Misplaced Pages

#327672

74-528: Construction work began in 1993 and was completed in 1996. The venue was inaugurated with a recital by operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti . The venue considered a futuristic construction, known to most as "the Spaceship" ( l'Astronave ), or as "the Ladybug" ( la Coccinella ) due to its external shell shape. It covers an area of 12,000 square meters and a land area of 13,000 square meters. The multi-purpose arena

148-424: A baker and amateur tenor, and Adele Venturi, a cigar factory worker. Although he spoke fondly of his childhood, the family had little money; its four members were crowded into a two-room apartment. According to Pavarotti, his father had a fine tenor voice but rejected the possibility of a singing career because of nervousness. World War II forced the family out of the city in 1943. For the following year, they rented

222-669: A career as a professional football goalkeeper , but his mother convinced him to train as a teacher. He subsequently taught in an elementary school for two years but finally decided to pursue a music career. His father, recognising the risk involved, only reluctantly gave his consent. Pavarotti began the serious study of music in 1954 at the age of 19 with Arrigo Pola , a respected teacher and professional tenor in Modena who offered to teach him without remuneration. According to conductor Richard Bonynge , Pavarotti never learned to read music. In 1955, he experienced his first singing success when he

296-531: A complete L'elisir d'amore with Sutherland. His breakthrough in the United States came on 17 February 1972, in a production of La fille du régiment at New York's Metropolitan Opera , in which he hit nine high Cs in the signature aria and had seventeen curtain calls. Pavarotti sang his international recital début at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri , on 1 February 1973, as part of

370-894: A favourite singer of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini , having recorded the Fascist anthem " Giovinezza " in 1937 (it is noticeably excluded from his "Edizione Integrale", released by EMI ). Toward the end of World War II , he was able to give few performances. However, he immediately returned to the stage when the war ended in 1945, and the audience acclaim was greater and more clamorous than ever. In addition to his stage performances, Gigli appeared as an actor in over twenty films from 1935 to 1953. Some notable appearances include 1936's Johannes Riemann-directed musical drama Ave Maria opposite actress Käthe von Nagy and Giuseppe Fatigati's 1943 drama I Pagliacci (English release title: Laugh Pagliacci ), opposite Italian actress Alida Valli . In

444-501: A few recitals, all in small towns and without pay. When a nodule developed on his vocal cords , causing a "disastrous" concert in Ferrara , he decided to give up singing. Pavarotti attributed his immediate improvement to the psychological release connected with this decision. Whatever the reason, the nodule not only disappeared but, as he related in his autobiography: "Everything I had learned came together with my natural voice to make

518-526: A new Zeffirelli production of Don Carlos , conducted by Riccardo Muti. Pavarotti became even better known throughout the world in 1990 when his rendition of the aria " Nessun dorma " from Giacomo Puccini 's Turandot was taken as the theme song of BBC 's coverage of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. The aria achieved pop status, became the World Cup soundtrack, and it remained his trademark song. This

592-467: A pay cut. Giulio Gatti-Casazza , the Met's then general manager, was furious at his company's most popular male singer; he told the press that Gigli was the only singer not to accept the pay cut. There were in fact several others, Lily Pons and Rosa Ponselle among them; and it is well documented that Gatti-Casazza gave himself a large pay increase in 1931, so that after the pay cut in 1932 his salary remained

666-651: A record attendance of 150,000. In June 1993, more than 500,000 listeners gathered for his free performance on the Great Lawn of New York's Central Park , while millions more around the world watched on television. The following September, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, he sang for an estimated crowd of 300,000. Following on from the original 1990 concert, the Three Tenors concerts were held during

740-532: A sciatic nerve required two months of treatment. On 12 December 1998, he became the first (and, to date, only) opera singer to perform on Saturday Night Live , singing alongside Vanessa L. Williams . He also sang with U2 in the band's 1995 song " Miss Sarajevo " and with Mercedes Sosa in a big concert at the Boca Juniors arena La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1999. In 1998, Pavarotti

814-523: A series of interviews). Gigli was initiated to Freemasonry . He died of pneumonia in Rome in 1957. Like many artists, Gigli was a man of contradictions. On one hand, he gave more fund-raising concerts and raised more money than any other singer in history, with close to one thousand benefit concerts. He was deeply devoted to Padre Pio , his confessor, to whom he donated a large amount of money. Also, Gigli sang an unusual amount of sacred music (especially in

SECTION 10

#1732783381328

888-470: A single room from a farmer in the neighbouring countryside, where the young Pavarotti developed an interest in farming. After abandoning the dream of becoming a football goalkeeper , Pavarotti spent seven years in vocal training. Pavarotti's earliest musical influences were his father's records, most of them featuring the popular tenors of the day— Beniamino Gigli , Giovanni Martinelli , Tito Schipa , and Enrico Caruso . Pavarotti's favourite tenor and idol

962-412: A statement, "The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterised his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness". Pavarotti's funeral was held at Modena Cathedral . The then Prime Minister Romano Prodi and Kofi Annan attended. The Frecce Tricolori ,

1036-550: A student of Ettore Campogalliani , who at that time was also teaching Pavarotti's childhood friend, Mirella Freni , whose mother worked with Luciano's mother in the cigar factory. Like Pavarotti, Freni went on to become a successful opera singer; they would go on to collaborate in various stage performances and recordings together. During his years of musical study, Pavarotti held part-time jobs in order to sustain himself—first as an elementary school teacher and then as an insurance salesman. The first six years of study resulted in only

1110-425: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti OMRI ( / ˌ p æ v ə ˈ r ɒ t i / , US also / ˌ p ɑː v -/ , Italian: [luˈtʃaːno pavaˈrɔtti] ; 12 October 1935 – 6 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music , eventually becoming one of

1184-407: Is equipped with a press stand, a room for video data, a system for satellite reception, various video stations and an internal circuit control system. The venue also configures into a (much smaller) theater that is used each August for the world-renowned Rossini Opera Festival . [REDACTED] Media related to Adriatic Arena at Wikimedia Commons This article about an Italian sports venue

1258-693: Is the son of Gloria Doyle, who was an opera singer at The Metropolitan Opera. Phil Hildebrandt's children (Gigli's American-born grandchildren) are comedian William (Bill) Hildebrandt (1953-2021) and Lori Jean Hildebrandt, both of Detroit, Michigan. Early in his career, Gigli was known for a beautiful, soft and honey-like lyric voice, with an incredible mezza-voice, allowing him to sing light, lyrical roles. As he grew older, his voice developed some dramatic qualities, enabling him to sing heavier roles like Ràdames in Aida and Cavaradossi in Tosca . Some critics say that he

1332-520: The "Freedom of London Award" and The Red Cross "Award for Services to Humanity" , for his work in raising money for that organisation, and the 1998 " MusiCares Person of the Year " , given to humanitarian heroes by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences . He was a National Patron of Delta Omicron , an international professional music fraternity. His first will was opened

1406-515: The BBC , Pavarotti rejected the allegation that he could not read music, although he acknowledged he did not read orchestral scores. His awards and honours include Kennedy Center Honors in 2001. He also holds two Guinness World Records : one for receiving the most curtain calls (165) and another for the best-selling classical album ( Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert by the Three Tenors ;

1480-664: The Italy-USA Foundation 's America Award in 2013 and the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 2014. In addition to his very large discography of opera performances Pavarotti also made many classical crossover and pop recordings, the Pavarotti & Friends series of concerts and, for Decca, a series of studio recital albums: first six albums of opera arias and then, from 1979, six albums of Italian song. The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by

1554-688: The Kennedy Center ; the Kennedy Center Honors , He was surprised by the appearance of Secretary-General of the United Nations and that year's winner of the Nobel Peace Prize , Kofi Annan , who lauded him for his contribution to humankind. Six months prior, Pavarotti had held a large charity concert for Afghan refugees, particularly children in his home town of Modena, Italy. Other honours he received include

SECTION 20

#1732783381328

1628-659: The Nansen Medal from the UN High Commission for Refugees for his efforts in raising money on behalf of refugees worldwide. Through benefit concerts and volunteer work, he has raised more than any other individual. Also in 2001, Pavarotti was chosen one of that year's five recipients by the President and First Lady as an honoree for their lifetime achievements in the arts at the White House , followed by

1702-453: The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences . The Emmy Awards are awarded annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . Beniamino Gigli Beniamino Gigli ( / ˈ dʒ iː l i / JEE -lee , Italian: [benjaˈmiːno ˈdʒiʎʎi] ; 20 March 1890 – 30 November 1957) was an Italian opera singer ( lyric tenor ). He is widely regarded as one of

1776-648: The PalaTrussardi in Milan, produced and wrote the television documentary The Best is Yet to Come , an extensive biography about the life of Pavarotti. Lara Saint Paul was the interviewer for the documentary with Pavarotti, who spoke candidly about his life and career. Pavarotti's rise to stardom was not without occasional difficulties, however. He earned a reputation as "The King of Cancellations" by frequently backing out of performances, and his unreliable nature led to poor relationships with some opera houses. This

1850-704: The Salzburg Festival Hall flew black flags in mourning. Tributes were published by many opera houses, such as London's Royal Opera House . Pavarotti's one venture into film was Yes, Giorgio (1982), a romantic comedy movie directed by Franklin J. Schaffner , in which he starred as the main character Giorgio Fini. The film was a critical and commercial failure, although it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Music, Original Song. He can be seen to better advantage in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle 's movie Rigoletto , an adaptation of

1924-588: The Spice Girls , Sting and Barry White to raise money for several UN causes. Concerts were held for War Child , and victims of war and civil unrest in Bosnia, Guatemala, Kosovo and Iraq. After the war in Bosnia , he financed and established the Pavarotti Music Centre in the southern city of Mostar to offer Bosnia's artists the opportunity to develop their skills. For these contributions,

1998-943: The Vienna State Opera and La Scala . Vienna saw Pavarotti as Rodolfo in La bohème with Carlos Kleiber conducting and again Mirella Freni was Mimi; as Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore ; as Radames in Aida conducted by Lorin Maazel; as Rodolfo in Luisa Miller ; and as Gustavo in Un ballo in maschera conducted by Claudio Abbado. In 1996, Pavarotti appeared for the last time at the Staatsoper in Andrea Chénier . Throughout

2072-866: The Vienna State Opera in the same role. In March and April 1963 Vienna saw Pavarotti again as Rodolfo and as Duca di Mantova in Rigoletto . The same year saw his first concert outside Italy when he sang in Dundalk , Ireland for the St Cecilia's Gramophone Society, he was engaged by the Dublin Grand Opera Society to sing The Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto in May and June, and his Royal Opera House debut, where he replaced an indisposed Giuseppe Di Stefano as Rodolfo. In 1964, when Pavarotti

2146-469: The 1950s), atypical of a leading operatic tenor. Additionally, he was throughout his life deeply devoted to the sacred music of Don Lorenzo Perosi . On the other hand, Gigli's relationships with women were often tainted by scandal. He said in his memoirs he married six months earlier than he actually did; this was to conceal the fact that his wife Costanza was pregnant before reaching the altar. Gigli had two children with Costanza: Enzo and Rina. (The latter

2220-577: The 1980s and 90s, promoters Tibor Rudas and Harvey Goldsmith booked Pavarotti into increasingly larger venues. In 1985, Pavarotti sang Radames at La Scala opposite Maria Chiara in a Luca Ronconi production conducted by Maazel, recorded on video. His performance of the aria "Celeste Aida" received a two-minute ovation on the opening night. He was reunited with Mirella Freni for the San Francisco Opera production of La bohème in 1988, also recorded on video. In 1992, La Scala saw Pavarotti in

2294-659: The Australia tour that summer, she recommended the young Pavarotti as he was acquainted with the role. Shortly after, on 28 April, Pavarotti made his La Scala debut in the revival of the Franco Zeffirelli production of La bohème, with his childhood friend Mirella Freni singing Mimi and Herbert von Karajan conducting. Karajan had requested the singer's engagement. During the Australia tour in summer 1965, Sutherland and Pavarotti sang some forty performances over two months, and Pavarotti later credited Sutherland for

Vitrifrigo Arena - Misplaced Pages Continue

2368-435: The Italian government more than $ 7.6 million in back taxes and penalties as a result of tax evasion charges that dated from 1989 to 1995. Pavarotti was subsequently fully acquitted by an Italian court of filing false tax returns in 2001. On 13 December 2003, he married his second wife and former personal assistant, Nicoletta Mantovani (born 1969), with whom he already had another daughter, Alice. Alice's twin brother, Riccardo,

2442-502: The aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Air Force , flew overhead, leaving green-white-red smoke trails. After a funeral procession through the centre of Modena, Pavarotti's coffin was taken the final ten kilometres (6 miles) to Montale Rangone, a village part of Castelnuovo Rangone , and was interred in the Pavarotti family crypt. The funeral, in its entirety, was also telecast live on CNN . The Vienna State Opera and

2516-520: The album as a wedding gift to Nicoletta Mantovani. That same year he was made a Commander of Monaco's Order of Cultural Merit . In 2004, one of Pavarotti's former managers, Herbert Breslin , published a book, The King & I . Seen by critics as bitter and sensationalistic , it is critical of the singer's acting (in opera), his inability to read music well and learn parts, and his personal conduct, although acknowledging their success together. In an interview in 2005 with Jeremy Paxman on

2590-456: The beginning of his professional career as a tenor in 1961 in Italy to his final performance of " Nessun dorma " at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin , Pavarotti was at his best in bel canto operas, pre- Aida Verdi roles, and Puccini works such as La bohème , Tosca , Turandot and Madama Butterfly . He sold over 100 million records, and the first Three Tenors recording became

2664-659: The best-selling classical album of all time. Pavarotti was also noted for his charity work on behalf of refugees and the Red Cross , amongst others. He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1988, and died from pancreatic cancer on 6 September 2007. Luciano Pavarotti was born in 1935 on the outskirts of Modena in Northern Italy , the son of Fernando Pavarotti,

2738-525: The breathing technique that would sustain him over his career. After the extended Australian tour, he returned to La Scala, where he added Tebaldo from I Capuleti e i Montecchi to his repertoire on 26 March 1966, with Giacomo Aragall as Romeo. His first appearance as Tonio in Donizetti's La fille du régiment took place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 2 June of that year. It

2812-532: The city of Sarajevo named him an honorary citizen in 2006. He performed at benefit concerts to raise money for victims of tragedies such as the Spitak earthquake that killed 25,000 people in northern Armenia in December 1988, and sang Gounod's Ave Maria with legendary French pop music star and ethnic Armenian Charles Aznavour . He was a close friend of Diana, Princess of Wales . They raised money for

2886-541: The college's Fine Arts Program, now known as the Harriman–Jewell Series. Perspiring due to nerves and a lingering cold, the tenor clutched a handkerchief throughout the début. The prop became a signature part of his solo performances. He began to give frequent television performances, starting with his performances as Rodolfo ( La bohème ) in the first Live from the Met telecast in March 1977, which attracted one of

2960-808: The day after his death; a second will was opened within the same month of September. He left an estate outside his native Modena (now a museum), a villa in Pesaro , his flat in Monte Carlo , and three flats in New York City. Pavarotti's widow's lawyers, Giorgio Bernini and Anna Maria Bernini, and manager Terri Robson announced on 30 June 2008 that his family amicably settled his estate—€300 million ($ 474.2 million, including $ 15 million in U.S. assets). Pavarotti drafted two wills before his death: one divided his assets by Italian law, giving half to his second wife, Nicoletta Mantovani, and half to his four daughters;

3034-401: The death of the great Italian tenor Enrico Caruso in 1921. Such was his popularity with audiences he was often called "Caruso Secondo", though he much preferred to be known as "Gigli Primo". In fact, the comparison was not valid as Caruso had a bigger, darker, more heroic voice than Gigli's sizable yet honey-toned lyric instrument. Gigli left the Met in 1932, ostensibly after refusing to take

Vitrifrigo Arena - Misplaced Pages Continue

3108-722: The elimination of land mines worldwide. In 1998, he was appointed the United Nations Messenger of Peace , using his fame to raise awareness of UN issues, including the Millennium Development Goals , HIV/AIDS , child rights , urban slums and poverty. In 1999, Pavarotti performed a charity benefit concert in Beirut , to mark Lebanon's re-emergence on the world stage after a brutal 15-year civil war . The largest concert held in Beirut since

3182-467: The end of the war, it was attended by 20,000 people who travelled from countries as distant as Saudi Arabia and Bulgaria . In 1999 he also hosted a charity benefit concert to build a school in Guatemala, for Guatemalan civil war orphans. It was named after him Centro Educativo Pavarotti . Now the foundation of Nobel prize winner Rigoberta Menchú Tum is running the school. In 2001, Pavarotti received

3256-750: The greatest tenors of his generation. Gigli was born in Recanati , in the Marche , the son of a shoemaker who loved opera. His parents did not, however, view music as a secure career. Beniamino's brother Lorenzo became a well-known painter. In 1914, he won first prize in an international singing competition in Parma . His operatic debut came on 15 October 1914, when he played Enzo in Amilcare Ponchielli 's La Gioconda in Rovigo , following which he

3330-471: The hospital in New York, forcing cancellation of concerts in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. On 10 February 2006, Pavarotti performed " Nessun dorma " at the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Turin , Italy, at his final performance. In the last act of the opening ceremony, his performance received the longest and loudest ovation of the night from the international crowd. Leone Magiera, who directed

3404-590: The largest audiences ever for a televised opera. He won Grammy awards and platinum and gold discs for his performances. In 1976, Pavarotti debuted at the Salzburg Festival , appearing in a solo recital on 31 July, accompanied by pianist Leone Magiera. Pavarotti returned to the festival in 1978 with a recital and as the Italian singer in Der Rosenkavalier in 1983 with Idomeneo , and both in 1985 and 1988 with solo recitals. In 1979, he

3478-481: The last few years of his life, Gigli gave concert performances more often than he appeared on stage. Before his retirement in 1955, Gigli undertook an exhausting world tour of farewell concerts, including performances at the Metropolitan Opera. This impaired his health in the two years that remained to him, during which time he helped prepare his memoirs (based primarily on an earlier memoir, fleshed out by

3552-493: The latter record is thus shared by fellow tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras ). Pavarotti began his farewell tour in 2004, at the age of 69, performing one last time in old and new locations, after more than four decades on the stage. On 13 March 2004, Pavarotti gave his last performance in an opera at the New York Metropolitan Opera , for which he received a long standing ovation for his role as

3626-462: The most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias , gaining worldwide fame for his tone, and gaining the nickname "King of the High Cs ". As one of the Three Tenors , who performed their first concert during the 1990 FIFA World Cup before a global audience, Pavarotti became well known for his televised concerts and media appearances. From

3700-477: The opening verses using extended vocal runs for di Capua's " O Sole Mio " and which was in turn perfectly repeated note-for-note by Domingo and Carreras. The recorded album sold millions of copies, and the first Three Tenors recording became the best-selling classical album of all time. Throughout the 1990s, Pavarotti appeared in outdoor concerts, including his televised concert in London's Hyde Park , which drew

3774-574: The opera of the same name also released in 1982, or in his more than 20 live opera performances taped for television between 1978 and 1994, most of them with the Metropolitan Opera , and most available on DVD. He received two Primetime Emmy Awards for his PBS variety specials Pavarotti in Philadelphia: La Boheme and Duke of Mantua, Rigoletto Great Performances . Pavarotti , a 2019 documentary film about him,

SECTION 50

#1732783381328

3848-711: The painter Mario Cavaradossi in Giacomo Puccini 's Tosca . On 1 December 2004, he announced a 40-city farewell tour. Pavarotti and his manager, Terri Robson, commissioned impresario Harvey Goldsmith to produce the Worldwide Farewell Tour. His last full-scale performance was at the end of a two-month Australasian tour in Taiwan in December 2005. In March 2005, Pavarotti underwent neck surgery to repair two vertebrae . In early 2006, he underwent further back surgery and contracted an infection while in

3922-539: The performance, revealed in his 2008 memoirs, Pavarotti Visto da Vicino , that the performance had been recorded weeks earlier. "The orchestra pretended to play for the audience, I pretended to conduct and Luciano pretended to sing. The effect was wonderful," he wrote. Pavarotti's manager, Terri Robson, said that the tenor had turned the Winter Olympic Committee's invitation down several times because it would have been impossible to sing late at night in

3996-673: The roster of Met singers during the 1920s also happened to be Gigli's chief contemporary rivals for tenor supremacy in the Italian repertory — namely, Giovanni Martinelli and Giacomo Lauri-Volpi . Some of the roles with which Gigli became particularly associated during this period included Edgardo in Donizetti 's Lucia di Lammermoor , Rodolfo in Giacomo Puccini 's La Bohème and the title role in Umberto Giordano 's Andrea Chénier , both of which he would later record in full. Gigli rose to true international prominence after

4070-399: The same as it had been originally. Furthermore, Gatti was careful to hide Gigli's counter offer from the press, in which the singer offered to sing five or six concerts gratis, which in dollars saved was worth more than Gatti's imposed pay cut. After leaving the Met, Gigli returned again to Italy, and sang in houses there, elsewhere in Europe, and in South America. He was criticised for being

4144-462: The second gave his U.S. holdings to Mantovani. The judge confirmed the compromise by the end of July 2008. However, a Pesaro public prosecutor , Massimo di Patria, investigated allegations that Pavarotti was not of sound mind when he signed the will. Pavarotti's estate has been settled "fairly", a lawyer for Mantovani said in statements after reports of a dispute between her and his three daughters from his first marriage. He posthumously received

4218-633: The sound I had been struggling so hard to achieve". Pavarotti began his career as a tenor in smaller regional Italian opera houses, making his debut as Rodolfo in La bohème at the Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia in April 1961. His first known recording of " Che gelida manina " was recorded during this performance. Pavarotti's first of two marriages was to Adua Veroni which lasted from 1961 to 2000 and they had three daughters: Lorenza, Cristina, and Giuliana. He made his first international appearance in La traviata in Belgrade , Yugoslavia . Very early in his career, on 23 February 1963, he debuted at

4292-515: The subzero conditions of Turin in February. The committee eventually persuaded him to take part by prerecording the song. While proceeding with an international " farewell tour ", Pavarotti was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2006. He sought treatment following this diagnosis, undergoing major abdominal surgery and making plans for the resumption and conclusion of his singing commitments, but he died at his home in Modena on 6 September 2007. After his death, his manager, Terri Robson, noted in

4366-528: The three subsequent FIFA World Cup Finals , in 1994 in Los Angeles, 1998 in Paris, and 2002 in Yokohama. In September 1995, Pavarotti performed Schubert's Ave Maria along with Dolores O'Riordan ; Diana, Princess of Wales , who attended the live performance, told O'Riordan that the song brought her to tears. In 1995, Pavarotti's friends, the singer Lara Saint Paul (as Lara Cariaggi) and her husband showman Pier Quinto Cariaggi, who had produced and organised Pavarotti's 1990 FIFA World Cup Celebration Concert at

4440-478: The visit, Pavarotti performed the inaugural concert in the Great Hall of the People before 10,000 people, receiving a standing ovation for nine high Cs. The third competition in 1989 again staged performances of L'elisir d'amore and Un ballo in maschera . The winners of the fifth competition accompanied Pavarotti in performances in Philadelphia in 1997. In the mid-1980s, Pavarotti returned to two opera houses that had provided him with important breakthroughs,

4514-421: The winners in 1982 in excerpts of La bohème and L'elisir d'amore . The second competition, in 1986, staged excerpts of La bohème and Un ballo in maschera . To celebrate the 25th anniversary of his career, he brought the winners of the competition to Italy for gala performances of La bohème in Modena and Genoa , and then to China where they staged performances of La bohème in Beijing ( Peking ). To conclude

SECTION 60

#1732783381328

4588-424: Was Giuseppe Di Stefano and he was also deeply influenced by Mario Lanza , saying: "In my teens I used to go to Mario Lanza movies and then come home and imitate him in the mirror". At around the age of nine, he began singing with his father in a small local church choir. In addition to music, as a child, Pavarotti enjoyed playing football . When he graduated from the Scuola Magistrale he was interested in pursuing

4662-457: Was stillborn after complications in January 2003. At the time of his death in September 2007, he was survived by his wife, his four daughters, and one granddaughter. In late 2003, he released his final compilation—and his first and only "crossover" album, Ti Adoro. Most of the 13 songs were written and produced by Michele Centonze, who had already helped produce the "Pavarotti & Friends" concerts between 1998 and 2000. The tenor described

4736-445: Was a member of the Corale Rossini, a male voice choir from Modena that also included his father, which won first prize at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen , Wales. He later said that this was the most important experience of his life, and that it inspired him to become a professional singer. At about this time Pavarotti first met Adua Veroni. They married in 1961. When his teacher Arrigo Pola moved to Japan, Pavarotti became

4810-401: Was a well-known soprano in her own right.) Later, Gigli is well known to have had a second family with Lucia Vigarani, producing three children. Gigli is rumoured to have had at least three other children with as many different women. Gigli's exact number of offspring is unknown. One known son is Phillip (Phil) J. Hildebrandt of Detroit, born in February 1934 in New York and still living. He

4884-454: Was brought into focus in 1989 when Ardis Krainik of the Lyric Opera of Chicago severed the house's 15-year relationship with the tenor. Over an eight-year period, Pavarotti had cancelled 26 out of 41 scheduled appearances at the Lyric, and the decisive move by Krainik to ban him for life was well noted throughout the opera world, after the performer walked away from a season premiere less than two weeks before rehearsals began, saying pain from

4958-602: Was directed by Ron Howard and produced with the cooperation of Pavarotti's estate using family archives, interviews and live music footage. Pavarotti annually hosted the Pavarotti & Friends charity concerts in his home town of Modena Italy , joining with singers from all parts of the music industry, including B.B. King , Andrea Bocelli , Zucchero , Jon Bon Jovi , Bryan Adams , Bono , James Brown , Mariah Carey , Eric Clapton , Dolores O'Riordan , Sheryl Crow , Céline Dion , Anastacia , Elton John , Deep Purple , Meat Loaf , Queen , George Michael , Tracy Chapman ,

5032-446: Was engaged by the Dublin Grand Opera Society to sing Rudolfo in Giacomo Puccini 's La bohème and Alfredo in Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata Reviewers favourably comment on his singing. While generally successful, Pavarotti's early roles did not immediately propel him into the stardom that he would later enjoy. An early coup involved his connection with Joan Sutherland (and her conductor husband, Richard Bonynge ), who in 1963

5106-427: Was followed by the first Three Tenors concert, held on the eve of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final at the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome with fellow tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras and conductor Zubin Mehta . The performance for the World Cup closing concert captivated a global audience, and it became the biggest-selling classical record of all time. A highlight of the concert, in which Pavarotti sang

5180-514: Was his performances of this role that would earn him the title of "King of the High Cs". He scored another major triumph in Rome on 20 November 1969 when he sang in I Lombardi opposite Renata Scotto . This was recorded on a private label and widely distributed, as were various recordings of his I Capuleti e i Montecchi, usually with Aragall. Early commercial recordings included a recital of Donizetti (the aria from Don Sebastiano were particularly highly regarded) and Verdi arias , as well as

5254-450: Was in great demand. Gigli made many important debuts in quick succession, and always in Mefistofele : Teatro Massimo in Palermo (31 March 1915), Teatro di San Carlo in Naples (26 December 1915), Teatro Costanzi di Roma (26 December 1916), La Scala , Milan (19 November 1918), Teatro Colón , Buenos Aires (28 June 1919) and finally the Metropolitan Opera , New York City (26 November 1920). Two other great Italian tenors present on

5328-508: Was presented with the Grammy Legend Award . In 2001, Pavarotti was acquitted in an Italian court of a dispute concerning his official country of residency and taxable earnings. Pavarotti long claimed Monte Carlo in the tax haven of Monaco as his official residence, but an Italian court in 1999 had rejected that claim by ruling that his Monaco address could not accommodate his entire family. In 2000 Pavarotti agreed to pay

5402-488: Was profiled in a cover story in the weekly magazine Time . That same year saw Pavarotti's return to the Vienna State Opera after an absence of fourteen years. With Herbert von Karajan conducting, Pavarotti sang Manrico in Il trovatore . In 1978, he appeared in a solo recital on Live from Lincoln Center . At the beginning of the 1980s, he set up The Pavarotti International Voice Competition for young singers, performing with

5476-802: Was seeking a tenor taller than herself to take along on her 1965 tour to Australia. With his commanding physical presence, Pavarotti proved ideal. However, before the summer 1965 Australia tour Pavarotti sang with Joan Sutherland when he made his American début with the Greater Miami Opera in February 1965, singing in Donizetti 's Lucia di Lammermoor on the stage of the Miami-Dade County Auditorium in Miami. The tenor scheduled to perform that night became ill with no understudy. As Sutherland had plans to travel with him on

#327672