10:30AM Clem Bastow | Famed opera star (and one third of The Three Tenors) Luciano Pavarotti is
“gravely ill”, following last year’s surgery to treat the pancreatic cancer he has been suffering from, five rounds of chemotherapy and a recent hospitalisation.
He may have been more well known in recent years for his diva tendencies and fiery temperament, and the whole Three Tenors franchise possibly even dented his reputation somewhat (not to mention spawning, in some way, the heinous ‘opera pop’ trend of the last few years); it’s easier to remember him as a rent-a-voice for a touch of “culture” rather than as a performer of rare emotion and power.
So, just in case you thought only Damien Leith and Paul Potts were responsible for “definitive” versions of Turandot’s Nessun Dorma, here is a shot of ‘Otti in full flight, giving Nessun Dorma what for in a real definitive performance at 1982’s Royal Gala Concert:
Now that is a touchdown. Get well soon, Big Pun!
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