"I Shall Win!"

In 1986, the British Royal Opera toured Japan and staged Giacomo Puccini's Turandot and Georges Bizet's Carmen. This tour was sponsored by the Min-On Concert Association, and is headlined by world-acclaimed opera stars Jose Carreras and Agnes Baltsa. Min-On was founded by Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President Daisaku Ikeda in 1963 to promote cultural exchange among people from all over the world. Next year, Min-On celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The following year, Carreras was diagnosed with leukaemia and underwent painful treatment before making a full recovery. SGI President Ikeda wrote about Carreras' ordeal and triumph in his essay, Humankind's Universal Musical Instrument, drawing from Carreras' autobiography, Singing from the Soul. SGI President Ikeda wrote: "Our voice are our selves. The voice is alive. That is what gives it the power to move and stir other lives. The feeling in a voice enters through the ears, 'the gateway to the spirit', travels deep into the heart, rouses it and stimulates reactions, which then manifests as action."

In 1970, Carreras was recognised as one of the world's three great tenors, alongside Placido Domingo and the late Luciano Pavarotti. When he was diagnosed with cancer in 1987, he was at the peak of his career, and was only 40 years old. When he recovered, a comeback concert was staged in his hometown of Barcelona. To end  this concert, he chose to sang "Nessun dorma" (None shall sleep) from Turandot. "Nessun dorma" happens to be my favourite opera piece.

SGI President Ikeda wrote: "The famous aria closes with the lines: 'Depart, O night! Hasten your setting, you stars! . . . At dawn I shall win! I shall win! I shall win!' He wanted to communicate to his audience the profound lesson he had learned: 'I never gave up hope of coming through my ordeal alive, and now I face the future with confidence. I’ll do what must be done; I will not let myself be intimidated.' As he sang, he prayed that his message would strike home in the hearts of each individual in the audience, that each of them would feel that his song was also their own."

"I shall win! I shall win" - That was Carreras' triumphant cry. In fact, he had won! Through his deep love of music, and the support of people all over the world, he battled the demons of illness head on, telling them, "Depart! Begone! Vanish!" from the depths of his soul. Every time I hear "Nessun dorma", I cannot help but be moved by the ending, "Vincero! Vincero! Vincero!" It is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit over the greatest of ordeals. It is most fitting that Carreras chose this to end his triumphant comeback concert.

You can find a translation of "Nessun dorma" here, and the following is a Carreras performing "Nessun dorma" from before his illness.