Luciano Pavarotti, the legendary opera tenor passes away. This is a tribute to his life, his voice and his performances that endeared him to millions of us.

One of the greatest and most popular operatic and concert singers, legendary Italian lyric tenor Luciano Pavarotti takes a final bow today in his home in Modena, Italy. At 71, he died of pancreatic cancer.

The son of a baker, Pavarotti was born on October 12, 1935 in Modena. Although he showed more interest in soccer, he loved listening to his father's recordings of tenor greats like Beniamino Gigli and Giuseppe Di Stefano, his favorite. In his teens, Pavarotti joined his amateur singer father in the church choir and local opera chorus. He was also influenced by the American actor-singer Mario Lanza.

Pavarotti trained to become a teacher but at 20, he traveled with his Modena chorus group to an international music competition in Wales. They won first place. Pavarotti began to dedicate himself to singing and studied with Arrigo Pola and Ettore Campogalliani. After his studies, he made his debut at the Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia as Rodolfo in Puccini's La Bohème.

Pavarotti followed with a series of successes in small opera houses throughout Europe. He sang in Amsterdam and repeated his success in the role of Rodolfo at Covent Garden as a last-minute substitute for Giuseppe Di Stefano. He sang Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo at Glyndebourne. Impressing conductor Richard Bonynge, Pavarotti got the role opposite Dame Joan Sutherland (Bonynge's wife), in a Miami production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lamermoor. He was signed a 14-week tour of Australia in 1965 with Sutherland's company, singing opposite her in Lucia di Lammermoor, which they later recorded together.

Pavarotti made a series of major debuts. He appeared at La Scala in Milan as Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto, and in 1968 he made his US debut in San Francisco and New York's Metropolitan Opera House. Other venues included Vienna, Paris and Chicago. Soon he progressed to more dramatic tenor roles, such as Manrico in Verdi's Trovatore, the title role in Otello, and as Nemorino in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore.

In the mid-1970s, Pavarotti became a media star appearing in television commercials and worldwide mega-concerts outdoors and in stadiums.

Pavarotti made numerous recordings. "Volare" went platinum in 1988 and "Nessun Dorma" also topped pop charts worldwide in 1990.

He starred in a film Yes, Giorgio and appeared in a filmed version of Rigoletto. He wrote autobiographies I, Luciano Pavarotti and Pavarotti My World.

In 1990, Pavarotti appeared with Domingo and Carreras in a televised concert in Rome for the soccer's World Cup. The concert was a huge success, and the record known as "The Three Tenors" was a best-seller and was nominated for two Grammy awards.

Pavarotti was also involved in humanitarian work, financing and establishing the Pavarotti Music Center for Bosnia's developing artists, and performing concerts for victims of tragedies.

This week, the Italian government honored him for "excellence in Italian culture" award. La Scala and Modena's theater also announced a joint Luciano Pavarotti award.

Pavarotti had three daughters with his first wife, Adua; and one with his second wife, Nicoletta.

As a leading tenor divo of his time, with his vibrant rich voice and splendid high notes of great fluency, while clutching that white handkerchief, Pavarotti covered the entire 19th-century Italian repertoire, from the bel canto of Donizetti and Rossini to the dramatic operas of Verdi and Puccini. For all of us his millions of admirers, Pavarotti's superb performances like "Nessun Dorma" in Puccini's Turandot will forever be remembered. Luciano Pavarotti carried opera to new audiences as never before.

Recommended CD:

Donizetti: La Fille Du Regiment / Bonynge, Sutherland, Pavarotti

Sources:

Oxford Who's Who in the 20th Century (1999)

The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd Ed, edited by Stanley Sadie (2000)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070906/ap_on_en_mu/pavarotti

("Beloved Italian Tenor Dies" - news from Associated Press dated 6 Sept 07)