L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Continued from page 4 courtship, he was more and more enthusiastic. I think b a c k t o t h e a u d i t i o n s o f y o u n g s i n g e r s w h e n h e would offer a glass of water, crack a joke, or engage with them a little longer than normal to give them time to catch their breath and relax a l i t t l e , e s p e c i a l l y i f h e noticed they were particu- larly stressed. W h a t i s t h e l a s t image of him you keep in your mind? O n e o f h i m b e f o r e a recital, in his dressing room s u r r o u n d e d b y t h r o a t lozenges and humidifiers. He had no voice. I can see him nodding a "no" to the director of the theater who w a n t e d t o a n n o u n c e h i s indisposition. Because, as h e w o u l d o f t e n s a y , y o u e i t h e r s i n g o r y o u d o n ' t sing, and there is no excuse. T h e n h e s a n g . L i k e a t i g h t r o p e w a l k e r o n t h e rope: wonderfully. M r . C o n l o n , w h y i s this Star so important? T h i s S t a r s h o w s h o w Luciano Pavarotti has not only been one of the greatest singers of his era - if not of the entire 20th century - but a l s o o n e o f t h e m o s t o u t - standing public personalities in recent history. He was a global superstar, his popu- larity extending far beyond the boundaries of the opera house. He became known to the world for his glorious voice, but also for the way he shared it with everyone. He passionately desired to con- n e c t , h e a r t t o h e a r t , w i t h everyone he could reach. On h i s w a y t o b e c o m i n g a n internationally recognized personality, he stepped out of the box in a pioneering way. L u c i a n o P a v a r o t t i became extremely popu- lar in America at the end o f t h e ' 6 0 . W h y d i d Americans love him so much? H e t o o k r i s k s . H e famously rode a horse down F i f t h A v e n u e i n t h e C o l u m b u s D a y P a r a d e i n New York, appeared with J o h n n y C a r s o n o n t h e Tonight Show, made televi- s i o n a d s f o r A m e r i c a n Express, sang for the Pope, gave the first live televised r e c i t a l f r o m t h e Metropolitan Opera, per- formed in arena concerts and made them popular. As part of the Three Tenors, he c a m e t o t h e H o l l y w o o d Bowl. He accomplished all of this in an era when not o n l y i t w a s n ' t c u s t o m a r y but, in some cases, unheard of. His singing of Nessun D o r m a d u r i n g t h e 1 9 9 0 World Cup made the aria his signature piece, and indeed for many, a popular para- digm for opera. All of this contributed to making him a household name. As a conductor, why do you think his legacy is so important in this field? His life and art touched the world. But none of this would be significant today if it weren't for the fact that he was, objectively, one of the greatest opera singers of the 2 0 t h c e n t u r y . T h o s e w h o love and perform classical m u s i c , a n d w h o c o u l d appreciate him, recognized him for what he represent- ed: in addition to his excep- tional, unique, God-given voice, his vocalism was the e m b o d i m e n t o f t h e o l d school of Bel Canto, and of the techniques that are at the very root of opera and operatic art. His positioning o f t h e v o i c e , h i s p e r f e c t positioning of vowels, his amazing vocal support, his exquisite clear diction: they were all exemplary. I still use him as an example for young singers to emulate: sopranos, mezzo-sopranos, tenors, baritones, and bass- e s . I n o t i c e d o n m u l t i p l e occasions at rehearsals how o t h e r s i n g e r s i n t h e c a s t w o u l d s u d d e n l y s t a r t s i n g i n g b e t t e r s i m p l y b e c a u s e h e w a s t h e r e , through his presence. He was a model and it all hap- p e n e d u n c o n s c i o u s l y , b y osmosis, without anything being said. You had the chance to know him on a personal level. What memory do y o u h a v e o f h i m a s a person? On a personal note, I was privileged to work with him as a young man. As a young conductor in the 1970s, I first collaborated with him at the Metropolitan Opera in 1978, an event that was memorialized in the second telecast from the MET. It was Puccini's Tosca. After New York, we spent eight weeks also on their tradi- tional Spring Tour around the country. W h a t d i d y o u l e a r n from him? I learned the joy of shar- i n g r e h e a r s a l s , p e r f o r - mances, and the unmissable meals afterward. All of this, during a formative time of m y l i f e . C o n d u c t i n g h i m , and watching him sing up close, established a stan- d a r d o f e x c e l l e n c e a n d a m o d e l o f g r e a t v o c a l i s m b o t h i n m y m i n d a n d m y e a r s . H e w a s a l w a y s w e l - c o m i n g , g e n e r o u s , a n d attentive in the work envi- ronment. I felt a sense of warm and respectful affec- tion. This personal connec- tion was to last until the end of his life, up to my last visit to him in Modena in 2007, before he passed away. What's the best mem- ory you have of him? Among my favorite mem- o r i e s a r e t h e e n o r m o u s p l a t e s o f p a s t a w e w o u l d share with Gino, the Opéra de Paris concierge, at Palais G a r n i e r . A f t e r p e r f o r - m a n c e s , L u c i a n o w o u l d m a k e p a s t a . T h e e n t i r e opera house was closed and locked up, empty except for the possible presence of the famous phantom. We would stay together well into the night. Luciano Pavarotti with daughters (from left) Cristina, Lorenza and Giuliana (Photo: Alfredo Anceschi) "His life and art touched the world. But none of this would be significant today if it weren't for the fact that he was, objectively, one of the greatest opera singers of the 20th century" (James Conlon) A portrait of Cristina Pavarotti (Photo: May Zircus)

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