Luciano Pavarotti news stories on Newser

Opera Legend Joan Sutherland Dead at 83

Rob Quinn — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:30:19 CDT

Joan Sutherland, the soprano Luciano Pavarotti once called "the voice of the century," has died at her home in Switzerland at age 83. The Australian-born singer—known as "La Stupenda" or "The Stupendous One" to opera audiences—became one of the most celebrated opera singers of all time thanks to...

José Carreras Retires From Opera

Matt Cantor — Fri, 08 May 2009 09:34:24 CDT

Unable to perform at the level he considers acceptable, José Carreras will retire from opera, the least prominent of the Three Tenors tells the Times of London. Unamplified lead roles in opera houses are more than the 62-year-old Spaniard can handle, he said. “If I can do concert recitals, adapting...

Pavarotti Lipsynched Last Performance

Caroline Zimmerman — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:02:52 CDT

Lipsynching isn't just for neophytes like Nikki Hilton—none other than tenor Luciano Pavarotti faked his way through his final public performance at the opening of the Turin Winter Olympics, the Guardian reports. In a new book, Pavarotti's conductor and pianist claims that he recorded the cancer-stricken tenor and the...

Pavarotti Widow Sues 2 Friends

Caroline Zimmerman — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:00:00 CST

Luciano Pavarotti's widow is suing two of her late husband's close friends for $44 million over what she terms defamatory remarks about her marriage and character. Nicoletta Mantovani claims they began "feeding the media with rumors" after the maestro died of cancer in September. The duo publicly claimed Pavarotti complained...

High C is a Drink Best Served Bold

Wesley Oliver — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 17:00:39 CDT

Pavarotti’s obits called him “King of the High C’s,” a nickname he earned for hitting a note that many tenors have to fake in falsetto. “It’s the absolute summit of technique,” says a coach. “More than anywhere else in your voice, you have to know what you’re doing.” The alluring...

Thousands Mourn Pavarotti

Caroline Miller — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 09:24:52 CDT

Modena's main piazza was filled with throngs of Luciano Pavarotti fans today as invited mourners gathered at the cathedral for the tenor's funeral. The service, which was shown on huge screens in the piazza and broadcast live, was attended by an ecclectic group of dignitaries and artists with whom the...

Thousands Pay Respects to Pavarotti

Zach Samalin — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:53:18 CDT

Thousands lined up today to pay respects to opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti at the cathedral in his hometown of Modena, Italy. Though the tenor's family wants a private funeral tomorrow, an international array of celebrities and fans–among them Bono, Andrea Bocelli, and Kofi Annan–are planning to attend, Reuters reports. The...

Opera World Mourns 'King of the High Cs'

Sam Gale Rosen — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:05:01 CDT

Placido Domingo is the better musician, but no other voice could match the late Luciano Pavarotti's, Anthony Tommasini writes in today's Times . The music critic looks at a career dotted with highs as lofty as the high Cs Pavarotti "tossed off" with "ease, pinging tone and utter glee" and concludes...

Tenor Luciano Pavarotti Dies

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 01:00:34 CDT

Opera star Luciano Pavarotti, one of the greatest tenors of the last century, died early this morning of pancreatic cancer, surrounded by his wife, sister and four daughters, in his hometown villa in Modena, Italy. He was 71. "The Maestro fought a long, tough battle," said his manager. "Fitting with...