I Heart Luciano

I happened to flip to PBS last night just as a biography of Luciano Pavarotti was beginning. He died a little over a year ago- an event I noted at the time with a glib, "Pavarotti died. Oh, that's too bad."

But watching the biopic last night, I realized that Pavarotti had a big influence on me, musically. I can even pinpoint what became known as his signature aria- "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini's Turandot- as incredibly significant.

Like a lot of Americans, The Three Tenors(Pavarotti, Placido Domingo & Jose Carreras) - who had their first concert in 1990 (I was 12ish)- is what got my attention. I had a vague knowledge of who Pavarotti was- maybe I'd heard him sing on a talk show, or maybe his name was associated with a joke about opera singers. But the Three Tenors is what made me start learning about the opera world.

Unfortunately- just as I'd started listening to Pavarotti it stopped being cool to like him, at least amongst "serious" opera enthusiasts. He had sold out and was singing with pop stars; his voice was going. People started saying they'd never really liked him anyway- his voice was too metallic sounding or he was a horrid actor. I convinced myself that I liked Placido Domingo more, or some tenor du jour.

Of course, I'm older and more emotionally secure now and don't mind being a "serious" music lover who loves Pavarotti.

For one thing- hearing him sing opened up a whole new type of music to me- something all my own. My family didn't listen to it or like it (although it was a thrill to see a sister cry watching a Met Opera Broadcast of Boris Gudonov with me); it wasn't a hip art form in the booming metrop of Tolono, Illinois.

I already liked classical music, but when I started listening to opera was when I really started learning about important classical and operatic musicians, music history, and the arts in general. Listening to opera with the translation of the lyrics helped me pick up bits and pieces of Italian, French and German. I started learning names like Jussi Bjorling, Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballe, Samuel Ramey, Leontyne Price, Nicolai Gedda.

And of course- the voice!

P.S. I also simply love Placido Domingo- how can you not love someone who inspired his own Muppet?