Luciano Pavarotti, 1935 - 2007

[somecanuckchick]

[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, Arial]Luciano Pavarotti, dead at age 71.

Obituary (link), courtesy of CBC.
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[aizan]

my mom's all-time favorite singer. 🙁

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Very sad. My mom's favorite singer, too. To me, he was an artist in all its sense of the word. Had his flaws, but you could *feel* the song being sung, not just "getting through" the notes, like so many tenors do.

It's been a week of sadness, and this doesn't help.

Grazie, Luciano. Ciao.

 

[Steve Bellayr]

He made me listen to opera.

 

[KoNickon]

And that's the gift he brought us -- it can never be a bad thing to bring something like opera to a wider audience. Same thing with Beverly Sills.

He was basically retired, but he sure died too soon.

 

[Chyn]

My mom is most likely mourning as well. Grew up watching him on PBC's 'Great Performances' and then the Three Tenors and then his numerous collaborations with rockstars. The man was amazing.

 

[blw]

Actually had the privilege of seeing him perform live a few years ago. A stunning performer and what a wonderful night!

Rest in peace Luciano.

 

[dll927]

A number of years ago Pavarotti taped a Christmas concert in a cathedral in Montreal, Quebec. It was broadcast on PBS and repeated for several years after. Between the setting of that cathedral and his singing, it was a memorable performance.

I've never been much of an opera fan, but he was one of the best, surely of all time.

Requiescat in pacem.

 

[Silva Lining]

So sad to hear this news this morning....brought a tear to my eye to hear him signing on the radio today. In his voice, the world has lost a thing of beauty. The only consolation is the recordings he has left behind so that we may enjoy him long after he has gone. 🙁

 

[alan davus]

Opera is one of my great passions in life (went last night here in Adelaide to see Verd's "A Masked Ball") so I for one will mourn the passing of this great singer. A tenor in the best Italian tradition no doubt and all round a pretty genial guy. Perhaps not my all time favourite tenor (Jussi Bjoerling gets the nod) but no one has sung Nessum Dorma better and get a copy of his recording of la Boheme with lifetime friend and compatriot Mirella Freni to here truly great singing. Whether all this crossover stuff he did late in his career does bring people to opera is something of a moot point but in the end it's all about a good night out. Vale Luciano.

 

[SteveM(PA)]

I don't know the first thing about opera, but after hearing Nessum Dorma being played seemingly all day on NPR I searched my music to see what I had. Unfortunately I have only a recording of Carreras singing that piece, and man, he really breathes a lot more, and struggles for those notes.

Gabriel, hope you're okay.

 

[Rhoyle]

As a professional musician, I had the incredible previlige of performing with him a couple of times. The first time was in the late 80's and at that time, his detractors were saying that he just wasn't the same as when he was younger. They were very, very wrong. His voice easily proved that he was the best tenor of the 2nd half of the 20th century. And astounding experience...

RH

 

[akptc]

I used to listen to him with my Dad, what a voice! I really like his Ave Maria...