Despite my spartan origins (and I haven't really changed), I quietly count myself as an avid admirer of Luciano Pavarotti. I say this because, I know that those who understand and are in awe of his music mostly comes from the "Cultured few".
His rendition of "Torna Sorrento" is my all time favorite. But to most people, he is best known for "Nessun Dorma" - A very powerful song whose direct translation of the Italian title is said to be a command--- "NOBODY SLEEPS!"
I admired his voice that became so powerful at an early age. I read somewhere that as a kid, he lived in a tenement style medium rise apartment and always sang "La Donna Mobile" at the top of his lungs. The result would be all the residents in all the buildings shouting for him to keep quiet. As a fan, I became disgusted as his drinking (and perhaps smoking) interfered with his singing. In a concert (in Italy, I think), fans rained the stage with water bottles when his voiced twice faltered. In a Manila concert, he was observed to have sung a couple of notes lower than his best. To cap it all, he was photographed by the paparazzi in compromising situations with his secretary. As a result, his wife divorced him and he married his young lady.
After that, I saw several other concert videos that showed him in back in great form. I was once again, very happy for the maestro. Now, he is gone and his name will forever be kept in the annals of the entertainment industry, as a legend, together with the other greats like Mario Lanza.
For Luciano Pavarotti-- VIA CON DIOS!
Here it is, from You Tube-- NESSUN DORMA!
I remember recognizing portions of that song being used in a lot of movies, the most vivid of which is the closing scene of Tom Clancy's "Sum of all Fears". In the movie, a CIA assassin slit the throat of an arms dealer who hoodwinked a Bedouin tribesman into handing over an Israeli War era atomic bomb for $500. The bomb was later sold to terrorists who detonated it in the Super Bowl, with the US President in attendance.
In the closing scene, the arms smuggler was in his living room and relaxing to a symphony playing Nessun Dorma while the CIA operative quietly approached. As the song closed, the assassin slipped a K-Bar around his throat and sliced horizontally.
What a way to end a movie.
His rendition of "Torna Sorrento" is my all time favorite. But to most people, he is best known for "Nessun Dorma" - A very powerful song whose direct translation of the Italian title is said to be a command--- "NOBODY SLEEPS!"
I admired his voice that became so powerful at an early age. I read somewhere that as a kid, he lived in a tenement style medium rise apartment and always sang "La Donna Mobile" at the top of his lungs. The result would be all the residents in all the buildings shouting for him to keep quiet. As a fan, I became disgusted as his drinking (and perhaps smoking) interfered with his singing. In a concert (in Italy, I think), fans rained the stage with water bottles when his voiced twice faltered. In a Manila concert, he was observed to have sung a couple of notes lower than his best. To cap it all, he was photographed by the paparazzi in compromising situations with his secretary. As a result, his wife divorced him and he married his young lady.
After that, I saw several other concert videos that showed him in back in great form. I was once again, very happy for the maestro. Now, he is gone and his name will forever be kept in the annals of the entertainment industry, as a legend, together with the other greats like Mario Lanza.
For Luciano Pavarotti-- VIA CON DIOS!
Here it is, from You Tube-- NESSUN DORMA!
I remember recognizing portions of that song being used in a lot of movies, the most vivid of which is the closing scene of Tom Clancy's "Sum of all Fears". In the movie, a CIA assassin slit the throat of an arms dealer who hoodwinked a Bedouin tribesman into handing over an Israeli War era atomic bomb for $500. The bomb was later sold to terrorists who detonated it in the Super Bowl, with the US President in attendance.
In the closing scene, the arms smuggler was in his living room and relaxing to a symphony playing Nessun Dorma while the CIA operative quietly approached. As the song closed, the assassin slipped a K-Bar around his throat and sliced horizontally.
What a way to end a movie.
2 comments:
He was human... so I guess he was entitled to some sins!
Sure we will miss him all !
He was.. But dont you just hate it when your idol falters big time.
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