Luciano Pavarotti was not just a charismatic performer with one of the most beautiful voices of a generation. He also boasted a vocal technique that has been the envy of every singer who heard him. Navigating the passaggio, or the break between vocal registers, is a skill which can make or break an operatic tenor. This week, hear how Pavarotti mastered his passaggio in music by Rossini, Donizetti, and Verdi.
The Flawless Technique of Luciano Pavarotti
Playlist
Francesco Paolo Tosti: “‘A vucchella”
with pianist John Wustman
Giuseppe Verdi: Rigoletto
Quartet, “Bella figlia dell’amore”
with Joan Sutherland, Huguette Tourangeau, and Sherrill Milnes
London Symphony Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor
Gioachino Rossini: Stabat Mater
II. Cujus Animam
London Symphony Orchestra
István Kertész, conductor
Gaetano Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
“Maledetto sia l’istante” (The Curse)
RAI Symphony and Chorus of Turin
Francesco Molinari Pradelli, conductor
Gaetano Donizetti: L’elisir d’amore
“Una furtiva lagrima”
English Chamber Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor
This episode of Listening to Singers will be available for listening on-demand until April 16.