“Sad to hear him pass. But, ah, the remaining two tenors live on...”
It’s interesting that Jose Carreras, who had cancer himself quite a few years ago, has outlived Pavarotti. Amongst the three tenors, it is my humble opinion that Pavarotti had the most beautiful voice. Placido Domingo’s voice is sharp, crystal clear, and beautiful. Jose Carreras’ voice is powerful for such a little guy, but he is often stretching for those high notes, and although his voice is lovely, it never really matched up with those of his two compatriots. Whereas Pavarotti, ah, Pavarotti, his voice was exquisite. It was like a fine tuned Stradivarius. His voice was by far the most melodious. Each note flowed seamlessly into the next, and the drama he would put into his singing. He was a sublime artist. Pardon while I wax rhapsodic about Pavarotti. I worshipped him his whole career and sought out his performances whenever I could. Plus I love the way he brought younger people into his world of Opera, and mixed his singing with other genres of the music world. And he tutored a whole new generation of young singers for our pleasure. What a great man, and I suspect he has joined the heavenly chorus the minute he walked through those pearly gates. RIP Luciano, you will be well remembered and loved.
Above all his voice has that animal magnetism that sets the great Italian tenor apart from all other singers.— Sir Denis Forman, A Night at the Opera.
Amen.
He will forever be missed.
((crying))
I agree with you: Pavarotti’s voice was certainly richer than Domingo’s. Both were very great tenors, perhaps the equals of the great tenors of the first half of the 20th century, but very different voices.
That will be his lasting legacy. Who heard of Opera before Pavarotti? I know, people who already loved Opera, but Pavarotti increased the general awareness of Opera, and of GREAT SINGING in general, to tens of millions who otherwise thought that Paula Abdul was a great singer.
He will most certainly be missed, the world has lost a Great One.
Many opera “purists” criticized him for going on tour with Domingo and Carreras and for singing with pop artists. If it weren’t for a beautiful song, Perhaps Love, that Domingo recorded with John Denver I would never have found Pavarotti.
My favorite youtube clip. The three tenors and O Sole Mio. Shows the humorous side of this brilliant man and his amazing voice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99kjFdLFjH4
A comment on youtube explains this clip:
If you watch the video closely, you will see the signaling between singers and conductor as to whose turn it is. Pavarotti did not forget his place—Domingo “took” it and in response, Pavarotti’s extended trilling—and in response to that the duet trilling of Domingo and Carreras—to Pavarotti’s delight.