OT: In Memory of Pavarotti

[Guest guest]

We've lost one of the greats. I've never been a big fan of tenors but there

have been a few that bring me to my feet, and Luciano Pavarotti was one. At his

peak his voice was as effortless and smooth as the incomparable Jussi Björling.

Just thought I'd publicly tip my hat.

 

Dave

 

" Outside of the dog, a book is a man's best friend. And inside the dog it is too

dark to read. " ~ G. Marx

 

 

 

Obituary: Luciano Pavarotti

One of the greatest figures of the opera world, Luciano Pavarotti, has died aged

71. He was diagnosed last year with cancer of the pancreas.

 

Pavarotti was born in Modena, Italy, on 12 October, 1935, the first and only

child of a baker.

 

As a boy, he was more interested in football than music and earned his first

local fame as a member of the town's soccer team.

 

He first sang in the town chorus with his father, an opera lover and gifted

amateur tenor.

 

When the Rossini Male Chorus won first prize in an international

competition, Pavarotti decided to pursue music full-time.

 

His professional debut came on 29 April, 1961, in one of the great tenor roles,

Rodolfo in Puccini's La Boheme, at the opera house in Reggio Emilia.

 

After Italian success came engagements in Amsterdam, Vienna, Zurich and London.

 

In 1965, he made his US debut in a Miami production of Donizetti's Lucia di

Lammermoor with Joan Sutherland - the start of what would become a historic

partnership.

 

Audience frenzy

 

It was in the United States in 1972 that Pavarotti produced one of his

legendary performances.

 

In La Fille du Regiment at New York's Metropolitan Opera, he sang nine

effortless high Cs - causing the audience to erupt in a frenzied ovation.

 

His recordings became best sellers, covering a wide range of the opera

repertoire as well as anthologies of Neapolitan and other Italian songs.

 

But Pavarotti's fame broadened dramatically when he took part in one of the most

remarkable classical concerts of recent times during the 1990 World Cup - as one

of the Three Tenors.

 

With Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo, Pavarotti was broadcast around the world

singing a selection of famous arias and popular songs.

 

The broadcast was a major ratings hit and the subsequent record became one of

the biggest-selling classical discs of all time.

 

Huge concerts

 

His 1992 concert in London's Hyde Park, in the presence of Charles and

Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales, was the first classical concert in the

history of the park and drew some 150,000 people.

 

In June 1993, more than 500,000 fans gathered to enjoy his performance in New

York's Central Park. That September, he sang in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower

in Paris to a further 300,000 fans.

 

While many in the classical world criticised the outdoor concerts as mere

stunts, his defenders said he was doing a valuable job in popularising opera -

and letting large numbers hear one of history's great voices.

 

There were also grumbles about his duets with pop stars like Sting, Bono and

Bryan Adams.

 

But Pavarotti was also dedicated to the development of young singers,

conducting standing-room-only master classes at conservatories around the world.

 

In March 2004, he gave his final performance in an opera in Puccini's Tosca in

New York, where he received a 11-minute standing ovation.

 

Later that year, he announced he would begin a 40-city farewell tour in 2005

before " taking his leave " .

 

Ill-health wreaked havoc on his schedule, however, with many concerts

cancelled or postponed as he battled back problems, laryngitis and a throat

infection.

[Guest guest]

Amen~what a great man with a wonderful voice~

sindy

-

OT: In Memory of Pavarotti

 

 

We've lost one of the greats. I've never been a big fan of tenors but there

have been a few that bring me to my feet, and Luciano Pavarotti was one. At his

peak his voice was as effortless and smooth as the incomparable Jussi Björling.

Just thought I'd publicly tip my hat.

 

Dave