Repeated tonight

NESSUN Dorma -- so good, they had to sing it twice in Puccini's last, unfinished opera that provided this great aria for the World Cup, The Three Tenors and countless CDs.

It ends this curious work, finished by Puccini's pupil Franco Alfano after his death and first performed in 1926.

It is part fairy tale, part last of the grand operas and part Hollywood spectacle.

Act Two is the aria's great entrance when Persian Prince Calaf pronounces that "none shall sleep" as the cruel Chinese princess, Turandot, executes her subjects in the search for the suitor who looks like wooing her.

Calaf solves all the riddles that have meant the end of his predecessors and wins his princess -- as well as the full house audience at the Opera House last night.

Akhmed Agadi was in fine voice as Calaf, as was Monika Chabros as Turandot and Korean-American soprano Rosa Lee Thomas as slave girl Liu.

The soloists' excellent singing was mirrored by the rest of the opera company, who hail from the eastern European country of Moldova.

Schooled in the grand Russian tradition, they go from strength to strength on their always welcome visits to Manchester -- another visit, featuring Puccini's Tosca and Verdi's Nabucco, is due in the New Year.

Apart from tonight's repeat performance of Turandot, you can see their equally successful Carmen tomorrow night, if you can get tickets, but they are also appearing at the Blackpool Grand Theatre from Sunday, October 28, to Tuesday, October 30.

John Griffiths