Turandot (Alfano II - Revised Completion) Cover Image

Turandot (Alfano II - Revised Completion): Serious Opera, Full Orchestra Accompaniment Conductor Score

$250.00 USD
$250.00 USD
Skip to product information
Turandot (Alfano II - Revised Completion) Cover Image
Turandot (Alfano II - Revised Completion): Serious Opera, Full Orchestra Accompaniment Conductor Score

Turandot (Alfano II - Revised Completion): Serious Opera, Full Orchestra Accompaniment Conductor Score

By Giacomo Puccini / arr. Franco Alfano

Item: 36-A930001
$250.00
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

Turandot (Alfano II - Revised Completion): Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$950.00
View
Description
The story of TURANDOT, while originally derived from the Persian collection of stories called "The Book of One Thousand and One Days," was set in China by Puccini.  It tells the tale of a cold-hearted princess (Turandot) who sets tests for her suitors, who are all put to death if they fail.  An Unknown Prince (revealed at the end to be named Calaf) finally arrives and passes her tests, though Turandot still tries to escape any marriage until she is persuaded by Calaf through a test of his own and a tragic death.  Regrettably, Puccini passed away (1924) from a heart attack before he could complete the opera, having finished entirely the first and second acts, and most of the third, including the extremely well-known aria by Calaf, “Nessun Dorma.”  Following his death, Franco Alfano was asked by Puccini's publisher and family to complete the opera, as one of his recent works resembled TURANDOT in its setting and heavy orchestration.  Franco Alfano's first attempt (Alfano I) was rejected by Puccini's publisher and conductor Arturo Toscanini, as he took some liberties with the libretto and added a few musical passages of his own.  He was then forced to write a second, more censored version (Alfano II) that followed Puccini's sketches more closely.  This second version is the one that has become popular and which is made available by E.F. Kalmus, though Toscanini, in honor of the maestro Puccini, refused to complete the opera on the night of the premiere, laying down his baton where Puccini's work ended.  Both the original individual percussion parts and the addition of new percussion scores have been included to suit the musicians' preferences.  In addition to the complete opera, some individual scenes have also been extracted and made available by E.F. Kalmus as standalone items.  Instrumentation: 3(3dPicc).2+EH.2+BCl.2+CBsn: 4.3.3+BTbn.0: Timp.Perc(5): Clst.Hp(2).Org: Str(4-4-3-3-3): Banda(2ASax.6Tpt.4Tbn.Drum.Gong).

Turandot (Alfano II - Revised Completion): Serious Opera, Full Orchestra Accompaniment Conductor Score isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Pages

No sample pages found.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Opera Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 1-63-887191-4
ISBN13: 978-1-63-887191-0
UPC: 735816063443
SKU: 36-A930001
Instrumentation: Serious Opera, Orchestra Accompaniment

More about this title

About the Composer: Giacomo Puccini

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) shaped Italian opera in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through his gift for lyrical melody and dramatic orchestration. His operas, including La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly, remain central to repertoire worldwide because they balance emotional directness with sophisticated harmonic language and orchestral color. Puccini's ability to craft unforgettable vocal lines while advancing dramatic action made him one of the most performed composers in the operatic canon.

Turandot stands as his final work and his most ambitious in scope. Left incomplete at his death in 1924, the opera showcases Puccini's mature style: a richly orchestrated soundscape, exotic harmonic vocabulary inspired by the Chinese setting, and characters defined through memorable melodies. The work's completion by Franco Alfano, while controversial at the time, has allowed conductors and audiences to experience Puccini's vision of this dark fairy tale in full.

Why we love this

Conducting Turandot demands everything from an orchestra and gives back a score of extraordinary color and dramatic power. The Alfano II completion respects Puccini's original sketches while providing the resolution the opera needs, allowing you to shape a complete theatrical arc from the frozen princess to her transformation. Few operas offer such a visceral combination of exotic orchestration, soaring vocal writing, and sheer dramatic momentum.

What to expect

Turandot's world is cold, exotic, and darkly sensuous. The orchestration conjures ancient China through harmonic color and instrumental choice while maintaining unmistakably Italian operatic warmth in its vocal lines. The tension between Turandot's icy reserve and the Unknown Prince's passionate determination drives the score forward with relentless dramatic momentum, culminating in a transformation that feels both surprising and inevitable.

Who it's for

This conductor score is essential for opera conductors and music directors leading a full orchestra in performance of Turandot. It serves universities, regional opera companies, and advanced training ensembles that have the resources to mount this large-scale work. Any conductor seeking to program a major 20th-century opera that combines vocal virtuosity with orchestral richness will find this score indispensable.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the orchestra's exotic instrumental colors (including prominent use of gong, tam-tam, and celesta) without overwhelming the singers; the orchestration supports rather than drowns the vocal lines.
  • Shape the famous "Nessun Dorma" aria with attention to its internal pacing; resist rushing the climactic phrases, which need space to land with full emotional weight.
  • Differentiate the three riddle scenes texturally by adjusting ensemble clarity and harmonic tension; each should feel distinct in orchestral density.
  • Establish clear communication with your soloists about the conductorial gestures that carry them through moments where the libretto's pacing diverges from musical phrasing, particularly in the final act.

How to use it

Program Turandot as a standalone opera production that showcases your ensemble's technical and dramatic capabilities, or as the centerpiece of a season that explores turn-of-the-century operatic innovation. The work's accessibility through "Nessun Dorma" makes it an excellent introduction to Puccini for audiences new to opera, while its compositional sophistication rewards repeat listening from experienced operagoers.

Skills your students will build

  • Conducting through large-scale operatic form with multiple act-length structures
  • Managing diverse orchestral timbres and exotic instrumentation (gong, celesta, tam-tam, woodblock)
  • Balancing orchestra and solo voice across varying dramatic and textural contexts
  • Interpreting the relationship between libretto timing and musical phrasing in sung drama
  • Leading ensemble coordination through passages with complex rhythmic interplay between pit and stage

You May Also Like