There were lots of great tenors, but close your eyes and most of their voices are interchangeable. When Pavarotti sang you instantly knew it was him. Nobody sounded like that before or since. His clarity was unmatched, just like a bell, no pun intended. There was no thick, throaty, covered sound or drag on that voice. Totally free, scintillating tone, and like a laser beam. He was the last of the greats.
Pavarotti is one of my favorite singers, but there have been many tenor voices that were unmistakable: Caruso, Gigli, Bjorling, Schipa, Del Monaco, Bergonzi, and Corelli just to name a few.
@@EndoftheTownProductions With the exception of Del Monaco, if those singers were given several unfamiliar pieces of music to perform or record, I don't believe most people could correctly or repeatedly identify them by sound alone. There is a kind of sameness that runs through their vocal qualities that Pavarotti simply transcended. As important as it is to have a big and properly trained voice in opera or any style of music, it's equally important to have a unique voice or signature sound that separates you from the rest. That kind of "it" quality is born, not made, and can't be obtained by even the best of training. All of those men were very talented and successful, but there is a reason Pavarotti was far and away the most successful opera singer of all time, well known to people even outside of the opera world, and it's because his voice really was one of a kind, a voice that comes along only once in a century. Fortunately, we were alive to hear it.
3 Minute Poetry Analysis and most of them sucked I am sorry .. but Caruso I know he has the reputation . I listened to nearly every single album they have. Didn’t do shit for me
@@L1623VP I am a huge fan of Pavarotti, but one of the reasons why most people would most likely recognize his voice with unfamiliar music (i.e. not Nessun Dorma) is because of mass media and marketing. Even Pavarotti once stated that people shouldn't compare him to Jussi Bjorling, whom he compared to divinity. Once Pavarotti did the Three Tenors, his voice was heard by the entire planet.
@@EndoftheTownProductions Yes, millions of people heard Pavarotti during the Three Tenors concerts, but they also heard Domingo and Carreras too, and I'm quite certain they would not be able to identify Domingo or Carreras by listening to just their voices and yet, they had the same amount of exposure to those two singers as to Pavarotti at the concerts in Rome, Paris, Los Angeles, Japan, and elsewhere. Pavarotti surely had his own idols growing up and in his years of study. DiStefano was one of them too, which he'd spoken about before. However, those singers as good as they are don't have a unique quality that sets their voices apart from the rest like a fingerprint. With Pavarotti it was unmatched clarity and a very high level of resonance or what some called the "ping" in his voice that was very apparent throughout his entire range, especially the top half. I would also add his sense of musicality and phrasing was just as unique to him as his tone quality. The nuance he could provide to a lyric was very special. When people hear a voice like that it affects them immediately because it's unforgettable and not like other voices. In the 70's there were lots of good female crooners on the airwaves who would have a hit here or there, but none of them was as successful as Karen Carpenter who actually had a fairly limited range as a true alto. Why was she so successful? Just listen to her. Her rounded and rich tone is like velvet. No one has sounded like her before or since. It was the instantly recognizable quality of her tone that separated her from other singers and made her a huge success. There certainly were bigger voices in opera like Del Monaco, who I enjoy, but bigger rarely means better. When it comes to art of any kind what we're looking for is beauty, and for me that's what set Pavarotti's voice above the others, the sheer beauty of it.
You have missed a phenomenal age of the opera. This was truly a Golden Age we all knew would never reach a level that historical. Even all those tenors knew they were in a time as never known...not only the three but all the other tenors. And we have not even mentioned the sopranos...what a time...a great ride and the opera houses were full to difficulty buying tickets. Enjoy.
He is the only operatic singer that understood that recordings done from a stage simply cannot replicate the actual overtone quality that is being performed. So when he started recording he began an intensive study of the use of the microphone. THAT is why he stands out so clearly to people who can't imagine what the LIVE performance is. I compare it to watching Olympic style Ice Skating on TV and watching it live. The experience can't get into that little box. Pavarotti learned how to use the microphone so that it picks up his overtones and that is truly genius. Because I studied voice I've had the experience of hearing the power and magnitude of this in person and I was shocked because I'd always grown up hearing the shrill irritating voices on TV and radio and never understood opera. When Pavarotti hit the TV, he didn't sound cartoonish and that is what we all responded to. Of course, his singing style also was affected differently when he sang on mic as well. If you watch the three tenors, look at how he approaches the mic compared to the other two and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.
A very astute comment! I know someone who was in the chorus for a recording he did with Sutherland - apparently she got annoyed with him for singing 'not properly' to the mic.
I was privileged to see him live in London. He didn't sing. He just stood there and opened his mouth. Without any sign of effort the music came out note and tone perfect. You would have sworn that there was a machine inside him. It was the closest you could get to an other worldly experience in singing. RIP Ultimate Maestro. Hope we don't have to wait another 100 years for another one to come along.
I was there that night. At the end of Pavarotti's high C notes with the house (Met) in an explosion of applause & bravos, the conductor - Joan Sutherland's husband - Richard Bonynge, tossed a large bouquet of flowers up onto the stage.
On listening to this, I was reminded of what the Irish tenor, John Mccormack, said of first hearing Caruso's voice - "that voice still rings in my ears after 36 years. It was like no other voice in the world. The memory of it will never die!"
The King of the high Cs. The voice of the century. Maestro Ultimitivo. What can one say? We paid for a seat but only used the edge. RIP...you are still enthralling and entertaining the world.
Oh there’s effort. There’s a lot going on mechanically, but the elite singers are able to do it in such a way that they outwardly show no effort. He’s the greatest I ever had the privilege to see in concert. There may never be another better in my lifetime
@@fezzik7619 Same here! And I know exactly what you mean--underneath there was tremendous skill and hard work going on, but it LOOKED and SOUNDED absolutely effortless when you watched him do it. Absolute genius. I will never forget him. I was so lucky to see him sing live.
I have had this on CD (Pavarotti King of the High C's) for years. I had to specially order it from Tower records in London when I was 16 as no one else could get it for me. I played it so often I can't count and my mum kept shouting up the stairs for me to turn it down in case the neighbours complained (I didn't care about that). I have heard he was not scheduled to sing them 'full voice' and he only did it as a bet with the theatre manager (hence the reaction of the audience). I have been lucky enough to see him perform live here in the UK and I will never forget how incredible he was. 15,000 people holding their breath as he approached crescendo then clapping wildly and crying and smiling broadly at the same time. You never heard him slide up to any note because he always hit them bang on target. I have played it to everyone I ever could so they could at least once hear his truly unique voice. The finest example of 9 top C's I have ever heard. I never knew it was caught on tape too. Thankyou.
I saw him in Boston in 1981. He sauntered onstage like he was greeting you on the street. The contrast of his relaxed physical manner and that Voice was just beyond words.
I saw a performance at the Metropolitan in La Boheme in 1968, the same production in which he made his debut at the Saturday Matinee on radio. This night he retired after the first act and the performance was completed by the under appreciated workhorse of the Met, the great Alfredo Kraus. What caught my eye in this post was "relaxed." I remember watching his Christmas Program from Norte Dame de Montreal in 1978. It was the first time that I had seen a close up of him as he sang. His face was completely relaxed, in repose. He never strained or reached. We are lucky to such great recordings. We will never know what Caruso really sounded like; we can never forget what Pavarotti sounded like. It was fun to watch him with Domingo and Carreras. They could tease him but they could not be jealous because he was in a class by himself.
I didn't appreciate him properly when I was younger,when my mom listened to him almost every day when she got home from work.(Needed to decompress).I'm glad my taste has evolved,as this voice is not something to be missed!
How fast was his vibrato in those years! Later after he met Joan Sutherland, his singing technique changed completely. In his early years it was pure talent, a gift from god.
I ushered for the Met's visit to Atlanta in '73. I heard this Fille with Pavarotti and Sutherland. Pavarotti also sang in La Boheme that week, and I heard that. After the La Boheme, I was one of two people to get his autograph as he dashed to his car. The other was my sister. Of lesser interest that week were the Bernstein Carmen with Horne and Othello with a badly past-his-prime Konya and Milnes. Don't remember the Desdemona. It's a week I'll never forget. Since I have not been able to remember the year, I'm grateful for this video, as I'm sure it was the same year.
I remember him saying once that it wasn’t the 9 high C’s he found particularly difficult but the aria itself up to that point. He likened it to a horse race “if you arrive there fresh and ready to make the jump, then you’ll make it” though that was a brilliant quote and comparison. RIP
The reason why this is iconic and why people are moved so much is because it’s a lyric singing this. A full blown lyric tenor. This is not the case any more these days because the art of a lyric singer is lost, mostly because it’s so difficult to sustain or even do. This role is mostly done now by lighter lyrics who have a higher fach and whose voices usually stay up there normally - which is of course, amazing in itself. But to have someone who sings Boheme then sings Ah mes amis…. Is really something else.
No nasality and no constricted sound. Pavarotti resting solidly in the top 1/3 of his register, his sweet spot. It can be argued that this was his big break into mass media. Time Magazine did a write-up on him after this performance. They also put his face on the front cover with the title, "Pavarotti: King of the High C's". After that he began to become widely known to the non-opera-going public. This was the year 1973. Certainly, this was one of the big breaks in his professional career, if not the biggest. It's a shame we don't have other recordings from the Golden Era of Opera to compare this against. Apparently, this was a dormant opera in those days. Nobody was performing it. Believe it or not, his C had already lost some of it's "ping" by this time. Find some recording from ten years earlier and listen carefully; you will hear a difference. There is a recording on RU-vid of his C from "Che Gelida Manina" from his first performance in April 1961. Have a listen. /// Nobody should forget that Pavarotti worked very hard in the 1960's to make himself known. From the time of his first performance in April 1961 under modest circumstances in northern Italy, to his first performance at the Met in November 1968 (also modestly, a Saturday afternoon matinee with Mirella Freni, and also "La Boheme") was 91 months. It took Giuseppe Di Stefano only 22 months to make it there under similar circumstances--and his first appearance was on Saturday night prime-time.
So true. There were lots of great tenors, but close your eyes and most of their voices are interchangeable. When Pavarotti sang you instantly knew it was him. Nobody sounded like that before or since. His clarity was unmatched, just like a bell, no pun intended. There was no thick, throaty, covered sound or drag on that voice. Totally free, scintillating tone, and like a laser beam. He was the last of the greats. With regard to the audio of his 1961 debut taking over for Di Stefano in Boheme, that gasp from the audience when he hits the high C is the sound of a star being born. You've probably heard it already, but the high C in this performance of Che Gelida Manina in Moscow from 1964, just three years after Pavarotti's 1961 debut has that classic "ping" or ringing sound that was his trademark. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6dxWA2vqv7U.html
@@L1623VP I believe the interchangeable tenors you refer to are known as "generic" tenors. /// I agree with you that Pav used proper technique when he sang. Most people agree this is why he hung around as long as he did. /// Yes, he did have a "signature sound," as you point out. For one who wants to ascend to the very top echelon of opera singers this is very important., to have an instantly "recognizable" voice. Pavarotti himself pointed this out in at least one interview. The interviewer played an excerpt from one of Tito Schipa's songs and asked Pav to reply. Pav said, "It's not a big voice. But you instantly know who it is; and this is very, very important!" /// I would not so readily praise Pav's "scintillating tone" as you. But that perhaps is a matter of taste as much as anything. To me, his timbre tends toward the screechy and slightly anemic at times, because his voice didn't have the requisite amount of scuro it needed in order to get the proper chiaroscuro "mix." However, I also note that every voice has its imperfections. And let me also add, for the number we are discussing here, "Ah Mes Amis", his voice is just perfect; right on the money! /// Finally, I believe you are mistaken about Pav's 1961 April debut. Pav was not subbing for anybody. He was supposed to be there. It was in a regional theatre somewhere in the Modena area. In addition, Di Stefano was already well-established and would never have performed in such a low-level theatre. You may have this confused with 1963 at Covent Garden. Di Stefano bowed out claiming illness, and an up-and-coming Luciano flew in to replace him at the last minute. Di Stefano would never appear at Covent Garden again.
@@mickey1849 What production was that at Covent Garden in '63? Was it Boheme, as well? Perhaps I do have it mixed up. By the early 60's, Di Stefano was basically finished at 40. Corelli was done by 50. Pavarotti was doing it all right. That's why he lasted so long. I believe at the second Three Tenors concert in Los Angeles in 1994, he was nearly 60. He was proof that with proper technique, a voice should last a lifetime or nearly so.
@@L1623VP Ha! I had to do a little internet sleuthing to get your question answered, but here it is: "Luciano’s favourite was Giuseppe Di Stefano and it was only fitting that in 1963, when Di Stefano was unable to perform, Luciano replaced him to play Rodolfo in Rigoletto at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Pavarotti credits Joan Ingpen, from the Opera House, with discovering him and bringing him to London for the first time to cover for Stefano." ( Italy's Treasures: Luciano Pavarotti Magda Lauer | Fri, 10/10/2014; www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/italys-treasures-luciano-pavarotti ). /// So you can see, it was not "Boheme". However, it was another of his signature roles--"Rigoletto"--which I absolutely love him in, because he's the most totally rakish and believable Duke I have ever seen. I see the joy and mischievousness in his eyes when playing this incorrigible rascal. /// I have heard, that as a superstition, Pavarotti always liked to sing the role of Rodolfo when appearing at an opera house for the first time. But of course in 1963 he was too new and not in a position to make such choices. :) /// Ps., I do agree with you about Corelli too. I think he pushed his voice in dramatic and unhealthy ways that undoubtedly hastened its decline--another case of Icarus flying too close to the sun so far as I can tell. He certainly should not have been washed up at age 50. Though Pav took on roles he wasn't suited for and sang songs his high voice wasn't suited for, his voice also wasn't capable of the type of acrobatics that Corelli employed, so he didn't even try them, As for Di Stefano, we all know that story.
@@mickey1849 Thanks for doing the investigation on that. I should have known that, especially since I own both of Pavarotti's autobiographies, and I'm certain it's mentioned. Totally agree about Pavarotti in Riggoletto, a perfect match.
Unbelievable! There was something about Pavarotti that was not of this world. That voice is so beautiful and so distinctive among all the other tenors I’ve ever heard! His talent was and is unmatched! Bravo!!!
Some may not have heard how strong he held the notes. His voice was powerful. It would have been nice to have been his neighbor and listen to him practice.
Many years since I have heard this. I’d forgotten how astonishingly brilliant and literally breathtaking he was. He and Sutherland were a tremendous pair. The tragedy is our present technology arrived to record for all time the mediocrity and sloppiness of all the arts. The perfection and magnificence of live performances and the genius of those between 1940’s - 1970’s is lost for all time other than poor quality video clips and pirate recordings. How tragic for culture and younger generations who only know, accept and believe what they hear and see the past decades and today is the best there is.
It must be painful to be a contemporary opera singer when it's so easy, even for the layman, with just a click can compare with old great opera singers. Just another level.
Best in the world!!! Can`t find someone even close to Him, to the Legend, Luciano Pavarotti.. it is sad, we are deprived to hear Him in live.. no one can resound Him...
Come Lui nessuno mai..e lo dico non perchè sono italiano...una performance come questa fa venire la pelle d'oca .. Pavarotti dovrebbe essere considerato patrimonio dell'umanità
Oh, marvellous! We were extremely lucky to have seen a Juan Diego Florez in Fille in London. Almost......almost.....as good. The audience response was electrifying, with applause lasting many minutes! I can only imagine how thrilling it would have been to be present at Pavarotti’s performance
The melodic sway of the rest of the aria before the high C's is also heavenly! At the start of the video, he comes bursting up from behind the barricade as if his voice alone is lifting him. His voice - the tone, the timbre, the warmth - is just unmistakable.
We saw him at the Met in his later years. He didn't quite make the 9 high C's. I knew right away but the audience believed he did and gave him a standing ovation. The next day the headlines confirmed he came very close but no cigar. He was amazing regardless.
@@kashankhan6950 I second that! Just as Pavrotti is revered by Europe, all of south asia will always love Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He was and still is considered one of the greatest voices to ever be recorded.
Pavarotti was truly amazing, within the repertoire he focused on. My favourite tenors are Fritz Wunderlich and Wolfgang Windgassen, who were masters of the German and Austrian repertoire. These spheres of music seem like worlds apart, each with their own masters, and legions of fans.
Aloha Luciano Pavarotti and OperaMyWorld !!!!! Love your iconic voice and your human demeanor !!!!!! Am 7 8 years old and your songs have blessed my life !!!!! Gratefully, Robert S. J. Hu November 21, 2020. R. I. P. my friend Luciano Pavarotti !!!!!
It was a truly magical time for voices from Modena: Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni were both Modenesi, more or less of the same generation; and they were both marvelous singers.
Yes. The top tones are thrilling. However, too much emphasis has been placed on Pavarotti's high notes. Throughout the history of opera, there were tenors who had brilliant top tones. My dad was a dramatic tenor whose voice, in its prime, topped off with a ringing C#! He always said that there is an entire song/aria to sing before coming to the top. This is the true worth of a singer. Pavarotti was more than a tenor with a terrific top range. He had a brilliant career. In my opinion, too much emphasis was placed on his God-given top.
@@downfromkentuckeh Not by a longshot. The emphasis is on "too much". One cannot make a career on high notes alone. Pavarotti's contribution to opera is genuine and well-deserved.
Exactly. Have you heard Stefan Vinke, possibly today's leading Siegfried deliver a high C? I think it was Rodney Milnes who said it would send Mario del Monaco running for cover! Unfortunately, Decca's "King of the High c's" led a whole generation who know no better to believe that this one note defines what it is to be a tenor.
I was delighted to be in an audience last year in London when prolonged applause led Javier Camarena to do a mid-performance encore of this. He too sings this spectacularly well.
He was a divo from the start. However, did want to be like his idols - Gigli, di Stefano, & might have pressed a bit his voice as he grew as an artist tackling roles suitable to lyrico spinto, dramatic tenors singing operas such as I Pagliaci, Aida, Tosca, and the like. But, always gave a great performance. People like Pavarotti should never cease to exist. Unfortunately, we all must go at some point. Luckily, we have recordings. May you RIP !!!
What made Pavarotti famous was not being able to hit notes. Many singers can, otherwise there wouldn't be other people performing characters in operas. The thing with Pavarotti is that he had a very clear voice, and he was so recognizable. You could just hear a little bit, it didn't have to be any high note, just a normal piece, and you knew that it was him. I find that there are _many_ women who cannot sing well in opera. They can hit high notes, but you can hardly understand what the heck they are saying. They are just screaming notes and think that they are great just because they can do it. That's why among all guys, Pavarotti was one of the best, if not _the_ best. So clear, you could understand every word that he said.
You make it seem as if enunciation is very rare in singing lol, 99% of professional singers intonate very well. I don't know what hell you're on about. What made pavarotti famous wasn't his enunciation, it really were the high notes , and the way he could sing in the 4th octave and also have a very good lower range
@@I_Am_Midnight-i not intonation. Enunciation (re : pronunciation, clarity of diction) . You attacked a strawman of your own making just to be right...
@@I_Am_Midnight-i Not rare, but some people have much clearer voices than others, that's all. And Pavarotti always sounded so sharp and clear to me compared to other guys. It could be bad recordings that I have heard of others, who knows...
I think people sometimes struggle to remember just how good Luciano Pavarotti really was in his prime as much of his fame in the world outside of opera came much later in his career.
He's wonderful here. Sadly, I heard him towards the end of his career at the Met Opera reprise this role with June Anderson and he couldn't make these high notes. The press made a big deal out of it, which I thought was so unfair because otherwise his performance was still amazingly solid.
I still remember late in his career when he missed a note. It made the front page of the Ottawa Citizen newspaper! Such a talent he was...still miss him..
@@wrlord it’s just too sad that some audience members are unwilling to accept that human voices are not made out of wood or brass! Can’t imagine performing when feeling a tickle in my throat..
Bravo Maestro!!! “Nine high C” sounds cool!.. In fact, technically speaking, it’s five: four pairs and one final. One pair of high Cs is taken as one.))
That voice! It’s utterly beyond understanding that one man could open his mouth and produce such extraordinary vocals. His voice is like a machine! It’s perfection! Absolute perfection!!!
thank you very much never knew their was actual film of him in performance in this, surprised the Met never captured this opera, shame really, again thank you very much,
I'm pretty sure this was someon filming amateurlish from either one of the most lateral rows or even from behind the scenes, you can clearly hear the first violins which shouldnt happen if you were to put a well placed microphone, its clearly from a low quality camera mic in a very lateral placement. I can only imagine somebody of the workers in the theatre being amazed by how good he was in rehearsal and bringing a small camera to record this for their friends, or much more plausible somebody in the public (a friend or a family member) who was told by him to rec, or an opera fan who wanted to have a rec of his favourite aria and didn't know he was going to have god tiers high c's Anyway surely not a professional rec.
@@diegeigergarnele7975 I think you could be right/are right, still it's the only vision we have of him performing it live, why the Met never I will never know, cheers and thank you.
