Luciano Pavarotti - Rigoletto - act II cabaletta - 1981

[yournotjohn]

This is the first time I have payed attention to Pavarotti and his talent has just hit me like a 10 ton tide. WOW!

[Melomondo]

Of course there is n high D. You read the name Pavarotti you know there will not be such a note. Big surprise...

[MassMusician88]

@Melomondo Live in 1981, with cameras rolling? Of course he didn't attempt high D. Pavarotti was cavalier, but not foolish. But ten years earlier in the recording with Sutherland not only does he sing the high D but he also takes the cabaletta twice, as it is written. And the D is stunning but the rest is even better.

[31122051]

Duca di Mantova = Luciano Pavarotti.

[Queenie145]

Thank you, Coloraturafan, for posting this. I also find it very pleasing!

[ahmad123987]

PS: He was supposed to hit a D flat at the end, which he does amazingly in an other performance, I wonder why he didn't here.

[BeauTenor]

Actually, if you sing it in the original key, it's a D. onstage, a D is...not something many tenors will attempt. Pavarotti could and did sing D's, and at this point in the early 80's he was in amazingly good voice, but it was probably wise to avoid the D. This Cabaletta is murder (2nd half usually cut), and even on a good day, after all those A's and this tessitura, a D is very VERY high. Not many can do it, even less can do it WELL.

[ahmad123987]

Yeah, thanks for the info, though I think he could have done it, especially at that time in his carrier.

[sopranosd]

@BeauTenor - Phew! Some sense ! So many people, singers included, have no idea about opera, opera singers, fachs, placement, and what the norms are for various arias and those who sing them. Ignorance has bred the notion that high notes define singers (or low notes, in the cases of basses) as well as an assumption that all arias must be sung in exactly the same manner, all singers in perfect voice all the time, and that listening to snippets on youtube counts as a musical education.

[mrluistena]

@BeauTenor Kraus was a master of those very D high notes, even in kraus´s 60s he could still sing it, however only Luciano had the name of The king of the high C, Kraus was far better but not as popular for this.

[ahmad123987]

Posente Amor

[mozart230647]

Vuelven las cuatro versiones de la cabaletta de Rigoletto que habían "desaparecido"...Ya sé que todas tienen algún fallo...A ésta por ejemplo le falta el agudo del final...Pero creo que no nos podemos permitir que esta hermosa cabaletta, cantada por cuatro grandes, falten en un listado de arias de ópera....

[lagoca]

Las Cabalettas llevan consigo un alto grado de dificultad, en cierta forma transportan al auditorio al extasis cuando son bien cantadas, como público uno espera que cuando el tenor la aborda la va a culminar con el agudo final. En cierta forma me decepcionan cuando éste gran final no llega. Por supuesto sin poner en juicio las grandes cualidades de Pavarotti. Es como comerse el pastel sin la cereza.

[deslome]

el mas grande, que importa el sobreagudo, esa voz era de orooooooo

[XxTuPaPyxX]

bueno siempre e dicho q en una wena interpretacion no es necesario iegar hasta la nota mas aguda y extrema posible si no tener una buena afinacion y un sonido limpio y claro, ademas pavarotti pasea en ese registro agudo kisas no estuvo en un momento optimo e hizo el re una octava mas abajo pero de todas maneras es una buena interpretacion o le kitarian los aplausos y repudiarian a juan diego si cantando esta misma cabaletta hiciera lo mismo, es algo normal en todos los tenores suele pasar

[filiodecallas]

A mi juicio, siendo Tenor, sé que muchas veces estamos expuestos a una especie de CIrco. NO todas las veces la naturaleza física y las cualidades de extensión de voz están a nuestro servicio. La voz es parecida al cuerpo de un atleta o de un bailarín, no siempre hace lo que le pedimos. El canto, una de las artes más difíciles. Bravo, Luciano!,

[liric01994]

Scusate, non sono molto esperto , perché Pavarotti ogni tanto fa l' acuto finale e ogni tanto no?

[wippocarter]

Penso que dipende dell momento. Non é una nota facile. Soltanto quando si stá completamente sicuro di farlo o fa. Se non si sente sicuro non lo fa perche puo scutarsi terribile se non é bene affinato.

[cigniselvatici]

Lo amoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!

[xcocobEllex]

Bravo to this and lol @ bitchfight below

[luisenes]

pavarotti have not a high d?this its a question for theinquisitive4ever and pavarotti have a technical problems singuing this.nobody its perfect.

[RADAMES1983]

Agree with you coloraturafan!

I'm in love to this aria since i know Rigoletto (when I was 9).

I like it much more then "La donne e mobile". This aria is exelent! especially with Maestro Pavarotti.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

The Greek sodomite's stupidity is beyond comparison. As if Pava sung it only once in 1968. How many nights did he perform that role? I highly doubt you've seen all his performances or listened to all his recordings! What an idiot.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

The only crack is in the head of the Greek sodomite Tony. As Moorhe has proven, the Greek sodomite cherry picks Pava's unfortunate performances out of a plethora of superb ones and uses as yardstick to belittle his artistic stature.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Greek sodomite-The sad fact is that while you're watching DVDs and reading textbooks, I ll be frequenting the Met this fall as always...lol.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

LoL..very funny. The Georgian buttboy who was advocating the goodness of the Russian invasion is becoming chums with the Greek sodomite! How endearing. A rectal connection it seems. LoL This is getting more and more comical by the minute. Georgian buttboy-Did God saved the Georgians from getting their buttkicked by the Russians eh? Sumission and defeat is in your genes.

[loveluciano1]

luciano is ny beutiful tenor for ever.

[djtsinopoulos]

Wow the "idiot4ever" is getting gangbanged from everyone, he must like it too. However it is really boring to see his idotic name on every video.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Dj-Getting gang banged is your national heritage which you seem to have forgotten. In case you missed, let me remind you that not everyone is Greek and enjoys rectal satisfaction you little sodomite. Now got to your corner and wait until someone throw you a bone or rams something up your rear. Come on, be a good boy now and follow the your predecessors foot steps. What an idiot!

[Genesisman]

Coloraturafan, Thanks for posting all these videos on "posente amor" i believe i watched all, and i was the most pleased with Leech's interpretation, interesting Stephen Costello, very well done by Alagna as well...Thank you for sharing!

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Greek sodomite. When you're called on your BS you seem to try diverting into a new direction. I wonder what went wrong while the cosmic bakers were baking you? Your attitude to opining as as 2D as your experience with opera. Textbooks, articles, DVDs and CD barely make up for a lack of first hand experience.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-You're only 22. Who are you kidding? And considering you live in Greece, that makes it even less likely. I have the privilege to live all over the globe in most coveted venues, and schlepped into opera by my parents since I was 7. I am an opera lover. It's as simple as that. You're a textbook memorizer. You can only dream about what I have seen. Now crawl back into your crap hole in Greece you little fiddlestick and watch your limited DVD collection.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Mooorhe-Note that Tony is a 22 yo prick who hasn't seen in the inside of a decent opera house, nor has listened to a tenor live over a good period of time, and experienced the excellence he created. He forms his opinions based on a limited number of DVDs and recordings which he generously generalizes as if that could encapsulate the truth. Pretty damn pathetic. Above all, it delusional and lack core honesty.

[tonyantony1]

I have attended performances of many great singers.You're pretending to be an opera specialist only on tenors famous arias and you haven't listened to famous recordings of Pavarotti in his prime.Why should one believe you have attended any opera performance you just write what you have red on the internet. You expect famous recordings to be posted on tube.

[sandrik100]

I have never heard so well discovered details about this uselles man!

Bravo tonyantony!!!

[tonyantony1]

I've discovered that apart from a clueless poser who pretends to be a specialist in famous tenor arias uploaded on tube, he is also tone deaf.Check my comments on Domingo's Nessun Dorma for further information about his tone deafness.He hasn't listen to whole recording of singers of the past,his parents narrate him about them maybe because he is tone deaf and clueless about opera.He desperately needs informations about singers of the past so he can pretend to be an opera specialist .

[sandrik100]

You are complitly right. But I am afraid, that he is clueless in many other aspects of life, for example politics, history and life itself.

[luisenes]

la historia de GEORGIA es vida magistral,bien dicho saludos maestro desde mexico.

[LordMgls]

I've seen many users like that. For me, it's no secret I've never heard to a live great performance. Not even Met Live in HD. I buy my stuff, read the booklets and learn as much as I can in Internet and YT as well. I hope to have the chance of travelling 500 miles to hear to Plácido in Boccanegra in June with Gheorghiu, Royal Theatre of Madrid. However, I must say that when I was born the second opera golden age had already finished. But who were you referring to?

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Greek sodomite. You surely lack a core honesty in your opinions. I have never nitpicked as you did which is unrealistic. I always pointed out core debasements of operatic artistry committed by some tenors or fundamental technical flaws. Big difference, but I doubt you delusional mind would discern that. I have also pointed out ethnocentric attitude of some tenors and tenor wannabe as well as operatic hooligans.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Greek sodomite. You also failed to mention the huge gap in Carreras' passaggio which he tried covering up with a deep chesty voice. You also failed to mention that his voice not very communicative which he covered up by sobbing on every note he sung, and used exaggerated gestures such as "hugging air" to create a sense of passion.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Greek sodomite. I never trash. I speak out as fairly as possible. Domingo's problems are much more fundamental than not having a respectable vocal range. He sounds hooted, throaty and pushed which hint to fundamental flaws in technique. His passaggio is discontinuous. And his 130 roles is a sign of artistic prostitution. Physically it is not possible to perfect (as much as possible) so many roles. And if you only knew is behind the curtain Macchiavellian business deals.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Greek sodomite. Transposing roles which have notes well above a tenor C to the max a tenor range can attain above tenor C is rather acceptable. But a good tenor should in principle have a reliable glorious top B at least. Carreras and Domingo never had a glorious top B. In fact, Carreras and Domingo have been avoiding even top B as much as they could in the last 20 years of their career.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-What's ultimately more pathetic is that you're being called on your delusional comments one by one, and your lack of core honesty is being pointed out. Yet you still continue in the same track in a compulsive manner. Your obsession in trying to find flaws and faults in Pavarotti is rather ridiculous. It actually shows how shallow your perception of opera is and your textbooks and your limited access to opera is Greece surely don't help.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Note that your lack of honesty reveals itself easily. You take the strong suite of a series of tenors, discarding all their flaws, and use them collectively in nitpicking Pava's excellent artistry. You disregard to complete perspective of this man's artistic achievements and excellence. You're also a bigot as you've chosen to demean him by calling a fat slob, criminal and even asserted that his charities were all fraudulent. You're just another scum; nothing more and nothing less.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Greek Sodomite. In the end, your attempts to portray Pavarotti as a second class tenor is rather futile. You'd be all alone in that effort. The proof is in the pudding. Your opinions are divorced from reality as you have ZERO first experience with top notch opera. As a 22 yo youngers who lacks core honesty in his assessments, all you have is a bunch of DVD, an insignificant opera house in your hometown in Greece, and a mind which is divorced from reality.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Moorhe-Tony wouldn't know his anus from his mouth. Don't expect him to know any background info about live performances as he's never seen one of appreciable value. He's a 22 Greek boy whose information comes from textbooks. He subscribes to slices facts which are nicely shaped into opinions to criticize Pava. He's a bigot and mentally deranged.

[tonyantony1]

Take your medication stupid inquisitor!Dramatic tenors Corelli and Bonisoli maintained their high C in their 50's while Pavarotti had to hide him self behind the soprano at the end of Ballo duet 'cause he couldn't sustain the high C.Every one knows you're adjusting your stupid criteria to fit perfectly to Pavarotti you even called his falsetto crooning ''a way of expression''.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Greek sodomite. I am not adjusting anything. On the contrary, it is you who is slicing the facts to your liking. Ironically, you haven't even seen any of the tenors you mention live, nor do you have access to solid info about that era in which his performances took place. You're a 22 yo clueless bookworm who is commenting for the sake of commenting. On his top F in falsetto in I Puritani you might wanna do some research. His performance was of high acclaim.

[tonyantony1]

You mean that high F you called ''a pig squeal''?

[Mooorhe]

Pavarotti still had his high C in his 50's.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Moorhe-Tony hasn't seen those tapes yet. That's why he's commenting out of his rear! Remember, he's 22 and his experience with the Greats is limited to 2D lol.

[tonyantony1]

.In studio Carreras sang a high E-flat ,it doesn't mean it was a secure note for him.Pavarotti during the 80's didn't have even a secure high C ,he transposed roles to avoid high C's.How the hell could he sing a note 3 semitones higher than his higher secure note(high B)?

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Greek Sodomoite. Cut the crap dude. You're trying to BS yourself through with textbook information and a distorted and slice version of reality. Carreras had a problem with a Bs for heaven's sake. Who cares what he produced once in a blue moon in a studio. As tenors age they loose their top a bit usually. That's normal. Actually, check Moorhe, he's got Pava's renditions with Ds in his 50s...

[Mooorhe]

You are ridiculous Tonyantony1, ever heard of the title 'King of the high Cs'? If course he had a secure high C, you can't sing Pour mon Ame without one. Pavarotti had the high D as demonstrated in several studio recordings.

[tonyantony1]

The title was a marketing slogan it doesn't mean a thing.Did he sing La fille in the 80's?I told you, check his ballo duet ,he couldn't sustain the high C.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Does it matter when he sung La Fille du Regiment? What matters is that he sung it and created excellence second to none. Ironically, you've never seen him live how he brought audiences to their knees. In fact, you haven't seen nor experienced anything major. You comments are divorced from reality and a reflection of your distorted mind. Carreras never sung even La Boheme in key, not even in his younger years. Nor did Domingo. Again, selective memory?

[tonyantony1]

It's not selective memory at all!You are who trashes tenors for their high notes.You see,you criticized Gedda for openness on the high D in a live performance while you justified thinness on Pavarotti's high D produced in studio by saying ''it's natural'' Isn't this selective?

[tonyantony1]

You also justified the transposition of Edgardo's two arias by P. during his prime while you're trashing Carreras and Domingo for transposing roles.Isn't that hypocrisy?

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Greek sodomite. Carreras and Domingo transposed never sung anything which had a C in it. Big difference mind you? Another example of your twisted mind and lack of core honesty I suppose.

[Mooorhe]

You pick on Pavarotti's performances when he is past his prime, he sang the best Tonio when he was in his prime, in the 70s... I don't care whether he sang it in the 80s. He still gave the best performance of the opera when he was younger.

[tonyantony1]

Was past his prime at the of 45?

[Mooorhe]

Yes, Pavarotti's vocal prime was before he moved into the heavier roles. Which admittedly, were nothing special.

[HTHAMMACK1]

@Mooorhe LOL! What ignorance. Pavarotti's worst performance is still something very special. I find it hilarious that a no talent idiot on the internet has the audacity to mention Pavarotti and nothing special, in the same breath.

[tonyantony1]

Don't be a fanboy.He lost his high C in the early 80's.He used to transpose roles to avoid high C's.Studio recordings do not reveal vocal short comings.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-Greek sodomite! Read carefully, and unless your twisting my words intentionally. I called full voice Fs pig squeal. The falsetto doesn't sound like a that unless you're death. Now you're suggesting that Carreras has an appreciable vocal range which I find rather amusing. You might refer to his own words; he himself he always struggled with his upper register. You also failed to mention his major problems with his passaggio.

[Mooorhe]

I am a Luciano Pavarotti fan, and i'm proud of it, he was a fantastic tenor and I feel obliged to defend him from those who unfairly attack him. Losing a high C means not having it anymore. He sang high Cs in the late 80s. And even you could work out that if he can sing it in the late 80s, he won't have lost it in the early 80s.

[tonyantony1]

High D-flats in Puritani were a risk for P.,he asked Sills to transpose the duet down a tone to avoid high D-flats.Since he was afraid of singing the duet even transposed down a semitone how did he had a reliable high D?

[Mooorhe]

Tonyantony1, there is a very valid reason that he didn't sing the D in this performance. This production at the Met was conducted by James Levine, who wanted to conduct a Rigoletto as it was written by Verdi. Therefore he was dis-allowed to sing the un-written high D. James Levine threw a tantrum when Pavarotti sang an un-written high B flat in the same production.

[tonyantony1]

There is an obvious reason ,he never sang a high D in public 'cause he didn't have the note.

[tonyantony1]

In the Rigoletto he simply didn't sing the D.High D simply doesn't exist in his live discography.You don't have to watch Pavarotti in live performances to know he transposed the role.Many live recordings of his Arturo exist.How one knows Fleta did diminuendi?He simply listens to his recordings.

[Mooorhe]

Tonyantony1 - this may come as a shock to you, but Giuseppe Verdi did not write the High D. Pavarotti certainly had a high D, he sang high C's and high C#'s in live performances. Choosing not to sing a high D after hours of singing in one night, and the prospect of singing other high notes later in that week is certainly respectable.

Not all Pavarotti's performances are on record. So you can't certainly say for sure that he never sang a high D.

[tonyantony1]

I know the high D is not written but one expect it to be sung since he sung it in the studio recording.Kraus used to sing the high D in live performances.This may come as a shock to you,Bellini write 2 high D's in Puritani but Pavarotti transposed the part and still cracked in the 1969 and 1976 recording.

[tonyantony1]

All Pavarotti's performances are on record,even his debut.I have 4 recordings of his Arturo,all of them are transposed,he cracked in three of them,he also transposed Edgardo.

[Mooorhe]

You have 4 recordings, you don't have all of them. You cannot say for sure, not having heard all of the performances. I'm not particularly interested in whether he sang live high D's. There is a very small proportion of humans on this earth who get the vocal cords from god that are physically capable of singing a full voice high D. Pavarotti chose not to use his live, smart move from him.

[Mooorhe]

Pavarotti doesn't crack on any of the D flats in the 1968 with Tucci, or the 1972 with Sills. He only cracks on one in the 1976 Met broadcast with Sutherland, it was just unfortunate, I have the opening night performance, which is much better. And the 1969 with Freni isn't worth mentioning, he was obviously ill/in bad voice that performance.

[tonyantony1]

In the 1968 Puritani with Tucci he cracked in Credeasi misera.

[Mooorhe]

There is no crack, the note stays bang on pitch for it's duration.

[Mooorhe]

'I know the high D is not written but one expect it to be sung since he sung it in the studio recording'

What rubbish, just because a singer can hit a note, doesn't mean he should use it. Corelli didn't sing live high C's in 'Di Quella Pira' Which is a very good idea, he transposed it.

I know Bellini wrote the high D's in 'I Puritani' And I think it was ridiculous to do so, the part is best suited for Leggere tenors, like JDF. Again, it doesn't bother me that Pavarotti transposed Arturo.

[tonyantony1]

Ridiculous it wasn't.Lyric tenors Kraus and Gedda sang the role untransposed.Dramatic tenor Franco Bonisolli sang Benvenuto Cellini untransosed in live performance despite the stratospheric tessitura.Corelli didn't sing high C's in Di quella pira because he wanted to sing the cabaletta fearlessly but he sang high C's in Norma,Boheme,don Carlo,Turandot,Huguenots etc. he interpolated a high C sharp in Trovatore trio and a high D in Norma.

[Mooorhe]

Corelli didn't sing high C's in Di quella pira because he wanted to sing the cabaletta fearlessly

-

Maybe Pavarotti wanted to sing this cabaletta 'fearlessly'? And maybe he wanted to sing the 'I Puritani' high notes fearlessly?

Criticising Pavarotti for not singing a (un-written) high D in Act II of Rigoletto is a waste of time. He had a high D, he chose not to use it live. Don't like it? Don't listen to Maestro Pavarotti.

[tonyantony1]

How do you know he had a high D?If he had a secure high D he wouldn't crack on high D-flats as he did in Puritani.

[Mooorhe]

I know he had a high D because I have some recordings of him singing them. And unless i'm very much mistaken, they are high D's and bang on pitch.

Just because someone cracks, doesn't mean they don't have a note. Nicolai Gedda did an atrociously horrible crack on the high B at the end of 'La Donna E Mobile', very sour, horrible to listen to. Yet Gedda still sang notes above high B.

[tonyantony1]

Gedda was ill on that nights so,it doesn't count.Pavarotti's recordings were in his prime and he didn't sound ill at all.He would never sing ill -he was famous as the ''King of cancellations''wasn't he?Would you please inform me in witch live recordings he sang a high D?

[Mooorhe]

Pavarotti actually did sing ill on several occasions early on. 1968 'La Boheme' at the Met for example, he had terrible Hong Kong fever. He became the king of cancellations because he had experienced singing when he was ill, he knew it wouldn't work.

I didn't say I have live recordings of him singing live high D's. Pavarotti sang a few in studio, I have those, which is still proo of his high D.

[tonyantony1]

In the recording with Tucci he slightly cracked on the high D-flat of Credeasi Misera.

[tonyantony1]

People who -1 my comment should hear first his live performances of Puritani.I have 4 of them.He always transposed the Puritani duet and still cracked on the recording with Freni and the recording with Sutherland.

[ertjfk]

Questa è la voce e anche il personaggio del Duca di mantova. Non cè nessun altro bravissimo!!!!

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony-22 yo Greek sodomite. How many I Puritani performances of Pava have you seen or watched?

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Tony2-Greek sodomite. How many Rigoletto's of Pava have you seen, let alone watched? All of them? As a 22 yo clueless fiddlestick who hasn't seen any of the greats live, you might want to acquire some core honesty in your assessment. Have you ever heard of a term called "representative sampling"?

[girardje70]

pavarotti est le meilleur Duc que j,ai entendu

[tonyantony1]

Pavarotti never produced a live high D ,he used to transpose down half a step the Puritani duet in order to avoid the high D's.

[Mooorhe]

Perfect!!!

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Actually, the fact that they're not WRITTEN helps lesser tenors get by and get the applause of unsuspecting and ignorant audiences. As a tenor wannabe you might take advantage of that fact (Male) OperaBitch.

[operabitch77]

TOO bad the high dflats aren't WRITTEN nor did verdi LIKE these notes!

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Jenni-In the film version Pava's D5 sounds better, which is expected. He still goes for it in his mid 40s. Most supposed top tenors skip this cabaletta in its entirety as they cannot sing it. This live D5 is still good.

[jenni4claire]

On the Decca recording [with Joan Sutherland] the final D is perfect. I suppose he could have several goes, to get it so, in the studio. If Verdi never intended it, perhaps that is because he never could have anticipated how it would sound coming from the Maestro?

He certainly sounds to me like he is enjoying himself, in this role, always.

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Actually Pavarotti did have a very nice D5, especially when he was younger.Here he's in his mid 40s and still goes for it. Comparing him to Florez doesn't make sense. He's a tenore leggiero and in his mid 30s. I like Florez but his voice is not as remarkably unqiue as Pavarotti and I doubt it will darken as gracefully as Pava's.

[spgtenor]

Pavarotti considered his voice to be at its best from 40-50, and actually sang amazing with virile high Cs until his early 60s.

[posyfab]

So wonderful to see this. I love Pavarotti in this role.

[loveluciano1]

he was so sweet and beautiful, the feelings i get from him when i see him, is a lot of sweetness and passion.

[marcherst]

Thanks for posting this magnificent as always. His smile alone makes you swoon. The singing sends you to heaven!

[leonore0210]

Better to leave it out than to mess it up! Anyway, which tenor is able to make a high D sound so nice like Juan Diego Flores does?

IMO Pavarotti is simply the best in this cabaletta contest.

[jenni4claire]

Although you do sort of miss that D at the end, really.

[jenni4claire]

Bravo- this is better than the film version. Is it available on dvd?

[joshuav1982]

That was awesome! Cheers