Luciano Pavarotti - Ella mi fu rapita - Live 1981

[kgarmaker123]

This is fabulous... I heard him live in this opera , it was in the late 80's .. he had just recovered from the flu and he still sounded like a million bucks.. This is the tenor voice of the last 100 years.. folks.

[appeace1]

Ahhhh that Bb--unbelievable! A tad past his prime??? How bout getting his second wind! I love all of Pava's stages, his first the young, strong, brilliant, piercing high range, ultimate bel canto voice, then his middle period, full, round, resonating, bell quality, slightly darkening voice, still with the diamond top, then his later period, slightly aged, darker yet, velvety, emotional, which made the top even more remarkable! Past his prime--no--the greatest tenor ever to grace a stage simply

[appeace1]

@appeace1 moved from one prime to another--taking his audiences, his fans , and the entire world of opera with him!  There will never be another to touch him and I miss him and his voice so---

[chaiter1]

Beautiful.

[grandeopera]

not past his prime yet by the sound of it.

[theulkar]

bravo Levine.....

[gcarlos03]

Pavarotti era il Duca di Mantova in persona!! Rigoletto sembrava scritto apposta per la sua voce, un Duca proprio azzeccato.

[dickinsonmaiden]

Più vado avanti nei miei studi, più mi rendo conto che Pavarotti era veramente una macchina!! Allucinante o.O

Pace all'anima sua e mille grazie per averci lasciato interpretazioni e sfoggi di tecnica come questi!

[Grav74]

Grande Luciano, un mito!

[sopranosd]

I think his placement is excellent - resonance, support through the passagio and opening up to the high note, raising the soft palate. So what is 'covering'' ? As far as I can tell, it refers to singing piano. Or it is vowel modification, which is vocal technique 101. Ah's strangle one, so move toward Eh, Eeehs are too bright, so mover toward I, etc. The point is to maintain the same vocal color by modifying the space in order to create a fluid line. That's all opera, especially Bel Canto.

[305sjaak]

Always a pleasure to watch Levine conduct, love the way he sings along in the beginning. Splendid performance by Luciano also. I believe he did apologise for the Bb afterwards, ridiculous of course, having to apologise for bringing such beauty to this aria.

[louie1a]

webarton - at 4:29, i listened several times and found nothing like what you claim. if anything, a shift was so subtle that i couldn't hear it. pavarotti was not my favorite tenor, but you sound like you have an axe to grind.

[aroncooker]

@Webarton actually the sound is still in his "covered" spot, it's just a different vowel.

He went from it sounding more like an "UH" to the actual "EH" in per te. Just switching vowels, the EH vowel he instantly switched to is not more open. More forward yes, but just as narrow.

[Webarton]

@aroncooker You know, i hate the type of terminology that is used, it is so confusing and not necessary. I do understand what you are saying, however going higher in pitch on the uh vowel will lead to more strangulation. You are talking about purely vowel change, not thinking about the fact that per and te are sung on different pitches, teh higher than per. This is why to keep from strangulating he uses a brighter vowel.

[Webarton]

@aroncooker  Try this, sing an UH and do your "covering" try an ascending G Major scale and tell me that isn't swallowed. IT IS. And if you swallow the sound you have to keep swallowing as you go up, more and more until you choke. This is the reason for the change of vowel.

[Webarton]

@aroncooker This is spot on evidence of throaty singing on Pavarotti's part. I don't have an axe to grind with his singing, I actually love his voice and his singing, but his technique is worshiped as godly, which in comparison with other great tenors is just not as clean.

[hjhjk9]

@Webarton that is bullshit. you should cover from f to your high notes. you should swallow your tone a little too. But you can't swallow your high notes. it would be good if yu can because they would sound richer,but it isnt possible

[Webarton]

@aroncooker Pavarotti's voice was one of the most incredible instruments i have ever heard, no doubt about that. But I am speaking of the objective aspect of it all, the production. I hope that you try to understand what I say and not bash me for this.

[Pollione88]

@Webarton To cover or turn the sound, the singer must place the voice forward at the same time. Covering is NOT done in the throat but by lifting the soft palate, the result is a buzzing sensation very forward in the frontal part of the face.

Pavarotti adjusted the sound to an open sounding "e" in "per te", but of course that is covered as well. The "e" sound that well trained singers use in the top range sounds very open but is in fact covered.

[Webarton]

@Pollione88 The soft palate is not supposed to lift.

When I refer to "covering" I am talking about Pavarotti's definition of covering as explained in his videos. This is why all these singers are in the throat, "Covering" is not about lifting the soft palate. Pavarotti did a great job singing. But his concept of "covering", in order to achieve his "noble and dark" sound is what got him.

[IbranandoBaritone]

Covering has nothing to do with lifting the palate in order to create resonance by making more space, and not sound. Singing is all about pulling and making space, as well as properly supporting by expanding in the stomach area and squeezing very low in the body. Covering is something that occurs naturally as the voice goes up, it should not be "taught" as doing that can only be detrimental to proper technique, which few know now... however, Pavarotti knew quite well and is one of the best.

[Pollione88]

@IbranandoBaritone But you do agree that an Opera singer has to raise the soft palate when singing?

[IbranandoBaritone]

@Pollione88 Of course, without lifting the palatte you cannot create resonance, which magnifies the voice and makes it sound nicer. Leaving the soft palatte down will result in an unrefined darker sound.

[Pollione88]

@IbranandoBaritone OK I'm just wondering because you say that covering is not something that should be "taught". My teacher tries to teach me how to cover. He wants me to keep the breath low and support low in the body and all that, have space in the throat and so on....but he also tries to get me to sing with head voice/cover/turn which seems to mean the same to him and he gives me instructions to feel a sensation of being "blocked behind the nose" to achieve it. What do you think of that?

[IbranandoBaritone]

@Pollione88 When he says blocked behind the nose that suggests to me covering, does he make you do that throughout your whole range? Covering occurs at and around the passagio, above it a bit of space opens up behind it, and when you get to the highest notes in your range you do what's called hooking. The majority of your notes however should not be covered or hooked, they should be sung naturally with resonance ie- making spacing, pulling the sound into the head and getting it to flip.

[Pollione88]

@IbranandoBaritone Yes, he wants me to cover not only around and above the passagio but throughout the whole range. When the sound is covered all the time, the voice doesn't appear to have breaks anymore and everything starts to sound round, soft and easy. Combined with low breath support and an open sensation in the back of the head and that feeling of being blocked in the front, I have a feeling of singing open and closed at the same. The only difference is more support as I go higher.

[IbranandoBaritone]

@Pollione88 Covering throughout the whole range is not good, it will make your sound unnatural and make it hard to create resonance. Eventually covering throughout your range will make you sound overdarkened and you will lose the beauty in the voice. You'll end up "sounding like an opera singer", and not actually sing beautifully.

[Pollione88]

@IbranandoBaritone I agree. Covering is only a word after all. Alfredo Kraus said he never covered. But he does things that other people would consider covering. Important is to find a way to sing effortlessly and beautifully throughout the range. I am absolutely against the idea of darkening the voice. However, the singer has control over how much he covers, it's not an on/off switch. He can cover at let's say 20%, just enough to protect the voice if he prefers a clear and light sound.

[IbranandoBaritone]

@Pollione88 As i said before covering should occur naturally if you are singing properly, however you do have control over it, and should only cover around the passagio, that's it really.

[Pollione88]

@IbranandoBaritone Absolutely. The proof is in the sound alone and everything else is just words. Even someone who has no clue about opera and technique can tell if an amateur sings next to a professional. You can have 2 great singers doing essentially the same thing but once they talk about what they are doing, they couldn't disagree more with each other. Pavarotti says he covers, Kraus denies, but the technique is essentially the same. Pavarotti darkens (covers) & pushes slightly more perhaps.

[Pollione88]

@IbranandoBaritone One more thing. Of course a singer must not only cover around the passagio, but all the way to the top as well. Especially the top desperately needs covering no matter what, no?

[Pollione88]

@IbranandoBaritone Actually, I have to confess I have no idea about technique. I am just trying to learn and understand ;) ;)

[IbranandoBaritone]

@Pollione88 Very few singers sing correctly. And you start to hook at your highest notes, not cover.

[Pollione88]

@IbranandoBaritone I'm intrigued by what you call "hooking" because I've never heard about it before. Does it originate from the Italian belcanto technique, and if yes, what is it called in Italian? Also, can you explain what happens in regards to the mechanics in the body when you hook and why the singer should stop covering at the highest notes. Which notes are we talking about, B flat upwards? What would happen if the singer doesn't hook but simply continues to cover as he goes to the top?

[Pollione88]

@IbranandoBaritone I'm intrigued by what you call "hooking" because I've never heard the term before. Does it originate in the Italian belcanto technique, and if yes, what is it called in Italian? Also, can you explain the mechanics which take place in the body when the singer "hooks" and what would happen if he would continue to cover all the way to the top instead? When does the tenor need to abandon covering and start hooking, from top B flat upwards?

[sopranosd]

@IbranandoBaritone - I agree. A low soft palate reduces resonance and creates flat ugly vowels, like the Boston broad "A" It can also make you sing flat. I think this covering thing is nonsense. It's support, a relaxed throat, making room above for the ascending scale, and moving without strangling to the higher range. Why would that ever be bad?

[sopranosd]

@IbranandoBaritone - I don't know what you mean by 'pulling' but it does not seem right to me. Singing is about releasing and making space.  It's breathing in while breathing out. You support from a natural place (not necessarily super low, especially for a coloratura like me) and by expanding your ribs you make space for the air so your breath is consistent. Again, will someone please explain what the heck you mean by 'covering'?

[aguacun]

That High B is perhaps one of the most difficult notes of the tenor repertory because all the aria is very difficult, specially te last phrase: ei che le sfere, ending in this B. What I most like is how soft and easy sounds this note in Pavarotti´s voice... some famous tenors like he was used to transpose down this note... may be saying is because this note was not writted in the score... but we now that is not the reason. GREAT PAVAROTTI

[NOSIK7771]

супер!

[wacok2]

Ohh he did it again. I've finished crying...maybe because this is ART (in capitals)?

[arcot9]

We will NEVER hear a voice like this again in our generation. BRAVO Pavarotti!

[operafan85]

My favourite Duke!

[GREATWHITEish]

who cares about all this covering nonsense.....PAVAROTTI sounded like a GOD....no one comes close to his unbelievable resonnance........celestial overtones!!

[Webarton]

You're right! I never said I didn't like Pavarotti! Just technically, the singing wasn't perfect.

[aroncooker]

ok, that was a dumb comment. There is no tenor more perfect

[aguacun]

@Webarton , I think that those not perfect notes that somtimes Pavarotti used to sing are what makes him what he was... a perfect techically voice sounds boring. When I listen to Pavarotti I listen a man voice, not a singer or tenor voice... so natural... as Bono once said, Pavarotti has not only gold on his voice but other metals, including iron...meaning that he have imputiries as the the metal can be found in the nature... nature is the clue... HAIL PAVAROTTI

[aroncooker]

@GREATWHITEish  very true!

[sopranosd]

@GREATWHITEish - OK, what is this hooking? Another tenor mentioned it to me, but could not explain it at all, except to say that many tenors do it. Yay. Is it jumping from the passaggio upward in some fashion? Is it that weird stopping on a middle note on the way to a high note thing (Alagna does this all the time; it is so irritating) Anyhow, as far as I can tell, it refers to negotiating the passaggio without strangling. Please educate me.

[aroncooker]

he never sang in the throat. I dont think you know what you are hearing.

[aroncooker]

@ Webarton not sure thats what cover really means but either way Pava never sang in the throat. Your not listening for the right thing.

[claudiof77]

Grande Luciano, immenso Duca

[Mooorhe]

It's not really crap.

[Webarton]

Listen to it! It is solid evidence that "covering" doesn't work!

[enricodicapri]

every performance of Pavarotti is a statement of how "covering" should be done. If you hear that the Bflat is open is because that is how it should be. After after the pasaggio the voive "gira" and it can go out free again because the passagio was correctly done, well covered.

[Webarton]

You are lazy, go listen to the example that I gave.

And if you're a singer you know it.

[enricodicapri]

You are wright he openend, it seems he did so because he felt he over did in the darkening but I stil belie thar some modifications should be done in the passaggio and Pav is usually a great example of how it should be done. have you seen Rockwell balke´s video on Dark timbre?? It´s very ilustriting. gedda also talks about the coverage, Giacomini, also. The main point is to understand what is it that we are talking about when we say "cover" because it is a very tricky concept.

[enricodicapri]

If you cover with the base of your tong then "covering" is a synonymous of more THROATY. but if that dark sound is , as it should be, the consequence of space, then it is good technique. I am my own person and i hear and i observe. I´m trying to have a good discussion with you so please stop assuming you are the only enlighten who observes and is able to do an analysis.

Tell me who you like as a technical singer so we can discuss starting from you likes

[aroncooker]

Yes these tenors were wonderful, although i dont prefer Kraus because of his nasally tambour. But pava did it pretty damn perfectly all the time. it didnt change his sound or tambour, he just narrowed and focused the sound like you have to through the passagio, which is why his top was so powerful and consistent.

[aroncooker]

pavarotti haha, technical god

[aroncooker]

Wrong, wrong, wrong.... sorry, cover does not mean throaty. He doesnt sound tired to me. If you hear he still covers like you say until the day he died. And he stilled sounded pretty damn amazing.

[enricodicapri]

I don´t really think he was going to crack n trhe worst of cases it would have been a strangled tone and with it he could not have donethe "docisimo" the score idicates for that finale.

Again when i speak of covering I´m not speaking of tongue cover. That it is just a damagging trick some siger use in order to false a heavier sound (that was the problem with Carreras and with Di Stefano)

[SpitsBeaTz]

What do you like? :O

[enricodicapri]

second part.

We agree completely that the sond shoul be open- The throat should be completely open, letting the air flow freely through the folds but to achive that the larinx should be down un the soft palate up creating a longer space between them. And it it because of this wither space that the sound is darker, "covered".

[aroncooker]

Please just ignore that. He doesnt know what he is talking about. Seriously....

[Webarton]

Our carreers will determine that.Ask your teacher about the concepts I mentioned.

[aroncooker]

Ok, our careers.... The concepts you talk about are true in terms of correct vocal production. Its just putting them to what your hearing is whats wrong.

[aroncooker]

@Mooorhe you arent gonna get anywhere with him...

[spgtenor]

Levine is an arrogant ass. Luciano is clearly tired at the beginning of the aria and tries to speed up the tempo, but Levine keeps resisting him, so the two are not in sync. I consider this to be one of the most demanding arias in the lyric repertoire, but Levine wouldn't know that. Pav still pulls off a wonderful rendition despite the fascist Levine.

[tena2]

I agree totally, this is one of the most diffcult arias for a lyric tenor. Kraus´s voice teacher once said that If you can sing this well you can sing it all then, she was damn right. Good opinion yours. Regards

[spgtenor]

This is by far the most difficult in this opera, though Pav stated that "Questa o quella" is the hardest, but only because it comes right away. Most people think La donna e mobile is hard because of the high B, but it's actually one of the easiest arias Verdi has ever written-that is if you still have a voice that late in the opera!

[tena2]

I agree all the way

[Nater389]

Little goof there at 3:55. But doesn't detract from the performance at all.

[operabitch77]

gotta love the change to the 'O" vowel in the passaggio to facilitate the high Bflat! technique baby! technique!

[operabitch77]

he's in cruise control during the whole aria. just pure technique and awareness of the instruments workings. pure technique.  he was a student of the voice until his last breath on this planet. pure technician!

[halavey]

Well I doubt Jussi's heart trouble had anything to do with his occasional transpose down avoiding the C's . Around the early 50's did that and his heart trouble started in 1957 just 3 years before he died according to his wife in the book Jussi. Yet in Jan. 1956 he sang on TV with Tebaldi the shower of stars show producer's show case and in Che Gelida and the duet he sang the B and even before that sometimes he may have not felt like singing the C. 1948 Boheme met Brdcst. was the B also.

[chrissy1095]

Past his prime? If he was, then that only attests to his greatness. He is irreplacable.  I can't listen to these young, skinny tenors who are being touted today. Give me my gorgeous Luciano, in his prime, past his prime, whatever!

[XemoeX]

Magnificent! Thank you for posting this treasure.

[halavey]

In this role anyhow I prefer him earlier, as far as past prime for certain roles that may well be true but if you look at say Jussi Bjorling he was avoiding high C's often in his 40'S and I mean live ones and he died at 49 suddenly of heart trouble. He had great high C's when younger but even late in several roles the sound was great but not as free as when he was younger on top naturally and at times he had excessive vibrato, something pav. never had a problem with and I am a big JB fan.

[Pavarotti4eva]

maybe his heart trouble and lack of high c's were both related?

[thunderboltful]

Bravooooooooooooooooooo!

[Pagliaccio1970]

A little past his prime?? He was 41...are people serious??

[Mooorhe]

He was past his prime, yes. And he was 46, not 41.

[Pawelp]

@Mooorhe Maybe in age but in many ways ever so slightly in his voice.. I mean, he obviously still sounded great at 46 :)

[6744sorn]

He was past his prime by 1981. One of the reasons he lasted so long was that no one came along to replace him. He sounded as good here as most of the next generation of lyric tenors.

[Nater389]

Right, upcoming singers didn't match. He had superb technique as well that allowed him to last a long time.

[madbeetz11]

I WISH HE COULD BE MY DAD AND MY LOVER

[loveluciano1]

Me too, what a wonderful dream!

[dee1153]

Uh, forget the dad, I'll take the lover, though! What a gorgeous man. WOW...

[loveluciano1]

he take my breath and my soul.

[operaspark]

Thanks for uploading this video Mooorhe. I love how Pavarotti sings this aria, but i'd not previously seen this version from the met.

More so than any other version i've heard Pavarotti sing this aria he really seems to be concentrating on the duke's tragedy at losing Gilda.

[lpizzella]

Que bella voz fue Luciano Pavarotti, ahora no suena igual en vivo que en estudio, esa aceleracion le da un toque de distincion pero no es lo ideal. En esta presentacion escuchen el addio en dueto y veran a que me refiero. Igualmente fuiste un tenorazo que siempre recordaremos.

[Nater389]

Listen to the 1966 versiom from Rome to hear the glorious Bb.

[loveluciano1]

Bravo so beautiful how he sung, and so beautiful he was. i love him so mcuh.

[dominiclorange]

A lot of colors in this rendition! Incredible! Have you noticed hat he doesn't open his mouth that much to sing notes around the passagio? You don't have to if you breathe correctly. Thank you for this video, an inspiring one!

[dee1153]

He is beautiful.

[ShawDAMAN]

Very nice! I wonder though why he pronounced the last "per te" almost like "per toy." =D Is that a phrasing technique to make it easier or something? :)

[Mooorhe]

I noticed that... I guess he just forgot which way the vowel goes, must be hard to remember the whole opera when it's so long. Lol.

[ShawDAMAN]

I would imagine. I'm not sure I would have the brains to memorize multiple roles, all hours long- it really does take dedication I guess.

[Nater389]

Was it this performance where Levine gets upset because he sang the Bb?

[Mooorhe]

It was this production, this was the last of the run I think, Levine had probably accepted that Pavarotti wanted to do it with the Bb by this performance.

[itonlyhappens]

i don't know this story - would you explain a bit? I'm assuming that the Bb that Pav sings at 4:07 is not in the original score? Most of the versions I've heard have the Bb.

[tdeane34]

@Mooorhe But honestly, what tenor(Domingo)sings this aria without the Bb?

[Villazonlover1]

@tdeane34 HEY!!!!You better not b dissin' Placido!!! Sure he's not Luciano but he's still had a career as good as! And in my opinion he IS AS GOOD AS!!!!!!!

[tdeane34]

@Villazonlover1 Ridiculous

[MarioLanza2]

Yes, you're right. It is for technique issues. It is also true that some singers can sing some vowels easier than some other vowels. :)

[pearlmuth3]

He may have been past his best but in someways he was better, more volume in the house and I heard him after this and way before this in 1973 his chicago role in tosca stands out in my mind as some of his best singing and tosca has no high C's !