The Silver Screen Oasis

I just listened to Luciano Pavarotti and Kathryn Harrold in "Yes, Giorgio" while this is not the best production of a movie I must declare that in my opinion Pavoritti was the grestest tenor I ever heard. Here is the YouTube movie -

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Of all the opera singers in the last few decades, I think Pavarotti, when on his game, was the absolute best and sincerest talent there was.

His emotion was always what drew me to his singing there is no faking that he threw himself fully into the music and it's meaning.

I must admit I've never been a fan of Pavarotti. He had a great voice, but I didn't like the way he used it, nor his personality -- I won't get into details so as not to be impolite. When I used to attend opera at The Met, my favorite tenors were Alfredo Kraus and Placido Domingo. To me, a great opera movie was the Carmen Domingo made in 1984 with Julia Migenes-Johnson. That was what first got me interested in opera.

In his prime, there is no doubt he was a great lyric tenor. I'm disheartened that most people seem to know him from his stadium concerts, and "Three Tenors" uber-events. As an opera fan, I was fortunate to see Pavarotti perform many times in operas as well as recitals. I met him on several occasions, and have many great memories of his performances. The sweetness of his Un'Aura Amorosa in a recital in Barcelona, and his debut in Turandot are two high points in my opera-going past. Unfortunately, he wasn't used to best effect in Hollywood. But he was bigger than life, and really couldn't be captured on a screen. The opera house was his best venue.

[My thanks to PT for his mention of Alfredo Kraus. Now this was a tenor with elegance and sophistication. Domingo? Great dramatic tenor. A different fach than Pavarotti, so there is really no contents between the two. All were at the top of their game.]

Oh my gosh, Alfredo Kraus! I really loved listening to him! Elegant is the word.