Luciano Pavarotti
25 quotes
Biography
Luciano Pavarotti was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerous recordings of complete operas and individual arias, gaining worldwide fame for his tone and the nickname "King of the High Cs".
"I'm not a politician, I'm a musician. I care about giving people a place where they can go to enjoy themselves and to begin to live again. To the man you have to give the spirit, and when you give him the spirit, you have done everything."
"I remember when I began singing, in 1961, one person said, "run quick, because opera is going to have at maximum 10 years of life." At the time it was really going down. But then, I was lucky enough to make the first Live From the Met telecast. And the day after, people stopped me on the street. So I realized the importance of bringing opera to the masses. I think there were people who didn't know what opera was before. And they say "Bohème", and of course "Bohème is so good.""
"I think an important quality that I have is that if you turn on the radio and hear somebody sing, you know it's me. You don't confuse my voice with another voice."
"Penso che una vita per la musica sia una vita spesa bene ed è a questo che mi sono dedicato."
"If children are not introduced to music at an early age, I believe something fundamental is actually being taken from them."
"I am a very simple person. In spite of all that has happened to me, I have tried to remain the simple person I started out."
"Every day I remind myself of all that I have been given. … With singing, you never know when you are going to lose the voice, and that makes you appreciate the time that you have when you are still singing well. I am always thanking God for another season, another month, another performance."
"As an art form, opera is a rare and remarkable creation. For me, it expresses aspects of the human drama that cannot be expressed in any other way, or certainly not as beautifully."
"It is not always a matter of wild ovations and legendary performances. Sometimes you are just happy to get through an opera without trouble."
"For all three of us, the Caracalla concert was a major event in our lives. I hope I am not immodest to think it was also unforgettable for most of the people who were present."
"Nothing that has happened has made me feel gloomy or remain depressed. I love my life."
"He was always helpful to me, supporting me in my very difficult moments as well, due also to a severe illness. He was very close to me, he was calling me quite often and giving me a lot of support and putting me in the right spirit."
"I always admired the God-given glory of his voice — that unmistakable special timbre from the bottom up to the very top of the tenor range. … I also loved his wonderful sense of humor."
"I had the pleasure of not only performing for him in tribute, but performing in his stead at the Grammy Awards in 1998, singing 'Nessun Dorma.' I had one magnificent and absolute and defining moment when he came to the stage to thank me for my performance. The world has lost one of the greatest voices of all time."
"Pavarotti made a profound contribution not only to music and the arts, but also to people in need around the world. His work for children — particularly those affected by armed conflict — stretched from Afghanistan to Liberia and beyond. By staging concerts and marshaling talented friends to help raise funds, he generated millions of dollars for humanitarian aid."
"The whole world will be listening today to his voice on every radio and television station, and that will continue. And that is his legacy. He will never stop,"
"I want to be famous everywhere."
"Learning music by reading about it is like making love by mail."
"Learning music by reading about it is like making love by mail."
"He wants only to rest and to have a little peace."
"I was an elementary school teacher."
"Concentration is everything. On the day I'm performing I don't hear anything anyone says to me."
"One of the very best things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."
"It is so important for people at a young age to be invited to embrace classical music and opera."
"For me, music making is the most joyful activity possible, the most perfect expression of any emotion."