This weekend marks one year since beloved singer Luciano Pavarotti passed away. Last year, we featured Pavarotti’s recordings on the radio, along with remembrances sent in by listeners. In tribute to Pavarotti, I wanted to share selections from the letters we received:
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I recall listening to Pavarotti a lot when I was working in my first job at a coal-mining community in the mountains of PA. It was my first time to be far away from my family with whom I shared a deep love of opera. Fortunately, in my church, I found a family who also loved Luciano. For Xmas that year, they gave me a recording of some of the religious songs of this beloved tenor. It started a friendship with these people which is still going on today. It also led to a delightful "friendship" with Pavarotti.
Thanks for playing, if you can, any more selections from his rendition of Italian folk songs or any more from "La Boheme," or any of his religious songs.
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Thank you for the wonderful music marking the passing of Pavarotti. Some years ago, my brother went to the Pavarotti in the Park concert In spite of heavy rain, London's Hyde Park was packed and, so that everyone could see the famous tenor, no one used umbrellas. The concert was worth the drenching.
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When I was in graduate school, toward the end of each semester while finishing term papers and studying for final examinations, I would put in a Pavorotti CD and let it play continually while I worked; Christmas music in the Fall and various arias in the Spring semester. The music, the voice, the clarity, and the passion of Pavorotti inspired me, as he still does.
His "Ave Maria" is one of my favorites. Would you please play it this afternoon?
grazie e ciao
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Have listened to opera for 65 year beginning with The Texaco Hour on Saturday afternoons. Through all those years I have never heard anyone with the magic of Pavarotti. I heard and saw him in Louisville, Ky approx 20 years ago.
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He was the BEST!!!
I've listened to his recordings for many, many years and only wish I'd had the pleasure of hearing him live.
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Thank you to all the listeners who wrote to us with their memories. If you still want to share a story, you can
leave a comment below, or email us at feedback@wvpubcast.org.
For more about Pavarotti,
Performance Today has an excellent tribute page.