Finales of Turandot: Puccini’s Last Act

How would Puccini have finished his last opera, Turandot, had he lived to complete it? In time for the centennial of the opera’s posthumous premiere in 2026, Deborah Burton provides an in-depth examination of the different completions of the opera Turandot from 1925 to the present, with an emphasis on the social and musical contexts surrounding the author of each completion, as well as investigations of the musical contents of the finales themselves. Written by a Puccini scholar, the book demonstrates how each author had to contend not just with the notes and indications that Puccini left but with larger cultural and societal forces. Topics include the world of fascist Italy in which Franco Alfano wrote his 1925 completions, the postmodern musical forces that shaped Luciano Berio’s 2001 finale, questions of individual creative freedom in Hao Weiya’s 2008 commission from the Chinese government, and the rising reaction to negative female and racial stereotypes that informed Christopher Tin’s 2024 finale.

This book also makes available incipits of Puccini’s sketches, including those not previously consulted, Berio’s working materials, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into more recent completions. The book also includes extant materials left after Puccini’s death, new English translations of relevant correspondence, and historical source materials for the opera. The book will be of interest to opera scholars, singers, conductors, coaches, opera directors, graduate music students, and educated opera lovers.

Deborah Burton is Associate Professor of Composition and Music Theory at Boston University, and her research concerns opera analysis, counterpoint, and the history of theory, emphasizing Italian sources. Her monograph, entitled Recondite Harmony: Essays on Puccini’s Operas, was published by Pendragon Press in 2012. She has published articles in Theoria, Studi Musicali, Nuova Rivista Musicale Italiana, Opera Quarterly, Rivista di Analisi e Teoria Musicale, and other journals. Professor Burton was President of the New England Conference for Music Theory from 2006–2008.