Opera lovers offered new ending to Puccini's masterpiece 'Turandot'

The BBC Symphony Orchestra is to première a new ending to Puccini's Turandot, written by Italy's greatest living composer, Luciano Berio.

The new version was sanctioned by the Puccini estate in place of the score completed by Puccini's student, Franco Alfano, which features a reprise of the aria Nessun Dorma and is based on sketches by the composer, who died of throat cancer in 1924.

Berio re-examined these sketches, including some that Alfano did not use, to create his own version, which will be heard by British audiences for the first time in a concert at the Barbican Hall in London this evening. It has been well received in America and other parts of Europe.

Dennis O'Neill, who performs the lead role of Calaf, said: "Rather than having this wonderful declamatory romantic tune, the last couple of pages is orchestral music that dies and drifts into nothing."

Critics have praised Berio's ending as more suitable to the tale of a cruel princess who sets suitors riddles and kills them when they fail to solve them.

Leonard Slatkin, who will conduct the performance, said: "It's an important première because somebody of stature has tackled it."