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Puccini's last opera was left unfinished at his
death, and what he had intended to be a final, transcendent love duet
was completed by a younger colleague, Franco Alfano. In Peking's
Imperial Palace, the fatally beautiful Princess Turandot receives
unlucky suitors from far and wide, who must answer three riddles to win
her hand—or die. Calaf, son of the exiled King Timur
of Tartary, is struck with Turandot's beauty, and ignoring protests from
his father and Liù, the servant girl who loves him, he matches wits with
the princess. Although he guesses the three riddles, Calaf offers his
life to Turandot if she can discover his secret name. Searching the city
in vain, the princess finally tortures faithful Liù,
driving her to suicide. Faced with Liù's sacrifice
and Calaf's stern devotion, Turandot crumbles,
and weeping in Calaf's arms, she declares that
his secret name is Love.
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