Nessun Dorma

Nessun Dorma

Author: BBC Radio 4 December 17, 2022 Duration: 27:51

Singer Jon Christos watched the Italia 90 World Cup with his Dad.

He says Pavarotti's live performance of 'Nessun Dorma' at the tournament was the only time he ever saw his Dad cry.

Pavarotti's daughter Cristina talks about the impact this aria had on her father's life and how his 1990 performance inspired many people to become interested in opera.

Beatrice Venezia conducted 'Nessun Dorma' at the 'Puccini day' she created in Lucca in 2018. She also conducted Andrea Bocelli's performance of the aria at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.

Sir Bobby Robson's son Mark was at Italia 90 and talks about the pride he felt seeing his Dad lining up with the England team for the semi-final against West Germany. It was also sung at Sir Bobby's memorial service in Durham Cathedral.

Broadcaster and author Alexandra Wilson explains that the opera Turandot is the story of Prince Calaf, who falls in love with the titular Princess. In 'Nessun Dorma' Calaf expresses his determination to win her hand, ending with that extraordinary refrain 'Vincerò!' or 'I will win'.

Paul Potts won 'Britain's Got Talent' in 2007 performing 'Nessun Dorma' and recalls singing it to over a million people at the Brandenburg Gate on New Year's Eve in 2010.

When Italy locked down in March 2020, hairdresser Piero d'Angelico played 'Nessun Dorma' from a five-story window above Cambridge railway station to show solidarity with his home country and the Italian community in his adopted city.

Voiceovers by Mike Ingham and Rebecca Braccialarghe.

Producer: Toby Field for BBC Audio in Bristol

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2022.


There’s a certain piece of music that, when you hear it, seems to stop time. It might be a melody from your childhood, a song that played at a pivotal moment, or a composition that simply reaches into your chest and grips your heart. Soul Music, from BBC Radio 4, is built around that very phenomenon. This isn’t a program about genres or charts; it’s an intimate exploration of why specific pieces of music carry such profound emotional weight. Each episode focuses on a single, iconic work-from classical adagios to folk ballads, from film scores to pop anthems. The podcast weaves together the voices of people whose lives have been indelibly marked by that music: listeners share personal, often moving stories of grief, joy, love, and remembrance, while composers and performers might shed light on the piece’s creation. You’ll hear the music itself, of course, but framed in a way that reveals its deeper resonance in human experience. It’s a quiet, thoughtful series that reminds us how soundtracks our inner lives. Tuning into this podcast feels like being part of a conversation about the invisible threads that connect us all through notes and rhythms, exploring how a sequence of sounds can become a vessel for collective memory and feeling.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Soul Music
Podcast Episodes
Ich Habe Genug [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:32
JS Bach wrote his cantata Ich Habe Genug for the Feast of the Purification of Mary to be performed in Leipzig on 2nd February 1727. The work is a retelling of the story of the old man Simeon who, waiting in the temple, w…
Redemption Song [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:44
"If you've never heard of Bob Marley then you must be living under a rock" - Neville Garrick, Bob Marley's Art Director and friend. At the time he wrote 'Redemption Song', circa 1979, Bob had been diagnosed with the canc…
O Holy Night [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:56
"O' Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining..." and so begins the gentle carol of reflection that has touched the lives of listeners around the world. For The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, it's the carol that l…
Who Knows Where the Time Goes? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:49
Sandy Denny was just 19 years old when she wrote 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes?', her much-loved song about the passing of time.Soul Music tells the story behind the song and speaks to people for whom it has special mea…
You Are My Sunshine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:42
You Are My Sunshine was written in or around 1939 and was adopted by the then governor of Louisiana, Jimmy Davies, who recorded and used it as his campaign theme song. It has since been recorded by more than 400 artists,…
Siegfried Idyll [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:36
Wagner's peaceful Siegfried Idyll was written to thank his wife after the birth of his son Siegfried. On her birthday in 1870, she awoke to find an orchestra on her staircase performing the music for the first time. It's…
My Favourite Things [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:20
"Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens". Guests from around the world share their special memories of The Sound of Music classic 'My Favourite Things'.Written by Rodgers and Hammerstein in 1959, this deceptively sim…
Waterloo Sunset [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:18
Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks was released in 1967. Soul Music hears the poignant, thoughtful and life-changing memories of those who love it.Childhood holidays were an escape from bullying for John Harvey. He describes t…
The Star-Spangled Banner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:11
America's national anthem was written by a lawyer, Francis Scott Key, after watching the British navy bombing Fort McHenry in 1814. It was set to an English social men's club song and recognized as the national anthem in…
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:46
Memories of first love, first borns and loss are stirred by 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'.This timeless love song was written by Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, and made famous by Roberta Flack. Activist and folk…