Luciano Pavarotti, 1935 - 2007.

Luciano Pavarotti, the Italian tenor with a glorious voice that made him the opera world's greatest star as he brought classical singing to the masses on a scale never before imagined, has died. He was 71.... Pavarotti was acclaimed for the clarion tone of his gorgeously lyrical voice, which could effortlessly fill the largest arena. He was beloved for his ardor and Italian charm, which came across equally well whether he was singing on the opera stage or cooking as a guest on a late night television talk show.

Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times.

Updated through 9/10.

In the late 1960s and 70s, when Mr Pavarotti was at his best... he was able to encase that powerful sound in elegant, brilliant colors. His recordings of the Donizetti repertory are still models of natural grace and pristine sound. The clear Italian diction and his understanding of the emotional power of words in music were exemplary.

Bernard Holland, New York Times.

Updates: "[N]o one matched Pavarotti at his best for sheer, prodigal outpouring of vocal beauty," writes Christopher Porterfield for Time. "And what he lacked in subtlety and polish he made up for in vitality, natural talent and entertainment value. In this sense Pavarotti the celebrity and Pavarotti the artist were one."

"Plácido Domingo and Jose Carreras have led tributes to opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti." The BBC gathers several.

Alex Ross has an online viewing tip.

"On a very cold July evening (47 degrees Fahrenheit, I believe it was), Pavarotti, then a few months short of his 62nd birthday, gave a wonderful concert of songs and arias [in Spoleto]," recalls EscutcheonBlot at Edward Copeland on Film. "What most impressed me was that his singing (although paid for by the $1,000+ seats in the front) was clearly aimed at the masses of teenagers, straining against the barricades at the back of the Cathedral square."

Jane Eaglen, who sang Turandot with Pavarotti at the Met, recalls working with him in Slate. His voice "was such a natural instrument, and singing was clearly something that came to him as easily as breathing, making him the envy of many singers."

"Was he the 'last opera star,' as some have declared? By no means. He was sui generis," writes Alex Ross, who points to more international reactions to today's news at Opera Chic.

Update, 9/10: "The operatic tenor is very much a 19th- and 20th-century phenomenon," writes Tom Sutcliffe in the Guardian: "The taste for Verdi and verismo that Pavarotti's remarkable gift helped sustain may not last forever. Until Bellini and Donizetti came along (some of whose high-lying bel canto tenor roles helped to reinforce Pavarotti's early fame), the opera world was dominated by castrati.... Even in the age of Verdi, however, there were no hysterical Italian fans rioting about tenors. But by the late 20th century the phenomenon of the three tenors, Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and José Carreras, helped opera compete a trifle longer with football as a vehicle of Italian social mobility."

And Paul Arendt interviews several who worked with him.

euro|topics gathers reactions from the continent's papers.

Posted by dwhudson at September 6, 2007 4:22 AM