60 Fun Facts About Luciano Pavarotti

Luciano Pavarotti was an operatic tenor from which country?

Pavarotti was born and raised in Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and kept his home there throughout his international career.

What nickname did the press give Pavarotti in the 1970s?

Pavarotti was dubbed the King of the High Cs after his 1972 Metropolitan Opera breakthrough in a Donizetti comedy, where he tossed off the aria's run of top Cs with ease.

Which aria became Pavarotti's trademark song after the BBC used it for the 1990 World Cup?

Nessun dorma, Calaf's Act 3 aria, became Pavarotti's signature piece after the BBC adopted his recording as its 1990 World Cup theme, sending it to No. 2 on the UK singles chart.

Which two singers joined Pavarotti in the Three Tenors?

Pavarotti shared the stage with Plácido Domingo and José Carreras; their first joint concert, on 7 July 1990, produced the best-selling classical album of all time.

Where was the first Three Tenors concert held on the eve of the 1990 World Cup final?

The Baths of Caracalla in Rome hosted the trio's first joint concert on 7 July 1990, the night before the World Cup final; the live recording became the best-selling classical album ever.

The first Three Tenors concert partly welcomed which singer back after leukaemia treatment?

José Carreras had returned to the stage after treatment for leukaemia, and the 1990 concert raised funds for the José Carreras International Leukaemia Foundation he had founded in 1988.

Which Puccini opera features the unknown prince Calaf, whose name must be guessed by dawn?

Turandot, Puccini's final opera, was left unfinished at his death in 1924; the unknown prince Calaf wins the icy princess of Peking by solving her riddles.

In which year was Pavarotti born?

Pavarotti was born on 12 October 1935 in Modena, where his family of four squeezed into a two-room apartment.

What was Pavarotti's father's trade?

Baker was Fernando Pavarotti's trade; he also had a fine amateur tenor voice but was too nervous to sing professionally.

What sporting career did the young Pavarotti dream of before choosing music?

Football goalkeeper was the young Pavarotti's ambition: he played in goal for a local youth side and kept a lifelong passion for the game before his voice won out.

Which singer did Pavarotti name as his favourite tenor and idol?

Giuseppe Di Stefano was the tenor Pavarotti idolised; in 1963 Pavarotti made his Covent Garden debut stepping in for an indisposed Di Stefano.

Which Hollywood singer did the teenage Pavarotti imitate in the mirror after seeing his movies?

Mario Lanza was the model: Pavarotti recalled going to Lanza's films as a teenager and then imitating him in front of the mirror at home.

What job did Pavarotti hold for two years before committing to music?

Elementary school teacher was his first job: Pavarotti taught for two years after training college, then sold insurance while he pursued his voice studies.

Who was Pavarotti's first serious voice teacher, who taught him for free from 1954?

Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in Modena, took on the 19-year-old Pavarotti in 1954 and, knowing the family was poor, taught him without charging a fee.

Pavarotti's first singing success came in 1955 when his Modena male choir won first prize where?

The International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales gave the Corale Rossini, a Modena male-voice choir that included Pavarotti and his father, first prize in 1955; he called it the most important experience of his life.

Which soprano from Modena shared a voice teacher with Pavarotti and later sang Mimì opposite him?

Mirella Freni, born in Modena in the same year as Pavarotti, famously shared his wet nurse as a baby and later partnered him as Mimì at La Scala and on record.

What made Pavarotti decide to quit singing early in his training, before his voice came together?

A nodule on his vocal cords led to a disastrous concert in Ferrara, and Pavarotti resolved to give up; he credited his sudden improvement afterwards to the psychological release of that decision.

In which role did Pavarotti make his professional debut in Reggio Emilia in April 1961?

Rodolfo in La bohème was the role: Pavarotti made his professional debut on 29 April 1961 at the Teatro Municipale in Reggio Emilia, the Puccini part that also carried his Covent Garden and La Scala debuts.

Which soprano recommended Pavarotti as a last-minute replacement for his American debut in Miami in 1965?

Joan Sutherland suggested Pavarotti to the Greater Miami Opera as a late replacement in Lucia di Lammermoor in February 1965; he later credited her with teaching him the breathing technique that sustained his voice.

Which conductor requested Pavarotti for his La Scala debut in La bohème in 1965?

Herbert von Karajan asked for Pavarotti for the La Scala revival of the Zeffirelli La bohème in 1965, the tenor's first appearance at the house.

How many performances did Pavarotti sing on the 1965 Australian tour with Joan Sutherland?

She and her conductor husband had wanted a tall tenor for the trip.

In which Donizetti opera did Pavarotti famously deliver nine high Cs in the aria Ah! mes amis?

La fille du régiment contains Tonio's aria Ah! mes amis; Pavarotti sang its string of high Cs at full voice at Covent Garden in 1966, the run that cemented his reputation for fearless top notes.

How many curtain calls did Pavarotti take after his 1972 Metropolitan Opera breakthrough?

Pavarotti took 17 curtain calls at the Metropolitan Opera in February 1972, after a Donizetti comedy in which he sang the aria's top Cs with apparent ease.

Why did Pavarotti first carry the handkerchief that became his trademark prop?

He had a lingering cold and did not know what to do with his hands at his first solo recital, at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, in February 1973, so he clutched a white handkerchief throughout.

Which conductor, husband of the soprano who took him to Australia, claimed Pavarotti never learned to read music?

Richard Bonynge, the Australian conductor married to the soprano, said Pavarotti never learned to read music; Pavarotti himself told Jeremy Paxman he could read music but not an orchestral score.

With which record label did Pavarotti record almost exclusively throughout his career?

Decca was Pavarotti's record label for over four decades, from his first complete-opera sets in the 1960s to the releases of his final years.

Which company banned Pavarotti for life in 1989 after he cancelled 26 of 41 scheduled appearances?

The Lyric in Chicago, under general director Ardis Krainik, severed a 15-year relationship with Pavarotti in 1989 after he cancelled 26 of his 41 scheduled appearances there.

Roughly how many people attended Pavarotti's free 1993 concert on the Great Lawn of Central Park?

Some 500,000 people packed the Great Lawn of Central Park for Pavarotti's free concert on 26 June 1993; the performance was also televised and released on CD and video.

Pavarotti was the first opera singer to perform on which American TV show, in December 1998?

Saturday Night Live hosted Pavarotti on 12 December 1998, making him the first opera singer to perform on the show; he sang alongside Vanessa L. Williams.

On which 1995 U2 song did Pavarotti sing?

Miss Sarajevo, recorded in 1995 by U2 and Brian Eno under the name Passengers, features Pavarotti's operatic solo; he had pressed Bono repeatedly to write him a song.

Which Cranberries singer sang Schubert's Ave Maria with Pavarotti in 1995, moving Diana to tears?

Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries duetted with Pavarotti on Schubert's Ave Maria at his 1995 charity concert in Modena, with Diana, Princess of Wales, in the audience.

What was Pavarotti's only feature film, a 1982 romantic comedy that flopped?

Yes, Giorgio (1982), an MGM romantic comedy, lost money at the box office, but its John Williams song If We Were in Love was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

What was Pavarotti's final role at the Metropolitan Opera in March 2004?

Cavaradossi in Tosca was Pavarotti's final stage role: his last Metropolitan Opera performance, on 13 March 2004, ended with a prolonged standing ovation for the painter.

At which event did Pavarotti give his final performance, in February 2006?

The Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Turin on 10 February 2006 was Pavarotti's last performance; he sang his signature aria to a pre-recorded track because he no longer trusted his voice, as conductor Leone Magiera later revealed.

Of what illness did Pavarotti die in September 2007?

Pancreatic cancer, diagnosed in July 2006, killed Pavarotti on 6 September 2007 at his home in Modena; he was 71.

Which aerobatic team performed a flypast at Pavarotti's funeral in Modena?

The Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Air Force display team, flew over Modena Cathedral after the funeral on 8 September 2007, trailing smoke in the national colours.

In which year did Pavarotti make his Metropolitan Opera debut?

1968 was the year: Pavarotti made his Metropolitan Opera debut on 23 November 1968 in a Puccini opera, but illness cut that first run short after only two performances.

Whom did Pavarotti marry in December 2003, 34 years his junior?

Nicoletta Mantovani, his former assistant, married Pavarotti in Modena on 13 December 2003; their daughter Alice had been born in January of that year.

Which tax haven did Pavarotti claim as his residence before an Italian court rejected the claim in 1999?

Monaco was the residence Pavarotti claimed for tax purposes; after the 1999 ruling he settled his back taxes with the Italian authorities and was acquitted of tax evasion in October 2001.

How many curtain calls earned Pavarotti a Guinness World Record in Berlin in 1988?

Pavarotti took 165 curtain calls, lasting 67 minutes, after L'elisir d'amore at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 24 February 1988, a Guinness World Record.

Which UN role was Pavarotti appointed to in 1998?

Messenger of Peace was the title Kofi Annan conferred on Pavarotti in 1998; in 2001 the UNHCR also gave him its Nansen Medal for his fundraising for refugees.

In which Bosnian city did Pavarotti finance a music centre after the war?

Mostar is home to the Pavarotti Music Centre, opened in 1997 and funded largely by the proceeds of his charity concerts in Modena with the charity War Child.

What was the name of the annual charity concerts the tenor hosted in his home town with pop stars?

Pavarotti & Friends ran in Modena from 1992 to 2003, pairing the tenor with guests such as Sting, Bono, Elton John and the Spice Girls to raise money for War Child and other causes.

Who directed the 2019 documentary film Pavarotti?

Ron Howard directed Pavarotti (2019), a documentary made with the family's cooperation that followed his earlier music film The Beatles: Eight Days a Week.

Roughly how many records did Pavarotti sell in his career?

Pavarotti sold an estimated 100 million records, a total helped by the 1990 tenors concert album, the best-selling classical release of all time.

With which French singer did Pavarotti perform Gounod's Ave Maria at a 1990 Bolshoi benefit?

Charles Aznavour joined Pavarotti for Gounod's Ave Maria at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1990, a benefit for victims of the December 1988 earthquake in Armenia.

Which Italian singer-songwriter wrote Caruso, the ballad Pavarotti sang with him in Modena?

Lucio Dalla wrote Caruso in 1986; he and Pavarotti sang it together at the tenor's Modena charity concerts, and Pavarotti's own recording became one of his best-known non-operatic tracks.

Which former manager wrote the bitter 2004 memoir The King & I about Pavarotti?

Herbert Breslin, for decades Pavarotti's manager and publicist, wrote The King and I in 2004 with the critic Anne Midgette, skewering the tenor's acting, sight-reading and conduct.

What was the title of Pavarotti's only crossover album, released in 2003?

Ti Adoro (2003), produced and largely written by Michele Centonze, was Pavarotti's only pop-crossover album, released in the year of his second marriage.

With which American writer did Pavarotti produce his 1981 autobiography My Own Story?

William Wright co-wrote Pavarotti: My Own Story, published in 1981, and returned for the sequel Pavarotti: My World in 1995.

Which American lifetime-achievement honour did Pavarotti receive in 2001, with a surprise visit by Kofi Annan?

The Kennedy Center Honors recognised Pavarotti in December 2001 alongside Julie Andrews, Van Cliburn, Quincy Jones and Jack Nicholson.

Pavarotti's 1990 compilation The Essential Pavarotti topped which country's album chart?

The United Kingdom put The Essential Pavarotti at No. 1 on its album chart in 1990, the first classical record to top the UK chart.

Which conductor led the first Three Tenors concert in Rome in 1990?

Zubin Mehta conducted the orchestras of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Rome Opera at the 1990 concert, and returned to lead the 1994 Los Angeles reunion.

Where did Pavarotti's mother, Adele Venturi, work?

A cigar factory in Modena employed Adele Venturi; the family's income was modest and its four members shared a two-room apartment.

In March 1977 Pavarotti starred in the first-ever telecast of which series?

Live from the Met began on 15 March 1977 with a Puccini opera starring Pavarotti and Renata Scotto; it drew one of the largest audiences ever recorded for a televised opera.

Whom did Pavarotti marry in 1961, the mother of his three daughters?

Adua Veroni married Pavarotti in 1961 and bore Lorenza, Cristina and Giuliana; the couple divorced in 2000 after a long separation.

Pavarotti's televised concert in London's Hyde Park drew a record crowd of roughly how many?

It was one of a string of huge outdoor shows in the 1990s, capped by half a million people in Central Park.

Winning which contest led directly to Pavarotti's 1961 professional debut?

The Achille Peri Competition, held in Reggio Emilia, made Pavarotti its 1961 winner; the prize was the lead tenor role in the city's April 1961 production, his professional debut.

At which English festival did Pavarotti sing Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo in 1964?

Glyndebourne, the summer opera festival founded by John Christie in 1934 in the Sussex countryside, cast the 28-year-old Pavarotti as Idamante in Mozart's Idomeneo in 1964.

Who became Pavarotti's teacher after his first teacher moved to Japan?

Ettore Campogalliani, based in Mantua, took Pavarotti on after his first teacher left for Japan; his other pupils included Renata Tebaldi and Carlo Bergonzi.