens. In the distance, he hears Turandot's heralds proclaiming her command. His aria begins with an echo of their cry and a reflection on Princess Turandot.

Nessun Dorma achieved pop status after Luciano Pavarotti's 1972 recording of it was used as the theme song of BBC television's coverage of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. It subsequently reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart. Although Pavarotti rarely sang the role of Calaf on stage, Nessun Dorma became his signature aria and, in turn, a sporting anthem in its own right, especially for football.

- Program Note from Wikipedia

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
Audio CD: Dobyns-Bennett High School Symphonic Band (Lafe Cook, conductor) - 2009

State Ratings

Alabama: Class C
Georgia: III
Tennessee: III

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

California Band Directors Association All-State Junior High School Concert Band (Emily Moss, conductor) - 14 February 2016 (2016 CASMEC Conference, San Jose)
North Platte District High School Honors Concert Band Glenrock, Wy.) – 25 November 2014
Dobyns-Bennett High School (Kingsport, Tenn.) Symphonic Band (Lafe Cook, conductor) – 18 December 2009 (2009 Midwest Clinic)

Works for Winds by This Composer

Angelo del Cielo (arr. de Meij) (1917/2007)
Ch'ella Mi Creda (arr. de Meij) (1910/2008)
Christmas Scene from "La Bohème" (arr. Morita) (1896/2002)
Corazzata Sicilia (ed. Creux) (1897/2017)
Donde Lieta from "La Bohème" (arr. Kreines) (1896/)
Edgar (arr. de Meij) (1889/2008)
Fantasy on "Madama Butterfly" (arr. Goto) (1904/2000)
Gianni Schicchi (arr. Suzuki) (1918/2015)
Highlights from Act 1, "Tosca" (arr. Goto) (1900/2014)
Intermezzo from "Manon Lescaut" (arr. McBeth) (1893/1984)
Kyrie from Messa di Gloria (tr. Paxton) (1980/2015)
La Bohème (arr. Stebbing) (1896/1948)
La Bohème (arr. Dawson) (1896/1992)
La Fanciulla del West (arr. de Meij) (1910/2008)
La Tregenda (arr. Beck) (1883/2012)
La Tregenda (arr. Foster) (1883/1996)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Bocook) (1926/2003)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Beringen) (1926/1991)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Cray)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Hattendorf) (1926/2007)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Rossi) (1926/2008)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Turrin) (1926/2010)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Vinson) (1926/2009)
Nessun Dorma (arr. Williams) (1926/2000)
Nessun Dorma (tr. Patterson) (1926/)
Nessun Dorma from "Turandot" (arr. Rickard) (1926/1993)
O Mio Babbino Caro (arr. Balmages) (1918/2000)
O Mio Babbino Caro (arr. Vinson) (1918/2011)
O Mio Babbino Caro from "Gianni Schicchi" (arr. Kondo) (1918/2010)
O Mio Babbino Caro from "Gianni Schicchi" (arr. Kreines) (1918/)
Puccini's Arias Fantasy (arr. Yamazato) (2012)
Quando me’n vo (arr. McLain) (1896/2011)
Scenes from "La Bohème" (arr. Hanna) (1896/)
Scossa Elettrica (arr. King) (1896/2019)
Scossa Elettrica (arr. Yates) (1896/2001)
Te Deum (tr. de Meij) (1900/2010)
Tosca Fantasy (arr. Gee) (1900)
Tosca Fantasy (arr. Hermann) (1900/1972)
Turandot (arr. Goto) (1926/2007)
Two Scenes from "Tosca" (arr. Hanna) (1900/)
Un Bel Di (arr. Spaniola) (1904/1997)
Vogliatemi Bene from "Madama Butterfly" (arr. Odom) (1904/)
Witches' Sabbath, The (arr. de Meij) (1892/2010)

Resources

Nessun Dorma, Wikipedia
Puccini, G.; Vinson, J. (2009). Nessun Dorma: No One Sleeps [score]. Ricordi: [s.l.]