Nessun Dorma

[masman71]

I recently saw a clip of a singer on Britains version of American Idol who sung the Opera song Nessun Dorma. The clip is very good and if you are interested, google it. However, the clip got me interested in the song. As such, I have searched the internet in vain trying to locate what is considered the "best" version. Do we have any Opera connossieurs amongst the ranks here? Any suggestions on which recording to pick up. Thanks in advance.

[Kal Rubinson]

??? I do not know what versions of the 'song' are available but, among the complete recordings of the opera, the guys whose versions of that aria I like best are Bjoerling and Corelli.

Kal

[Russ L]

If you are more interested in Classical Pop versions, 2 of the most popular are Sarah Brightman on her Eden album and my namesake Russell Watson on his first album "The Voice". My "picture" on this post is actually the cover of that album. I'm obviously a fan. Poor Russell has fallen on bad times recently tho as he had an operation on his throat and isn't the same but on his first 3 albums he really is "The voice". Brightman does a version of Nessun Dorma on her "Live fom Las Vegas" DVD (also on CD) that brings down the house and is not to be missed. Its in DTS format so it sounds great! :T There are numerous others who do the song as it is a Classical/Opera standard. Best regards, Russ

[pbarach]

I recently saw a clip of a singer on Britains version of American Idol who sung the Opera song Nessun Dorma. The clip is very good and if you are interested, google it. However, the clip got me interested in the song. As such, I have searched the internet in vain trying to locate what is considered the "best" version. Do we have any Opera connossieurs amongst the ranks here? Any suggestions on which recording to pick up. Thanks in advance.

This aria is part of the opera Turandot, by Puccini. The Jussi Bjoerling recordings, especially the inexpensive SACD version on RCA/BMG, are my favorites. You can check it out on youtube (audio only):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUbA5y1hnFg

Pavarotti also did a fine job with it in his complete recording of the opera, which has outstanding sound (I'm sure there is a highlights CD as well). He recorded this aria many other times, but this one was the best version. You can view some live performances of him singing this piece, but his voice was better 20 years earlier than in the videos available on youtube.

Corelli tends to scoop from below the note. He wouldn't be my first choice. But here's one of his performances:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvDKdnPWdb8

[JürgenW]

If you are not in complete opera's, I would recommend:

Placido Domingo on the DVD: The original Three Tenors Concert (thus the first one from 1990).