None Shall Sleep

Ever wonder what is the story behind a song? I was listening to “Nessun Dorma” and wondered just that. It comes Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot. ‘Nessun Dorma’ means ‘None shall sleep’.

Transpires there was a particularly beautiful and nasty Princess in a fairy tale land, who seemed to take delight in killing off people if she does not get her way. Most people would just give them a good telling off but not Princess Turandot, yep same as the opera. Not sure who put her up to it but she announced one day that anyone wanting to marry her would have to answer 3 riddles and if the answered wrongly then, you guessed it, they would be killed.

Moving on swiftly, one galant Prince steps forward and announces he knows the answers but he is wrong and you guessed it, he dies. In steps Prince Calaf, after meeting his destitute father, King Timur, his title and lands were taken away by the powers that be, he sees the Princess Turandot and fall instantly in love with her. He declares he knows the answers.

The Questions

Q1. What thing is reborn every night? ...A. ‘Hope’

Q2. What burns hot, but is not fire? ...A. ‘Blood’

Q3. What ice can make fire? ...A. ‘Turandot’

He is correct but the evil, beautiful Princess does not want to marry him and this is where he gets clever. He says to the Princess;

“If you can guess what my name is by the morning, I will gladly die but if not then you will marry me.”

The Princess declares that her whole country must find out his name or die. No one can sleep that night. She is a little like Donald Trump. This is where the song Nessus Dorma come from. None shall sleep.

The Aria

None shall sleep! None shall sleep! Not even you, oh Princess, in your cold bedroom, watching the stars that tremble with love, and with hope!

But my secret is hidden within me; no one will know my name! No, no! On your mouth, I will say it when the light shines! And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine.

But my secret is hidden within me; no one will know my name! No, no! On your mouth, I will say it when the light shines! And my kiss will dissolve the silence that make you mine.

Just before the climactic end of the aria, a chorus of women is heard singing in the distance:

No one will know his name, and we will have to, alas, die, die!

Vanish, o night! Fade, you stars! Fade, you stars! At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!

Interestingly she does not discover his name but does go on to marry him and have 8 wonderful children. That is the story behind that amazing song Nessus Dorma.