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Grand emotional landscapes, gripping storylines: it’s no surprise that opera has produced some of the most captivating and powerful music of all time. Whether they’re stirring duets or passionate arias<\/a><\/strong>, the very best and most famous opera songs effortlessly evoke our most profound emotions \u2014 be they joy or desolation, love or loss \u2014 through their soaring melodies and emotive performances. <\/p> Here are 15 songs, plucked from many, many possible contenders, that continue to soar in popularity centuries after they were first heard. <\/p> Closely associated with Luciano Pavarotti<\/a><\/strong>, who sang it many times in the \u201890s after performing it at the 1990 FIFA World Cup<\/a><\/strong>, Nessun Dorma<\/a><\/strong> (\u2018Let no one sleep\u2019) is possibly classical music\u2019s greatest gift to contemporary pop culture.<\/p> It actually comes from the final act of Puccini<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s opera Turandot<\/a><\/strong>, <\/i>where it is sung by the prince Calaf, who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but frosty Princess Turandot.<\/p> But it is often performed as a standalone work, thanks to its lush orchestration, its bittersweet harmonies and, most of all, its melody<\/a><\/strong>, that – in its slow build to a towering climax – tugs with all its might at the heart-strings.<\/p>Famous opera songs<\/h2>
1. Nessun Dorma<\/strong> by Puccini<\/h3>