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Melodie · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 2:52 am Post subject: "CIAO, PAVAROTTI!"

FROM "THE OREGONIAN" - 3/12/03

Ciao, Pavarotti! Pavarotti: Brilliant sound won't soon be duplicated

DAVID STABLER

Grandissimo. King of the High C's. The tenor of his times.

For 40 years, Luciano Pavarotti has been the sound of grand opera, a great teddy bear with honeyed high notes and a large appetite for fame and pasta.

But at 67, he's slowing down, even to the point of predicting his retirement date: Oct. 12, 2005, his 70th birthday. That means his concert Friday in Portland probably will be his last one here. If you've never seen him in person, waving his handkerchief, accepting torrents of applause with an irrepressible smile on his face, this is your chance.

Portland Opera, which presents Pavarotti at the Rose Garden under the auspices of presenter Tibor Rudas, has sold 7,000 of the 10,000 available seats. Tickets are still available at $40 to $300, and, although he is known to cancel, he rarely calls off a solo concert.

Why is he so famous?

Because the world loves a tenor, and Pavarotti is the real thing. He also has a huge hype machine. When he did those American Express commercials in the 1970s, he reached more people than he did in 18 years of singing opera. The Three Tenors thing, which started at the 1990 World Cup soccer games in Rome, became a global phenomenon.

What about the scandals?

Over the years, he's done some dumb things. In 1992, he got caught lip-syncing a concert in Italy because he said he didn't have time to memorize the music. A few months later, he was accused of copying art from an instruction book and selling the reproductions as silk-screen prints. He canceled so many appearances at Chicago Lyric Opera over the years that the company fired him.

Last year was not a good one for him. His mother died. He played cat-and-mouse with the Metropolitan Opera, then canceled on short notice what were probably his last performances there. Fans who paid up to $1,875 a ticket were furious. He paid a six-figure settlement in a German tax-evasion case. Herbert Breslin, his manager since 1967, split. And then, two months ago, his companion, Nicoletta Mantovani, 33, gave birth to twins, one of whom died. Pavarotti has three grown daughters from his marriage, which fell apart after the Italian tabloid press ran photographs of Pavarotti kissing his secretary.

Is he the greatest tenor ever?

Debatable. Tenors such as Enrico Caruso, Jussi Bjoerling and Franco Corelli were all legends, as is Placido Domingo, who continues to sing in his 60s, too. But Pavarotti's brilliant sound won't soon be duplicated. On his best nights, he was astonishingly good.

Who's the next Pavarotti?

Andrea Bocelli, the blind Italian tenor? His voice is too small. Roberto Alagna, the guy who sings with his wife, Angela Gheorghiu? Too gimmicky. Daniel Rodriguez, the Singing Policeman of New York? Minor league. That leaves Salvatore Licitra, 33. Licitra lives in Milan, Italy, and got his break last May, when the Met flew him to New York to replace Pavarotti. He won over the audience and critics, but his voice doesn't have the gleam -- "ping" in opera terms -- of Pavarotti's voice. The search continues.

Do you have to be amply girthed to sing opera?

No, but stereotypes of plus-size singers persist. Pavarotti's magnitude matches opera's outsize personalities and larger-than-life characters. Opera is the art of personality and vocal magnetism, and Pavarotti's open-hearted emotional response to music, plus his wide grin and girth, play into the stereotype.

What's his favorite food?

Anything with pasta, which is why his companion, Mantovani, has become his carb-counter. She recently told the London Telegraph about her struggle with the tenor:

"The moment of lunch and dinner was always a nightmare for me," she said. "We had very big fights. I was taking the plate away. Everything would go on the floor. Oh, yes, a nightmare situation! He thought I would never dare to do something like that in front of guests, and he took advantage of that. So I started even doing it with other people around. He became more mad, and it was not nice. But after a lot of fighting, he understood. Now he knows he cannot eat everything, only one portion. There is no drink anymore, no wine. He is very good, and I am proud of him." According to Mantovani, he is "not enormous. The legs are quite slim."

How did he get his start?

According to family lore, at 4, he climbed onto the kitchen table, cued his mother to dim the lights and belted out "La donna e mobile" ("Women are fickle"), the hit tune from "Rigoletto." He made his professional debut in 1961 as Rodolfo in an Italian production of Puccini's "La Boheme." It became his greatest role. He went on to sing in 26 operas and gave more than 1,200 performances in more than 60 countries.

What did he do for opera?

He got people to listen to it. His secret? Sweet high notes and a stream of sound that was impossibly smooth. And he made it look easy. It's a sound embedded in the inner ears of his fans. For listeners brought up on Caruso and Corelli, he was a godsend.

What were his favorite roles?

The dirt-poor writer Rodolfo in "La Boheme," the field hand Nemorino in "L'Elisir d'Amore" ("The Elixir of Love"), the sex-crazed Duke in "Rigoletto," the tortured painter Cavaradossi in "Tosca."

How many recordings has he sold?

Closing in on 100 million, making him the best-selling classical artist in recording history.

Is his voice shot?

No. He's not singing high C's anymore, but recent reviews dispel rumors that he is over the hill. In Phoenix last September, he sang with "unlabored strength" and "easy production" with a "rich middle voice and shining top notes," according to Kenneth LaFave, music critic for the Arizona Republic. "I will never stop as long as I am alive, 'til a tiny little voice is left in me," Pavarotti told reporters in Qatar, where he sang a concert last week.

How much does he make?

In 1983, he earned $100,000 a concert, or about 51/2 times the annual salary of the average American ($17,544) at that time. His fee today? His press agent said only, "I have no idea. I am concerned only with art and love."

Is he worth the big bucks?

Sure, if you've never seen him live. He'll be miked, and a soprano, Cynthia Lawrence, who appeared with him in his 1994 New Year's Eve performance in Portland, will join him for some solos and duets.

What will he sing Friday?

Mostly opera arias, including hits from "La Boheme," "Madam Butterfly" and "Pagliacci." He didn't sing his most-famous piece, "Nessun dorma" ("Nobody sleeps"), last time, so who knows this time?
David Stabler: 503-221-8217; [email protected]

http://www.oregonlive.com/living/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/living/1047473978108280.xml

Big Fan Sue · Joined: 04 Mar 2003 Posts: 191 Location: New York, USA

:D Thanks for that very nice Pavarotti article, Melodie. He is still one of my favorites. I was lucky to have seen him a few times in an opera but never a concert even though I tried. Just love the way he sings "Nessum Dorman". To me it is his trademark song.
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BOCELLI YOU'RE THE BEST!!!

Alex · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 89 Location: scotland

i agree having heard both bocelli and carerras sing nessun dorma

i have to say Pavarotti gripped me completely

maybe it was sitting with

my Italian relatives indulging their 2nd passion football

renee · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 9 Location: chicago USA

yep, pavarotti doing nessum dorma is one of my favorites too...
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'be regular and orderly in your life..so that you may be wild and original in your work.' flaubert

Mario · Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 39 Location: Mexico City

Melodie · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2003 3:32 pm Post subject:

Mario, I'm so glad you finally joined us! :P And my compliments for being so thorough in your reading...

I want to warn you that you're going to open up a BIG discussion here with your comments about Andrea not being able to do staged operas, so be prepared. :wink:

Melodie

BoFanBecky · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 80 Location: Redmond, WA

True confessions time. When I saw the name "mario" here I nearly jumped out of my skin thinking it might be Mario Frangoulis, yet another fantastic male vocalist. Not in the ranks of Bocelli, Pavarotti et al just yet, but he will be, yes someday he will be :D

Em · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 575 Location: Carmel, Ca

Melodie · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2003 6:26 pm Post subject:

No no, Em, it's ok - Mario is very willing to be educated, just do it in a well-thought out way. :P

LaSignoraMusica · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Posts: 274 Location: The Netherlands

Mario, I understand that you are really interested in opera. I am a singer myself, and follow Andrea's career with interest. There are many singers who interpreted famous aria's before Andrea did and each one has his own interpretation. Sometimes it seems to be a competition, "Who is the best", but I think that everyone has his own personal taste. When I was a kid, there was something like rivalry between Renate Tebaldi and Maria Callas. Not between the singers, but between their fans. I think both are good, but one person likes this voice, another person has a different taste. I agree, to be an opera singer you have to perform live staged opera. And, contrary to what many people still think, Andrea does. Did you actually see Andrea act in staged opera? I did, on tape (La Bohème from Cagliari) and live (Torre del lago, madama Butterfly). You have to see it to believe this: He is a real good actor. I had acting lessons at the conservatory, so I know at least a little about this. But he is really good. And when he plays a role, he forgets all about his stage fright, so he loses his tension and his voice rings out full. That is my experience with Andrea doing live staged opera. But you have to experience it yourself to believe it. He even follows with his eyes (!) the action on stage. And if you don't know it, you wouldn't think he was blind. I have seen it, and I know(and I am usually very critical, even about Andrea): HE BELONGS ON THAT STAGE!!!!!!
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I believe in the equality of all people, I try to respect all living creatures, and I believe in the power of love....

Kenzu · Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 445 Location: Finland

I couldn´t believe my eyes when reading the article(don´t remember where)of Bocelli doing the operatic role in La Bohème. That show how serious he takes his career and as you mentioned of his stage appearace following action on stage with his eyes. With a attitude like that everything is possible to Andrea and I sinceraly hope so that he will make all the way to the TOP.

The nerves and tenors...the most fragile aspect in will someone make it or not. Björling drank heavily, Corelli couln´t just handle it and quit, Pavarotti eats,... seems all the great ones seems to have some trouble with their nerves and I´m not suprised even. Like I wrote in another postreply singing and giving it all is the most revealing its like exposing yourself to everyone and thats frightening, exhausting and at the same time has a liberating effect :?