White and green caladiums -- photo copyright Kyi May KaungFamed opera tenor Luciano Pavarotti died of pancreatic cancer in his hometown of Modena, Italy at 5 AM today.
So many memorable performances, especially as Rudolfo opposite Mirella Freni as Mimi in Puccini's La Boheme.
Mentoring younger singers in competitions he set up, in cameo performances on TV.
In Verdi's I Lombardi, playing an Arab ruler who falls for a Christian girl.
Singing Santa Lucia.
Singing Nessun Dorma (None Shall Sleep) from Turandot.
Arriving in America in 1982 on a Fulbright, my entire opera education was based on CDs and TV, and Pavarotti singing handkerchief in hand formed a lage part of it. He reminded me of my writer cousin who died of drinking related problems.
Singers have a great love of life, of food. Pavarotti was as large a personality as he was in his physical being, and he had an expansive heart to match.
Coincidentally, in clearing out my paper clutter yesterday, I just found an 8-2000 interview of Pavarotti in the New York Times Magazine, by David Rakoff, in which he told Rakoff,
"If someone comes out who is chubby like me, he must sing like a god."
[blog text copyright Kyi May Kaung]
