Luciano Pavarotti RIP

With the death of Luciano Pavarotti, the world of opera has lost probably its best known character and one of the great tenors of the second half of the twentieth century.

I first heard Pavarotti in 1976, singing Rodolfo in Puccini’s “La Boheme” at Covent Garden. It was an astounding performance: his charm and personality seemed to fill the stage as much as that glorious voice filled the auditorium. The voice was both individual and beautiful with a wonderful feel of Mediterranean sunshine to it. In his glory days it sailed easily up to a top C. While his interpretative gifts did not match those of a singer like Bergonzi, there was a freshness and honesty about Pavarotti’s singing, matched with clear words. Above all he always sounded as if he was loving every moment of what he was doing.

I was later to see him in more Puccini, in three Verdi roles and as Edgardo in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor”, the last at the Verona Arena. His ventures into heavier Verdi roles were not generally great successes and his Radames in “Aida” at Covent Garden was less than wonderful but in parts that suited him he was simply awesome.

He first came to prominence in the early 1960s and some of his first big breaks came partnering Joan Sutherland, particularly as Tonio in Donizetti’s “Filled du Regiment”. Their partnership became one the great singing combinations and they made thirteen complete opera recordings together, each one of which would have a fair claim to be amongst the best recordings of the opera in question.

It was that combination with Sutherland, and the music of Puccini, in which Pavarotti excelled, that brought forth what I consider to be his greatest recording. “Turandot” not only contains his ‘signature tune’ “Nessun Dorma” but also a fantastic duet for him and Sutherland in the second act where they both roar up to a sustained top C. But the best is yet to come from Pavarotti. After he has solved the riddles and thus won the competition for Turandot’s hand he confronts her continuing reluctance with the words ‘Ti voglio tutta ardente d’amor’ (I would have you aflame with love). Other tenors throw this out as a shout of defiance but Pavarotti, while still taking all the optional higher notes, sings with such beauty and warmth of tone that he convinces you that he means exactly what he says. A truly magical moment from a magical singer.