Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - Luciano Pavarotti - Der Rosenkavalier 

Pavarotti was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opera singer.

some of you people are crazy. The viewing of the great works of these incredible artist has become so commonly accessible that we criticize their greatness with a fatuous, ill-equipped ear, with no regard of perfected use of the human instrument, or any instrument for that matter. I would love to see you unqualified, incompetent critics attempt such great performances.

Finalmente il Tenore Italiano è davvero un Tenore Italiano, e che tenore!...

This little aria extremely hard to sing. Not only for the high position full of high B and even C but must have been keep legato and keep long notes. Pav's renditinon is much better than perfect.

I have been familiar with this aria for many years, in the opera house, concert hall and via recorded medium and Pavarotti 's version is head and shoulders above the rest. He really shows us all how it should be done and is a lasting memorial to him. He is indeed a voice I miss.

Luciano is just GLORIOUS!

What a beautiful time were the 80's for opera lovers. At that time we got the best singers available even in small roles, what a time. Pavarotti is unbeatable in this difficult aria.

FLAWLESS, and I was sitting in Row G on the aisle. One of the best Rosenkavaliers I ever heard. Beginning to end!

LUXURY casting, all the way around!

I was at this performance. When we heard Pavarotti was substituting that day for someone ill the audience gasped and roared. As for the aria, Solti's tempo in the Covent Garden Rosenkavalier performance is quicker and much better: Levine gives in to the little piece and lets the action onstage deflate; Ochs' interrupted arguments make so much more sense when the tempo stays up and consistent. The payoff moment in the repeat when a slam stops the action is, as a result, much more fun.

Pavarotti loved performing this part (the Italian Singer) so much that even after he became famous, he would perform it uncredited whenever he had the chance, just so he could sing the part. It really is a beautiful part, and he puts a lot of love into it, you can tell.

One of the toughest tenor arias. It is generally believed that Strauss didn't like tenors much and accordingly gave them a hard time musically.

sometimes it happens.....im sure he sounded better with a cold than MOST of the tenors today....maybe ALL of them!

The "problem" with Kiri is that she is an absolutely ravishing Marschallin, in a sense, still far to young and beautiful to play the "aging" Frau. Pavarotti has a thinness to his very high upper registers, which instead of being considered a "liability" add a kind of drama to his sound. His pitch is right on, and he hits the notes from above, as he was trained. I can see no reason to criticize him or Kiri... sanjosemike

OH MY GOD! Pavarotti is awesome no matter what!!!

Moll was one of the few bas singers, who could actually sing and not just hint, the deep C in "beschämt". The clip stops a few bars before though.

Pavarotti's voice doesn't crack at all (it 'stuck' (barely- that happens with a bit of phlegm). Strauss is known as a tenor killer anyway. Wonderful to see Kurt Moll-what a fantastic bass he was.

@trichonosis Thanks for that info. I was surprised to see that Pavarotti performed such a small role when he was at his height. Don't care what the others say about acting and the directing; his brilliant singing brings the entire scene to life.

Luciano sei unico

I've been listening to opera my whole life as my dad was a tenor. I don't use that opera fan microscope that so many do. Like, hearing a great performance but complaing that one syllable was mispronounced. I hate those guys(or girls). I also hear great pitch and a ringing tone but I also hear that it is not one of his best days. I know Pavs voice very well at all stages of his career and I know when he is a little off. It's still very good, I was just making an observation.

No I just listen. I've heard a lot of Pav and can tell when it's not his best day.

The high notes, to me, did sound abit "squeezed"; however also to me, it only added to the poignancy of the verse! To "conduct" the flute player and then to raise his fist and "stomp off" at the end was pure comedic genius! I am just continually astounded at the versatility, intelligence, and devotion of this great man. To instinctively know exactly what to do and how to sing on stage in order to push every button his audience has is nothing short of other-worldly! There are none to compare.

All of us who love the voice of Pavarotti with the deepest respect, knows of cause that this was not his greatest moment. He is a bit tight. But those who proclaim loudly that this is bad, I highly recommend you all to try out this aria in one strecth... I think after the try you all will be without voice! You see, I think even the light voices of Gedda and Krauss find this aria to be one of the hardest for a tenor to perform.

pavarotti en todo su esplendor bravo, aunque nunca lo perdio :)

I rarely see such number of ridiculous comments at one place. First of all, if any one of you can perform it better, you are more than welcome to show of...And secondly, especially in this "little aria" i dare you just manage to through first few phrases as beautifully as Pavarotti and you shall persuade me that you perhaps know what you are talking about. Instead of enjoying it, you allow yourself to comment and bitch about technique of some of the greatest artists of our time....Personally, I find it a bit ridiculous, but then again, who am I to judge....Lots of love and beautiful notes I wish to all of you and may your voices serve you as bad as they serve Pavarotti in this aria and I am sure you shall be more than happy :-)

I think his 2nd verse (6:00) is better than his first verse (2:15) - it sounds as if he is using the placing for the former (Dmajor) for his singing of the latter (Db major) - anyone agree?

Love how Pavarotti conducts the flute when there is actually no flute playing and ignores the actor in his long ridiculous mimed introduction to the tenor solo. Also , probably the shortest part he ever had to sing in opera and he stares into that silly book. Genius he was, this was pretty average.

Mi piace moltissimo questo. Kiri è delizioso. Povorotti è meraviglioso. Quelli erano i giorni ....

un'ennesim pietra miliare del nostro Big Luciano

Pavarotti als italienischer Sänger - das nenn ich "mit Kanonen auf Spatzen schießen".

What a LUXE! Il Grando Luciano as a small role in opera??? Yes, this is a MET's "Der Rosenkavalier" with Dame Kiri, Moll, Blegen, Troyanos and Levine in 1982. Enjoy......(more coming soon)

He had a cold throughout this run, but was keen to sing the performances; this accounts for the thin upper register and strained high notes.

Yes it does make me nostalgic. Today's roster pales by comparison. That's because beautiful voices with great technique were placed first then...not necessarily the case now.

Grande Pavarotti! But…you can hear that he wants to get over with it as fast as possible..:) it is so hard to sing! I have seen so many nerveous tenors backstage…

he's sruggling a little here. not a good day.

Splendido!!! Indimenticabile.

he is the best voice of all time, he never will be equaled, this I take from all the people who sang with him, and all the musical experts, who say this. comparing is pointless, all the people who they argue are better this, better that, the people that they say are better all know themselves that they are far inferior. BRAVO......PAVAROTTI

Oh the Baron and the close of Act II PLEASE! I vant to valtz vith the voman!

You better know it. It's an incredibly difficult aria.

Is this unbeatable line up on dvd? amazing

She played Octavian when i fell in love with her.

Mi sto chiedendo se c'era mai l'amico del tenore, Griminelli, suonando il flauto sul palco.... Sarebbero stato bello, no?

i was there!!!!

I totaly disagree. Thats the main problem, if you try to loose this tessitura by making/doing your voice bright and high! You have to connect your voice even deeper in the body, if not you will get tight. and there is a big difference to sound bright and high because of a high tessitura, contra getting tight.

Did I say that I did not enjoy. I just put out that EVEN the great Pavarotti find this aria a bit hard. And the reason for writing about this event is the same reason as you have. I respond to what other people writes. And some times we have different opinions. understand?

Bravi, bravi, Luciano !

@flautist yes it is an H it goes first up to B and the higest is H or Cflat if you like that better. for the moment i'm trying this aria myselve. And its wreally nothing to do five times on a rehearsel. if you want musicality on this listen to the fritz wunderlich version. He sings this with an ease!!

I don't hear any crack...but he does sound tight, and the eee's are spread...just another night-but not his best -still!!!!pretty amazing, and these little snipits of live performance show the craft as it really exits, not audio comparisons with umpteen takes-this is humanity!

C'mon - the directing was crap, Pavarotti is my favourite tenor but the acting here was terrible - I blame the director.

For sure I do enjoy pavarottis special gift. I just pointed out that EVEN Pavarotti sounds a bit tight/stiff in this extremely difficult aria. And that tells a lot about what this "little" aria demands from the performer.

Inaudible

Pavarotti4eva... This guy's right. It IS tight vocally. Since you adore Pavarotti so obviously, you ought to know that.

Sag mir, was Du meinst? Ich denke, dass die Musikalitaet viel mehr wichtiger ist! Do you really mind? I think we'd better focus on musicality.

Are you dreaming? If you got it, let me know too. dameKIRIlover

Looking for Mario Del Monaco's version...someone help me ?!?

I think he always bulldozed everything. Well - almost.

Absolutly.

@chantdonchant If you want to hear a young Pavarotti sing this listen to the 1968 recording with Solti and an otherwise undistinguished cast. I believe he also did once with Sutherland. Nicoli Geda did a wonderful job on the greatest recording of Rosenkavlier with Schwatzkopfand Karajan.

@maxjamesorgans It's part of the Levine 40 collection.

Good comment... What did you mean by "no"?

Pavarotti! Perfetto!

maybe he was ill?...

Der GROSSE Pavarotti in einer kleinen, feinen Nebenrolle ... sehr schön.

Whatever you say. LOL

is this the only time the italian tenor sings in this opera?

Una voz bellísima, técnicamente nunca fué el mejor, pero fué uno de los grandes.

Pavarotti's version should be the best on record. But it isn't. Carreras, Wunderlich, and Domingo are better. Of course unlike Domingo and Carreras, Pavarotti could have actually done it live. It's very high and has no warm up. Domingo, Carreras, Di Stefano and many others were unlikely to have risked it live. I think Pavarotti needed to rehearse it more. He doesn't sound like he has it "in the voice" yet. The top sounds tentative rather than soaring.