Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s renowned aria Nessun Dorma suddenly became one of the most talked-about moments at the Saulte To America event, with social media users reacting to why the famous opera piece was featured before Trump’s speech. The performance prompted confusion and jokes online.
Why does Nessun Dorma mean, and why is it famous?
Nessun Dorma, translated from Italian, means “None shall sleep.” The aria appears in Turandot’s third act and is performed by the opera’s protagonist, Prince Calaf, after correctly answering Princess Turandot’s three riddles, which were the prerequisite for those who wished to marry her.
Even though he answers correctly and wins the challenge, Turandot refuses to marry him, as sung in the libretto of the aria. Calaf is confident that he will eventually succeed and proclaims that no one will sleep until the princess knows his name before the sun rises. If she fails to learn his name, then she has to marry him.
The translated lyrics are as follows:
None shall sleep, None shall sleep! Even you, oh Princess, in your cold room, watch the stars, that tremble with love/
And with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me, My name no one shall know, No… no…On your mouth, I will tell it/
When the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve/
The silence that makes you mine!
(No one will know his name, and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night! Set, stars! Set, stars! At dawn, I will win! I will win!
I will win!
It is one of the world’s most famous operatic arias, written by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini for his incomplete 1924 opera Turandot.
Although opera enthusiasts had long enjoyed the composition, it rose to international fame when renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti sang it as the anthem for the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.
Since then, it has become one of classical music’s defining compositions, with appearances in films, television, talent shows, and important public events. Artists like Andrea Bocelli, Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, and Queen’s Adam Lambert have all performed the iconic aria.
Song performance before Trump’s speech sparks confusion online
While Nessun Dorma is frequently associated with triumph, some viewers have questioned whether the song was appropriate for a patriotic celebration. Social media was flooded with confusion and jokes after the song was performed by American tenor Christopher Dennis Macchio.
One user wrote that the aria’s original context in Turandot made it an unlikely pick for a patriotic celebration.:
“Tuned into the 250 thing to see what was going on, and I heard a Bach Ave Maria, which is bizarre for this occasion I think? Followed by Puccini’s Nessun Dorma, which tells the story of a night before a life-threatening event…This is weird…. I’m uncomfortable.”
Another appeared surprised seeing the aria performed by Christopher Macchio:
“THAT-THAT-THAT GUY! TRUMP’S BROUGHT OUT THAT GUY….TO SING THAT SONG!”
A user joked:
“All those paid attendees on the National Mall for Trump’s operatic salute to America. Because nothing says Happy Birthday, America like Ave Maria and Nessun Dorma.”
Another shared a humorous interaction with their mother while watching the event:
“I’m dying laughing. Mom’s on my couch and a guy came started singing Ave Maria… her face fell into a rictus of “WTF?!” “Ave Maria?! What is this, Catholic Mass?” I said, “Yeah, Trump loves this song. This and Nessun Dorma.” Then, the guy started singing Nessun Dorma.”
Nessun Dorma remains one of opera’s most celebrated works despite the mixed reactions it received at the Saulte To America event.
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Edited by Zachary D. Lyngdoh