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Luciano Pavarotti has passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 71. I don’t know jack about opera, but I know Pavarotti. Big Italian dude, voice like a hurricane, one of the three tenors. I’m sure this is a huge blow for the opera community. Was he as diva-ish as that one that called the opera house from the back of the limo to have the opera house call the chauffeur to have him turn down the AC or some mess? Remember that story? Is she dead? If not, why?
Although his health had been failing for a year, the death of the bearded tenor, known as “Big Luciano” because of his 127 kg (280 lb) bulk, saddened everyone from impresarios and critics to fans who could barely afford tickets.
“There were tenors, and then there was Pavarotti,” said Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli.
While past opera greats often locked themselves in a gilded, elitist world, television viewers around the world heard Pavarotti sing with pop stars such as Sting and Bono in his “Pavarotti and Friends” benefits for the needy.
Bono said on his website that “Some can sing opera; Luciano Pavarotti WAS an opera. I spoke to him last week … the voice that was louder than any rock band was a whisper.” That’s sad when a great dies. Yeah, no snark here. What am I? A Death Eater?
No that was Kathleen Battle, former music teacher turned opera singer. With an amazing voice.
Most Opera Singers are whackadoodles, believe me. Kathleen Battle is one of the whackiest of them all. (You also can’t look at her backstage at all or she hisses at you.)She blew her nose through a recital, threw all the kleenex in the piano. She also stopped the pianist and corrected him. Just go hang out at cast parties for opera. You’ll see more human tragedy and neuroses than you see in a mental ward. Being a great singer doesn’t make you a great person,and in fact it is very rare to find the combination. From what I’ve heard Pavarotti was great to work with.
Amazing Pavarotti fact – taught himself to sing from listening to old Caruso records. Learned by ear.
Pavarotti story from my voice teacher in college: during a big Met performance run, all the main singers had a competition as to who could show up the latest to a performance. They drove wardrobe crazy and everyone crazy. Pavarotti won, when the show had to start w/o him. His limo showed up a few minutes before he sang his first note, but he made his entrance.
My voice teacher was in an opera w/ Pavorotti at the Met, and recalls that Monserrat Caballe used to knit backstage. She looked up from her knitting while Pavarotti was singing and said, “Other voices have beauty, but THAT is EXCITEMENT!”
No, a Dick Eater. HAH! Just some friendly snark, J. It takes one to know one, y’know.
No, a Dick Eater. HAH! Just some friendly snark, J. It takes one to know one, y’know.
Screw you, Bono. Big dude was DYING for crying out loud. Let’s see how your pipes sound when you are days from the great hereafter. What a phuckin …..what? He wasn’t making fun?
Nevermind.
Ride Lo
One of the greatest voices of all times is now silenced forever. I know that sounds dramatic, but, that’s the way it is. I was fortunate enough to have seen a concert in Seattle several years ago. He clearly LOVED what he was doing. And – from films of his works, was often suprised by the greatness of his own voice. If you ever have the opportunity to watch any of the 3 Tenors videos, do it! Whenever I hear Sole Mio or Nessun Dorma, I just get a shiver thru my body and tears come to my eyes. The way he holds that last note of Vincerro, so much longer than Pucini askes, was exceptionally profound. He was truly one of the greatest ever. RIP Luciano.
i attended his first free concert in central park in the late 1970s it was fantastic, he was fantastic.