Customer Reviews

Luciano Pavarotti Celebrates His 70th Birthday

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One thing I can't stand is writing a bad review! If you are expecting to see and hear the great tenor in one of his final performances, save your money. The title of this DVD is quite misleading. In actuality, the performance contained in this collection is an truncated version of a recital Pavarotti gave in Barcelona in 1989. How anyone who has followed the tenor's career could mistake this for part of his 2005 farewell tour is completely beyond my comprehension. Of course, Pavarotti is in fine form here in the approximately 30 minutes of footage. From what I have read about his final performances, his singing here is much more enjoyable, which is why I give this collection one star instead of zero.

However, the complete Barcelona recital can be gotten elsewhere much cheaper! The brief documentary on Pavarotti's life reveals nothing we didn't already know about the tenor's career. Archival photos, and a 1989 interview (in Italian with English translation) makes this part of the DVD remotely interesting but hardly worth the trouble of opening the packaging. The bonus CD is a mixed bag. Yes, there are some Pavarottian gems here but the producers inexplicably waste time by including, for no particular reason, Mirella Freni's "Mi chiamano Mimi", Donde lieta usci" and "Sempre libera". Although I have always been a fan of Freni, I bought this compilation to see and hear Pavarotti!

This might be worthwhile for the Pavarotti novice but it will probably disappoint the seasoned Pavarottiphile.

I was disappointed in this as it is a compilation taken from many previous DVD's that I have purchased. It is not a Gala Celebration like his 25th, or 30th. These are all repeat numbers from various other recordings etc......alas.....

It was amazing to see in this DVD how wonderful this man looked and sang at such a late time of his life, considering that he was already stricken with cancer and died only one year later...There will never be another Tenor like him as he was truly one of the greatest singers of our time conquering the high C's with no effort....Out of the three tenors I found his voice to be softer and sweeter for the typical Neapolitan songs that he often sang and lyrical and forceful for Opera. Who can ever forget his performances in all his opera performances, particularly in TURANDOT as Calaf, when he sang NESSUN DORMA which eventually became his signature song.
I was lucky several times in my working life at The Sydney Opera House to
have witnessed his performances in LA BOHEME and of course his concert with our own Dame Joan Sutherland when they performed in our Concert Hall to delighted audiences.....NO DOUBT THE OPERA WORLD WILL GREATLY MISS THIS CHARISMATIC MAN AND HIS WONDROUS VOICE.....
Keep your eyes and ears open for the up and coming yound tenor JUAN DIEGO FLOREZ, as Pavarotti predicted that he could be the next tenor to take his place.....Sophie Bastas

This DVD is a fitting tribute to Luciano Pavarotti on the occasion of his 70th birthday in 2005. First is a recital with Pavarotti and a pianist given in Barcelona, Spain as part of his "farewell tour" in October of 2005, consisting of 10 songs and opera arias: 1."Un aura amorosa" from Cosi Fan Tutte by Mozart, 2."La danza" by Rossini, 3."Dolente imagine di Fille mia" by Bellini, 4."La mia letizia infondere" from I Lombardi by Verdi, 5."Porquooi me reveiller" from Werther by Massenet, 6."M'apparti tutt'amor" from Marta by Flotow, 7."Girometta" by Sibella, 8."Donna non vidi mai" from Manon Lescaut by Puccini, 9"O sole mio" by Capurro & di Capua, and 10."Una Furtiva lagrima" from The Elixir of Love by Donizetti. Pavarotti looked and sounded fine for the concert, perhaps not the best performance of his career, but still very good, and Pavarotti was singing with much strength and feeling. The recital runs about 35 minutes, but has just fair picture and sound quality. It seems to be in mono, which is not a major shortcoming with only two performers, and sounds a little distorted at times. Also, there's a nice 15-minute biographical film of his life on the remainder of the DVD, with interviews and photos. Too bad, though, there were no scenes from Luciano's 70th birthday party, perhaps with him cutting a cake!

Included is a bonus CD that is also well done. To an extent it's a "greatest hits" kind of thing, but varies from that format a good deal by including more than one selection from La Boheme, Rigoletto, and other operas, many with other singers such as Mirella Freni and Renata Scotto, and also has some performances from recitals. There's a quite generous 15 tracks on the CD, and my impression is that it is from various times in Pavarotti's career.

All in all, this is a fine tribute to Pavarotti for his 70th birthday.

One of the last live performances of the tenor in his career.Needed to keep for ever