Knowledge is power

Now I can’t begin to say I am a true opera fan, however, I can’t help but respect it as a musical art form, and now with the unfortunate passing of the Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti at age 71 a few words seem appropriate.

Sympathy has poured out for the loss of this opera star who is probably well known to the lay person and not true opera fans for his work as part of the three tenors Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavoratti and Jose Carreras (the other guy). One of there live concerts put out on CD is still the highest selling opera album of all time. Highlights to his career also include hitting nine high Cs in a row during a 1972 performance of “Daughter of the Regiment” at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, financing and establishing the Pavarotti Music Center in the Bosnian city of Mostar, raising money to ban land mines worldwide with the late princess Diana, and rumor has it he holds the world record for the longest standing ovation.

Born on Oct. 12, 1935, Pavarotti started his singing career in 1963 and gave his last public performance at the 2006 winter Olympics in Turin, Luciano Pavarotti succumbed to pancreatic cancer after having surgery to remove a tumor in 2006. Pancreatic cancer has a very poor prognosis (a four percent survival rate after 5 years) and Pavarotti died shortly afterward. He is expected to be buried in his hometown Modena, Italy.

Clearly his voice will be missed in the world of Opera.

“I think a life in music is a life beautifully spent and this is what I have devoted my life to”
-Luciano Pavarotti