Posted on 03/03/2008 2:32:47 PM PST by Borges
Italian tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano, to whom Luciano Pavarotti owed his launch to stardom, died in Milan on Monday. He was 86.
Di Stefano died after a long coma caused by an attack during a robbery at his Kenyan holiday home in late 2004.
Fellow Italian tenor Pavarotti, who died last year, had his big break when Di Stefano dropped out of a performance of "La Boheme" at London's Covent Garden in 1963. Pavarotti performed as the stand-in and a star was born.
Local media said Di Stefano had never fully recovered from the savage beating he received from unknown assailants at his villa near the eastern Kenyan resort of Mombasa.
Treated for serious head injuries, he was moved to a hospital in Milan where he slipped into a coma last December.
Born in Sicily, Di Stefano made his operatic debut in 1946 and his debut at La Scala in Milan the following year. He made many recordings with Maria Callas and Pavarotti.
Classical Music PING
ML/NJ
But the heavier roles Di Stefano began to take on after that were not really suited for a lyric tenor. By the mid-60's he had all but ended his operatic career.
Di Stefano was admired for his excellent diction, unique timbre and passionate delivery.....and particularly for his sweet soft tones.
Many, many years ago, I had a recording of La Boheme with the tenor as Rodolfo. His voice was still in shape, and I remember how his singing shivered my "timbres" it was so beautiful.
Rest in peace, sweet troubadour.
Leni
MAESTRO: Ohh, what a sweet gesture. And autographed poster of my favorite tenor, with.. those two other guys. Oh, Elaine, this is magnifico!
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RIP other guy.
No, the “other guy” was, um, Camaro.
Dear, dear Giuseppe. Your voice was that of angels.
Rest in peace.
Absolutely beautiful voice in his prime. Of course I only heard him on recordings and thank God for those!
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