Luciano Pavarotti
Italian operatic tenor and member of the Three Tenors.
Luciano Pavarotti was an Italian operatic tenor who rose from modest beginnings in Modena, where he was born in 1935 to a baker father and a mother who worked in a cigar factory. Despite a childhood marked by financial hardship and displacement during World War II, his early musical influences came from his father’s records of legendary tenors such as Beniamino Gigli and Enrico Caruso, as well as the films of Mario Lanza. After initially training as a teacher and working in an elementary school, he began serious vocal study at age nineteen with Arrigo Pola, later continuing under Ettore Campogalliani. A key early success came in 1955 when he sang with a male choir that won first prize at an international festival in Wales, an experience he considered pivotal. Following a period of struggle with a vocal cord nodule, he won a competition and made his professional debut as Rodolfo in *La bohème* in 1961. His career gained momentum with appearances at the Vienna State Opera, the Royal Opera House, and Glyndebourne. Pavarotti became renowned for his powerful tone and was nicknamed the “King of the High Cs.” He excelled in bel canto operas, pre-*Aida* Verdi roles, and works by Puccini such as *La bohème*, *Tosca*, *Turandot*, and *Madama Butterfly*. In the late part of his career, he crossed over into popular music and became globally famous as one of the Three Tenors, debuting at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He sold over 100 million records, and the first Three Tenors recording became the best-selling classical album ever. Pavarotti also engaged in extensive charity work for refugees and the Red Cross, and was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1988. He died from pancreatic cancer in 2007.
- nationality
- Italian
- known_for
- member of the Three Tenors
Lore & Background
Luciano Pavarotti was one of the Three Tenors, a trio that also included Plácido Domingo and José Carreras. The group's first concert in Rome in 1990 was conceived by Italian producer Mario Dradi, German producer Elmar Kruse, and British composer and producer Herbert Chappell. It was held to raise money for Carreras's foundation and to welcome Carreras back into opera after treatment for leukemia. Zubin Mehta conducted the orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the orchestra of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. According to FIFA, the image of three tenors in formal evening dress singing in a World Cup concert captivated the audience. The trio performed at three further World Cup Finals: 1994 in Los Angeles, 1998 in Paris, and 2002 in Yokohama. They also toured other cities worldwide, usually performing in stadiums or similar large arenas. Their last performance together was at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, on 28 September 2003. A reunion concert scheduled for 4 June 2005 in Monterrey, Mexico, was canceled because of Pavarotti's health problems; he was replaced by Mexican pop singer Alejandro Fernández.
Reader's Guide
Pavarotti's role in the Three Tenors brought him to a global audience. The trio's repertoire ranged from opera to Broadway to Neapolitan songs and pop hits. Their signature songs included "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's Turandot, usually sung by Pavarotti, and "'O sole mio", which all three tenors typically sang together. For the initial 1990 concert, Carreras, Domingo, and Pavarotti agreed to accept relatively small flat fees for recording rights, which they donated to charity. The album unexpectedly reaped millions in profits for Decca Records, causing resentment as the tenors officially received no royalty payments. Years later, Pavarotti's former agent Herbert Breslin wrote that Pavarotti had secretly received $1.5 million that the other two tenors did not receive. For subsequent concerts, the singers were much more careful in assuring financially advantageous contractual terms. In a joint interview, Pavarotti responded to complaints about their incomes: "We make the money we deserve. We're not forcing someone to pay us."
Did You Know?
- The Three Tenors' debut concert in Rome on 7 July 1990 was watched by a television audience of around 800 million.
- The recording of the 1990 concert became the best-selling classical album of all time, holding a Guinness World Record.
- For the 1990 concert, Pavarotti, Domingo, and Carreras agreed to accept relatively small flat fees for recording rights, which they donated to charity.
- Years later, Pavarotti's former agent Herbert Breslin wrote that Pavarotti had secretly received $1.5 million from Decca that the other two tenors did not receive.
- A Three Tenors reunion concert scheduled for 4 June 2005 was canceled because of Pavarotti's health problems; he was replaced by Mexican pop singer Alejandro Fernández.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Luciano Pavarotti?
Luciano Pavarotti (1935–2007) was an Italian operatic tenor whose ringing, powerful tone made him one of the most celebrated singers in classical music history. In the later part of his career he crossed over into popular music, broadening his audience far beyond the opera house.
What does the nickname 'King of the High Cs' refer to?
It highlights Pavarotti's legendary ability to strike and sustain high C notes with extraordinary clarity and brilliance, a vocal feat that distinguished him from virtually every other tenor of his generation. The label became inseparable from his public identity.
What were the Three Tenors and what was Pavarotti's role in them?
The Three Tenors was a vocal trio of Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, and José Carreras that debuted at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Rome before a worldwide television audience. Their subsequent concerts and recordings brought opera into living rooms globally and cemented Pavarotti's status as a mainstream cultural icon.
How commercially successful was Pavarotti?
He moved more than 100 million records across his career, a remarkable total for a classical artist. His recordings of complete operas and standalone arias made him one of the best-selling musicians of the late twentieth century.
How did Pavarotti's life end?
Pavarotti died on 6 September 2007 at the age of seventy-one. His passing closed a chapter in opera history, as he had been the most recognizable and widely loved tenor voice for several decades.
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