Opera Superstar Luciano Pavarotti Dies
By ALESSANDRA RIZZO,
AP
Posted: 2007-09-06 03:32:07
Filed Under: Music News
ROME (Sept. 6) – Luciano Pavarotti, whose vibrant high C’s and ebullient showmanship made him the most beloved and celebrated tenor since Caruso and one of the few opera singers to win crossover fame as a popular superstar, died Thursday. He was 71.
His manager, Terri Robson, told the AP in an e-mailed statement that Pavarotti died at his home in Modena, Italy, at 5 a.m. local time. Pavarotti had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent further treatment in August.
“The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterised his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness,” the statement said.
Source: AOL
Cancer is sadly one of the ‘great levellers’, often brought on by stress that damages the DNA. I wonder whether it was stress or something else in Pavarotti’s case.
A fine voice, though not the musician that Placido Domingo is. A great example of the fascinating variety of humankind, and of a fine natural talent given to few.
As someone pointed out, 30,000 children die every day. Why do we not mourn them? Because we regard that as ‘normal’, part of the landscape. But should we?
VIVA L’ITALIA!!
Dear Anonymus:
Pavarotti was one of ours most positive symbols and i’m sad today for it.We have to be PROUD,that ours Italy,that Ours Europe had a person as him.
Pavarotti gives to world a good immagine of my country,and surely has contribuited in positive,to balanced some prejudicies that peaple sometimes has regard Italians Very few tenors could paragonate with him in the world.He was a TOP TENOR.
But not only this.He was really fully working in social for helps suffering peaple,and for improve their conditions,not only in Italy but in all the world.He has collaborate,not only with tenors but even with pop singers(U2 for example) for great initiatives of solidarity.For his sensibility trough sufferences of others,he is REALLY,great.
Not all the stars do it.
And sure that he would be very happy to mourn every children that die every day,because he was really very sensible.
Of course i don’t tell that he is God,and i don’t tell that he was a saint,but surely he was mutch mutch better,and seriously engaged in social.And he wanted really to help others.
Remember:we are a country with a lot of defects,and we don’t belive that we are better respect others.
In this difficult period,we find very difficult to have political stability.Ours nation is no really united and there is economical difficult,accentuate from the regional difference,between North,and Southern Italy(and the Islands).So we have needed to find ours unity in positive symbol as Pavarotti.He was not Padanese,Lombard,Or Emilian,but was a treasure of all the country.Many non-italians think that Italy is a peaceful and happy nation,were all sing songs,eat pizza and all are really happy,as a paradise.
No unfortunately is not so.Despite ours quite good level of life(in general) we have a lot of political problems that in future could really put under risk the good and high level of life that we have today.For this reason when die a person as Pavarotti that was one symbol of ours unity we are sad.
But regard the social helpful to others,and solidarity.Belive me.Italians in general and Italians Artists,gives ALL OF THEMSELFS for HELP OTHERS IN EVERY WAY.And Italians have a great heart,kindness,and sence of helpful,and when they wants to help others they do in any way,because is a positive carattheristic of Italians the capacity to help others.Pavarotti had all this positive qualities.
We have lost one TOP MAN OF THE COUNTRY IN EVERY SENCE.
Pavarotti was the best Nemorino ever (one of the main characters in Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore”, one of my absolute favourite operas). There is a fantastic DVD available with him in a live Met performance with the perfect Kathleen Battle as Adina. I mainly got it for Kathleen Battle’s voice, which I think is perhaps the most beautiful ever recorded, but Pavarotti was extraordinary; this role was practically made for him. What a sad thing, to die at what today is not at all an advanced age, after giving such a fansastic voice to music. I only wish I’d liked more of his main repertoire – late 19th century/early 20th century, about a hundred years too late for my highest preference. But that was what his voice was most suited for, and he wisely mostly stuck with it.
Thanks for the pointer to the Donizetti DVD. The New York Times review agrees with you. Will follow up.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE5DF1F3BF930A15757C0A96F948260
There are some great DVDs out there: at last, opera has a medium that gives it greater reach.
My DVD pick, not with Pavarotti though:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gershwin-Porgy-Bess-Willard-White/dp/B000059TGQ
… less than half the price of the CD of the same soundtrack.
Perhaps my words were too lukewarm for ‘antonio cerina’. If so, I apologise: they were not meant to be but I’m wary of the cult of personality.
I never heard him live in an opera role, and ‘The Three Tenors’ was too much of a trick circus for me.
His was not just a fine voice but one of the finest voices ever heard: in fact his voice owned him rather than the other way around. I look forward to the informed obituaries.
No need to apologise for Italy: it has its colorful history, rapid-fire politics and a large and interesting economy – but most countries are in worse shape. For pure disfunctionality, Egypt – I am sad to find – is right up there now.
Dear Anonymus:
With all the respect for yourself.
Really I Don’t want to be offensive,or incorrect,or ineducate.Is not in my style.I want to be correct with all the peaple,of every nacionality even when the peaple have opinions very far from mines.
Expecially here in the blog of my Great Friend Susan Polgar.of witch i am honour to be net friend(with other chessplayers too.).
I Reply to you and after i continue to write my book(in Italian),because i have hurry to finish it for put on line my site in future:
Yesterday night ours excellent third National radio Channel Radio 3 RAI,specialized in Lyric,classical Music,culture,and news,has obiouvsly devoted most part of its daily programmation to Pavarotti.
Well you tell:”i never hear him live in an opera role”.
I Advice you to be more informed about it because yesterday Radio 3 has gived a great number of examples(Thausend and Thausend) in witch he singed live in an opera.Naturally i havn’t spent all the day to listen Pavarotti yesterday,i have hear only the program of the everning at 8,30 P.M(ours local time).I Have hear Donizetti,”L’elisir d’Amore”.And a integral wonderful Rigoletto,by Giuseppe Verdi,recorded in 1966 in Turin,recorded by ours national Radio,with the director Riccardo Muti.So i advice you to be more informed about it.I’m sure that even when my radio was not switch on Ours radio broadcasted a incredible number of example where he was singing live.
Secondary:You don’t live in Italy,and even if you are well informed you could not be informed as an Italian that was born,lives and studies in Italy the thematic of politics,and in plus has the abitude daily to listen all the radios,and goes in all the internet sites in his mother language,for understand better the situation in his country.So with humilty i belive to have,quite material to understand ours situation.I read the “Economist”,and NYT,and i’m learning Russian too.
Third you tell :”Most countries are in Whorse Shape”,and you put the example of Egypt.
About it,of course,most countries are in Whorse shap NOW.But i have done only a prevision for a future.
You speak me about Egypt.I Have done 2 exam of Islamic history and politics.
This even if my specializzation is Europe and Russia.
Italy has political instability,and i could see it,when i read newspapers,when i listen radios and political debate,when i read some articles and i speak with friends,and young peaple of my age.
In Italy there is a strong contrapposition between who has a catholic conceptions of life and who has a laicists,In plus there are many parties that want to destroy political union of ours country,without regards if they are at left or right.Ours economy has strong difficulties.
I Apologize if you’re not in agree with me.
Susan Thanks!