He's in the character. He's not thinking about his technique as he doesn't need to. Then he has that fantastic old school voice and technique. Grande Lucianone.
Around 1976, I became interested in opera and jumped in with both feet by subscribing to the Lyric Opera of Chicago season. I would go with a friend after work. The music was so beautiful and the seat so comfortable that I would sometimes start to snooze. One opera that season was Lucia di Lammermoor with Luciano Pavarotti. I was drifting off when I heard THIS VOICE and my eyes sprung open! I became and instant fan and saw him many times at Lyric Opera after that.
Why are people criticizing Domingo so much? Leave the man be. He did a lot for opera, and spent his whole life working like few others. We can enjoy the marvels of Pavarotti without criticizing someone else.
What a great perfomance with so much emotion!! I could listen to this all day long. This is a beautifull and demanding aria as well. But maestro Pavarotti pulls it off so easily! He had a natural talent,a huge voice and at the same time a thrilling pianissimo. It's difficult to find such a combination nowadays. In my point of view it's absolute perfection,it's pure voice without any effects. Pavarotti and just a piano alongside him.. Brilliant!
Yes, this was a glorious recital. Unfortunately, it's not available commercially at the moment(although is should be!). I will try to post the whole concert little by little.
Pavarotti in his prime and at his freshest and most intelligent artistic form! What else must one say? This shows what a great artist he was ... actually, is. ;-)
Bravisimo! I had the great good fortune to hear that glorious voice in person four times. It's sad that such an instrument has to be subject to the same aging and stress that the rest of us do, and that eventually it dies. Artists like Pavarotti, in a perfect world, would live forever.
yes zURRIUSS we all fall @ Lucianos' Perfect rendition. This is a difficult aria at best. Without full orchestra IMPOSSIBILE except for Luciano.. He hits all proper note complete Libretto & Staccato which many tenors hide behind the orchestra. Especially @ 5:40 I believe he held a long B+. Virtually impossible yet AMAZING. BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO MAESTRO Luciano Pavarotti
Perhaps his most honest and unaffected performance. As a friend of mine said, "when you start crying before the end of the recitative, it's a good one!"
pavarotti is fantastic here. also, this video makes me wonder, what pavarotti could've achieved if he hadn't started slacking off in 80's. in this video, he is full of emotion and looks and sounds like he genuinely cares about what he is singing. and as a result, the end product is just glorious. sadly though, you can't say the same about his later performances.
Do ppl have any idea how phenomenal this was? Listen, Pavarotti is not on my "top 5 tenors" and surely not the tenor I'd prefer for Lucia Lammermoor, but by God this rendition was, all-around, absolutely on point. It is not just the facial expression but the all-around expression, that is, his body language and the ornamentation or variations for the purpose of emotion in his voice that didn't impede from being perfectly sung. On point means understanding Donizetti's intention. Just Wonderful!
I considered Pavarotti great throughout his career, but this was not his prime. That ended about 1973 or 1974. Before that, the voice was lighter, warmer, with easier top notes. Listen to his studio recording from 1972 of this same aria from the complete opera recording.
It's because Wustman is a piano GOD, and probably doesn't even register Luciano's singing, other than to determine tempo. Focused, professional, and above reproach.
I personally believe there is room for both tenors (Domingo and Pavarotti) to coexist in the pages of history...that's probably why I favor Carreras....didn't have as many fans bashing the others to praise him although I think he had one of the most naturally beautiful lyric instruments in opera history. Pavarotti, himself even said it. in fact, this was one of Carreras' vocal triumphs in the 1970's. But, to each his own.!
Have you noticed that there's a cut in the scene at around 4:45. Probably a little rest for Mr Pavarotti ? :D Still a wonderfull performance. one of the greatest ...
@David45NV1 The truth in such matters is subjective. The truth is also that people who tend to make bitter comments , do so because they are incapable of singing a decent song.
I think he was a good actor as far as facial expressions, gestures are concerned. Watch him singing E lucevan le stelle- if that isn't good acting, what is? They aren't movie stars. As far as stage mobility of course that's another matter :P
@TheCatcherkid so what if he is making over a million a year? he is a genious on selling himself, no doubt about it. I don't care about how much money he makes but I do care about the disservice he has done and keeps on doing to the Opera.
