Oscar-winning director Ron Howard revisits the legendary tenor in his new documentary, "Pavarotti." From his beginnings to his record-breaking Three Tenors albums, here's a look at the major stations of his career.
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On September 8, 2007, up to 100,000 people gathered on the square of the Modena Cathedral, Luciano Pavarotti's hometown. Two days earlier, the operatic tenor had died of cancer.
The memorial service was telecast worldwide: It ended with the aerobatic display team of the Italian Air Force creating smoke trails in the colors of the national flag around the cathedral. It was the funeral of a king, Italian commentators all agreed.
The son of a cigar factory worker
Born in 1935, Luciano Pavarotti was born on the outskirts of Modena in northern Italy. His father was a baker, while his mother worked in a cigar factory — just like Carmen in Bizet's opera of the same name.
He had worked briefly as a primary school teacher when, at the age of 19, he finally decided to follow up his years of vocal training with serious singing studies.
Pavarotti's funeral ceremony in 2007Image: Ansa Pool via GettyImages/C. Peri
He first entered the opera world in 1961 as Rodolfo in La Bohème. His international breakthrough came a year later, with the role of Edgardo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammmermoor, which went on to tour in the US and Australia.
The first pop star of the opera world
From then on, Pavarotti's star would keep shining, often far beyond the opera music world — he became the first classical artist to top the pop music charts with his recordings.
In 1990, World Cup fans also heard him perform alongside Placido Domingo and José Carreras — a trio known as the "Three Tenors." The recording of their concert in Rome, part of the supporting program of the FIFA World Cup held in Italy that year, became the bestselling classical album of all time.
The Three Tenors performed together again at the 1998 World Cup in ParisImage: picture-alliance/M. Euler
Some football fans might have initially confused Pavarotti with Bud Spencer, as both the opera singer and the actor had a full beard and a similar corpulence. By the early 1990s, Pavarotti's obesity started causing chronic heath problems. Concerts and opera performances regularly had to be canceled.
But when "Mr. Big P." did manage to perform on stage, the tenor's exceptional voice always managed to convince critics. He wouldn't shy away from using his operatic talent to revisit pop hits by stars such as Sting, Elton John or even Bon Jovi.
He also held charity concerts for various causes, such as children's aid projects in Afghanistan, Guatemala or Kosovo. The Maestro's name was also turned into a brand, with Pavarotti perfumes created in 1994.
In 2006, Pavarotti revealed that he had pancreatic cancer. He died a few months later on September 6, 2007. He was 71.
Despite reports of disputes surrounding the settlement of his estate after his death, his exceptional talent and charisma make up his enduring legacy, as Ron Howard's documentary, Pavarotti, confirms.
Opera houses of world renown
Opera houses are sacred temples of music and those who visit them are always part of a social event — sometimes even a glamorous ball. To this day that has not changed. Here are ten opera houses to fall in love with.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/dpaweb/EPA/K. J. Pederse
The Vienna State Opera
Every year, the Vienna State Opera transforms into an elegant ballroom where 5,000 guests gather to waltz. For this, the seating is removed and a floor is installed. The Vienna Ball, which takes place on February 20 under the motto "The Queen of the Night", has invited the first same sex couple to dance together as "debutantes" for the first time in its 200-year history.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/APA/G. Hochmuth
The Semper Opera House, Dresden
The Semper Opera in Dresden was once again the setting for Germany's most beautiful ball. What is unique with the Semper Opera Ball is that not only the more than 2000 guests inside follow the gala program. It is also broadcast to the forecourt, where around 15,000 visitors sway to the sound of waltzes and turn the night into a glittering celebration.
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The Opera Garnier, Paris
Opened in 1875, it is one of Europe's largest opera houses. The building is a neo-baroque gem that is regarded in architectural history as a prime example of theatre construction. A special showpiece is the enormous marble staircase in the foyer, the perfect platform for vanities. The staging of the audience has always been at least as important as the staging on stage.
Image: picture-alliance/Arco Images/T. Weise
The Teatro alla Scala, Milan
Opened in 1778, destroyed several times and rebuilt, the Scala is seen as the quintessential opera house. The annual season opening in December, kown locally as the "Inaugurazione," is celebrated with much pomp as a major social event. Many famous works were premiered here. The Scala will always be associated with one name: Maria Callas, a singer who set new global standards here in the 1950s.
Image: picture-alliance/Prisma/S. Mats
The Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow
A visit to the Bolshoi Theatre is an integral part of the schedule of any tourist visiting Moscow. After all, it is Russia's most renowned theatre for opera and ballet and one of the most beautiful theatre buildings in the world. The exquisite interior decoration dates from the middle of the 19th century and is still preserved in its original state to this day.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Thaler
The Metropolitan Opera, New York
The New York Metropolitan Opera has been around since 1880, but it wasn't until it moved to the elegant Lincoln Center building in 1966 that the "Met" became what it is today: one of the world's leading opera houses. For more than 20 years, fans around the world have been able to attend the performances: live broadcasts in selected cinemas around the globe are held on a regular basis.
Image: picture-alliance/imageBROKER/H. Dobler
The Royal Opera House, London
The most important opera house in Great Britain was founded in 1732. More than 20 operas and oratorios by Georg Friedrich Händel were premiered here. It is not necessary to have an opera ticket to take a look at the building, which was completely renovated at the turn of the millennium. Several cafés and restaurants open their doors for a stylish start to the day from 10 a.m. onwards.
This opera house is one of the most photographed tourist attractions in Sydney. After 14 years of construction, the visionary building was opened in 1973. The roof construction reached the limits of what was possible at the time: Computers controlled by punched cards took 18 months to calculate the curvatures and statics of all the roofs.
Image: picture-alliance/imageBROKER/T. Haupt
The Guangzhou Opera House, China
The building structures protrude into space like stones smoothly polished by the water of the Pearl River. This building by the Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid is considered by many fans of architecture and opera to be as groundbreaking for opera in the 21st century as once were the Paris Opera in the 19th century and the Sydney Opera for the 20th century.
Image: picture-alliance/ANN
The Royal Opera House, Copenhagen
In Copenhagen, you can go to the opera by boat. The spectacular building stands on an island opposite Amalienborg Castle and was a gift from the Danish billionaire Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller. After four years of construction, the 335 million euro (383 million $ US) building was inaugurated in 2005. Opera fans come from everywhere - because of the exciting architecture and the great acoustics.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/dpaweb/EPA/K. J. Pederse
