Editing Turandot (section)

===Alfano's and other versions===
The debate over which version of the ending is better is still open.<ref name="Ashbrook and Powers2" /> Alfano's original ending to the opera was first recorded (as part of an album with [[Josephine Barstow]] singing final scenes of several operas) by [[John Mauceri]] and [[Scottish Opera]] (with Josephine Barstow and [[Lando Bartolini]] as soloists) for Decca Records in 1990 to great acclaim.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Scottish Opera Chorus|first1=Barstow|title=Josephine Barstow: Opera Finales|date=1 January 1990|publisher=Decca CD DDD 0289 430 2032 9 DH|url=http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4302032|access-date=20 May 2015|archive-date=20 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520202657/http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4302032|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Josephine Barstow sings Opera Finales|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/josephine-barstow-sings-opera-finales?pmtx=biggest-savings|work=[[Gramophone (magazine)|Gramophone]]|access-date=20 May 2015}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=March 2022|reason=Doeasn't mention Tosca, or Lando Bartolini.}} However, it may have been staged in Germany in the early years, since Ricordi had commissioned a German translation of the text and a number of scores were printed in Germany with the full final scene included.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} Alfano's second ending has been further redacted as well: Turandot's aria "Del primo pianto" was performed at the premiere but cut from the first complete recording;{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}} it was eventually restored to most performances of the opera.

From 1976 to 1988, the American composer [[Janet Maguire]], convinced that the whole ending is coded in the sketches left by Puccini, composed a new ending,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Maguire|first1=Janet|title=Puccini's Version of the Duet and Final Scene of ''Turandot''|journal=[[The Musical Quarterly]]|date=1990|volume=74| issue = 3|pages=319–359|jstor=741936|doi=10.1093/mq/74.3.319}}</ref> but this has never been performed.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Burton|first1=Deborah|title=The Puccini Code|journal=Rivista di Analisi e Teoria Musicale|date=2013|volume=19| issue = 2|pages=7–32}}</ref> In 2001, [[Luciano Berio]] made a new completion sanctioned by [[Casa Ricordi]] and the Puccini estate, using Puccini's sketches but also expanding the musical language. It was subsequently performed in the Canary Islands and Amsterdam conducted by [[Riccardo Chailly]], Los Angeles conducted by [[Kent Nagano]], at the [[Salzburg Festival]] conducted by [[Valery Gergiev]] in August 2002. However, its reception was mixed.<ref name = "NYT1">[[Anthony Tommasini|Tommasini, Anthony]] (22 August 2002). [https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/22/arts/critic-s-notebook-updating-turandot-berio-style.html?pagewanted=print&src=pm "Critic's Notebook; Updating ''Turandot'', Berio Style"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved 30 November 2012.</ref><ref>[[James Inverne|Inverne, James]] (18 August 2002). [http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,338591,00.html "Beginning of the End"]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''. Retrieved 30 November 2012.{{subscription required}}</ref>

In late 2007, Chinese composer [[Hao Weiya]] made another completion before the opening of [[National Centre for the Performing Arts (China)|National Centre for the Performing Arts]], also resulting in a mixed reception.<ref>{{cite news|first=Louisa|last=Lim|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90037060|title=Chinese Composer Gives 'Turandot' a Fresh Finale|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=2008-04-29|accessdate=2022-03-25}}</ref>

In 2022, Deborah Burton "realized" a finale to Turandot that utilized several of Puccini's autograph sketches that had not been previously studied.  Based on decades of analyzing Puccini's compositional style, her finale has not yet been produced, although some possible venues are in the offing.  A description of her finale can be found in her article, "Puccini's Last Act: Finishing ''Turandot''" (The Opera Journal, Vol. 55, No. 2, pp.&nbsp;1–60) and in her book ''The Finales of Turandot:  Puccini's Last Act'' (Routledge, 2025).

In 2024, [[Washington National Opera]] premiered a newly commissioned ending by composer [[Christopher Tin]] and librettist [[Susan Soon He Stanton]] to very positive reviews.<ref>{{cite news|first=|last=LA Opera|url=https://www.laopera.org/discover/la-opera-content/new-blog-post-77/|title=The Many Endings of "Turandot"|publisher=[[LA Opera]]|date=2024-05-23|accessdate=2024-05-29}}</ref> Michael Andor Brodeur of [[The Washington Post]] called the production 'refreshing' and declared "Even without the new ending — and Tin’s splendid musical additions, which draw sensibly from Puccini’s score while applying an entirely new emotional finish — [[Francesca Zambello]]’s "Turandot" crackles with fresh energy".<ref name=":5">{{cite news|first=Michael Andor|last=Brodeur|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/2024/05/13/washington-national-opera-turandot-review/|title=Washington National Opera's new 'Turandot' gets a refreshing finale|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=2024-05-13|accessdate=2024-05-29}}</ref> Heidi Waleson of [[The Wall Street Journal]] wrote that the new ending "fits the opera neatly. Its sound and attitude, while contemporary, grow organically from Puccini’s original, like a savvy modern addition on a historic building."<ref>{{cite news|first=Heidi|last=Waleson|url=https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/theater/turandot-and-shall-we-gather-at-the-river-reviews-washington-national-opera-park-avenue-armory-1f95a467|title='Turandot' and 'Shall We Gather at the River' Reviews: Classics in New Contexts|publisher=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=2024-05-22|accessdate=2024-05-29}}</ref>

In 2024, [[Opera Delaware]] premiered a newly commissioned completion by composer [[Derrick Wang]], which was praised as "adept," "respectful," and "seamless."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Obenreder |first=Gail |date=2024-05-21 |title=OperaDelaware presents Puccini's Turandot |url=https://www.broadstreetreview.com/reviews/operadelaware-presents-puccinis-turandot |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=Broad Street Review |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Silverman |first=Mike |date=2024-05-08 |title=Washington Opera offers new ending to Puccini's final work |url=https://apnews.com/article/opera-turandot-new-ending-24432174560d555b39a858114135f260 |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":5" />

[[Daniela Kerck]] made another version for the [[Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden]] in 2024, using exclusively music by Puccini, the unfinished opera followed by his 1905 ''[[Requiem (Puccini)|Requiem]]'' antiphone. She identified Calaf with Puccini, and other characters with people from his life, beginning and ending the story in Puccini's library with a grand piano. In this version, when Liú has taken her life and the music by Puccini ends, the Puccini on stage receives a kiss of death from Turandot and dies.<ref name="Franke">{{cite web
| last = Franke
| first = Christiane
| url = https://magazin.klassik.com/konzerte/reviews.cfm?task=review&PID=8178
| title = Der Todeskuss
| website = magazin.klassik.com
| date = April 2024
| language = de
| access-date = 24 June 2024
| quote = In diesen Parallelwelten agieren die Protagonisten in Doppelrollen, Turandot/die Ehefrau Puccinis,[...] Wenn Liù tot auf der Bühne [...] erhebt sich Liù zu neuem Leben.
}}</ref>