Luciano Pavarotti's Final Performance
Although I had advised everyone the other day that Pavarotti was near death, I was taken to task by several people yesterday for not doing something in tribute to him after he died. It certainly wasn't my intention to ignore him, but just felt you could get better coverage somewhere else. Here though, is his final performance from the Olympics in Torino.
Thanks EL, a truly beautiful performance. There are many great tenors, but only one Pavarotti.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with that peformance is that it almost certainly was lip-synched. At that time, Luciano could not guarantee that he could make the money note(s)so there was a tape standing by.
ReplyDeleteLuciano Pavarotti was (arguably)the most beautiful voice of the second half of the twentieth century and yet he squandered his talent in his latter years. Still, from the onset of his career till the early 80's there was no more gorgeous voice in all of opera. (And I'm not even as big a fan as some people.)
Very nice. And what will people be saying about you before you're even cold in the ground? Never forget karma is a bitch.
ReplyDeleteSorry but just because the man died doesn't mean he's suddenly a saint. I saw him 3 times at the Met in his later years and 2 of them were not pretty, either vocally or performance-wise. Because he was such a great artist in his prime it was particularly distressing.
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm cold and dead, I won't care. I will be cold and dead (as will you), not in some phony-baloney afterlife.
And speaking of karma, well, it almost happened to the singer. According to the website, Opera Chic, the Church at first refused to let his body lie in state in the Duomo because Pavarotti was divorced. They did relent and I think that was the right choice.
NO one claimed he was a saint and I'm sure many people feel he sold out to pop culture, but hopefully most detractors have enough class to wait until the man is in the ground before they start talking shit.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ent! That was magnificent. Just the way I want to remember him.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Luciano, for the beauty you brought to the world!