Luciano Pavarotti - Vittoria, vittoria! - Live 1978

Luciano Pavarotti sings a wonderful version of Vittoria from act II of Puccini's Tosca. This is one of the best lyrical interpretations of Cavaradossi I've ever heard. One wouldn't usually associate Pavarotti with acting, but he was very convincing as an actor - before his weight made it difficult. Shirley Verrett is singing Tosca and Cornell MacNeil Scarpia.

Live 1978 - Tosca - The Metropolitan opera orchestra conducted by James Levine.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Luciano
• Pavarotti
• vittoria
• tosca
• cavaradossi
• mario
• levine
• metropolitan
• opera

[stevevandien]

I doubt that Pav, Mac and Verrett rank among the GREATEST interpreters of these roles. But good grief, what would we give to have three such singers performing "Tosca" today? --

[Mooorhe]

I think they are pretty high up in the standings as far as full casts are concerned. Pavarotti and Verrett are very lyrical and beautiful in their singing of the roles. They act in a beautiful, albeit simple way. MacNeil is definitely among the greatest Scarpias ever though, he gave some really bad performances of the role as he sang for years too long, but at his best in the '60s, he was close to unbeatable, in my opinion anyway.

[GermanOperaSinger]

It is wonderful, but he really seems to be pushing it...

[Mooorhe]

Pushing it?

[GermanOperaSinger]

Pushing his voice. Watch his face.

[Mooorhe]

I think the facial expressions are for dramatic effect. A good example of him pushing for a note is the 1981 Rigoletto in the Addio duet (on my profile) and the 1979 Sutherland/Pavarotti joint recital also on the Addio duet from Rigoletto (can be found on YT under a video labeled 'Signor ne principe') where he tenses every muscle in his face to try and hit that C# on pitch.

[aroncooker]

I am so sick of people saying Pavarotti wasnt a good actor. People are effing stupid. Just watch his expression and subtlety. THIS IS ART! What we have today is shit. Shit singing, and shit "ACTING". People dont know what acting is. Everyone wants to be spoon fed everything. God what has this world come to. PAVAROTTI= PERFECTION

[TheInquisitive4Ever]

Acting is done with the voice in opera. The exaggerated gestures and such which were extensively used by the likes of Domingo, Carreras, Villazon etc is to distract the audience from their flawed singing. The voice is everything in opera although relatively recently some idiots in the opera world are trying to shift the emphasis on the so-called acting as the slate of alleged top tenors are quite pedestrian as compared to the GREATS of the past.

[fabrizzzio48]

@Mooorhe Just saw the Signo ne principe clip. True he is pretty engage in that C#, but while the face might show a a lot of action, the throat is loose, and column of air, not too powerful but satisfactory.

[fabrizzzio48]

@TheInquisitive4Ever

Well applied poison is medicine.

[Kivimusic]

2:05! Pure fire!

[mrluistena]

@aroncooker Pavarotti was not perfection at all, he had for a number of year a high quality voice sound and a rare personality but miles aways from perfection at least from a true career opera point of view, in my opinion too of course. If you want me to name you a perfect career in opera, that would be Sutherland, Kraus, Nucci.

[MrDiabo76]

E' vero..la sua voce non era adattissima per Cavaradossi...ma come cantava Recondita armonia, non la cantava nessuno.

[31122051]

@pavarottithebest : carissimo amico, come sempre condivido tutto quello che hai scritto. E' vero, la voce di Pavarotti era un po' troppo leggerina per " Tosca " ( in generale non era una voce molto pucciniana, eccezion fatta per " Bohème " ), però che bel timbro ! Che solida tecnica ! Che eleganza meravigliosa nel porgere le varie frasi del discorso musicale ! Un grandissimo cantante ! Nel suo repertorio poi era assolutamente sublime ( lo preferisco anche a Kraus ) ! CIAO e stammi bene !!!

[pavarottithebest]

@31122051 Quanto hai ragione amico mio, la sua perdita ha segnato lo sconforto in tutti noi. Big Luciano è stato veramente un tenore valido in TUTTO quello che cantava, anche se moltissimi ruoli non si addicevano alla sua voce. Uno degli esempi è proprio questo ruolo dove comunque la sua voce era FUORI REPERTORIO, oltretutto però in questo teatro l'ha debuttato e ha lasciato la carriera operistica proprio con quest'opera e nello stesso teatro nel 2004. Ci manca davvero tanto!!!

[aroncooker]

@TheInquisitive4Ever its unfortunate, but it will change! Promise you!

[aroncooker]

@TheInquisitive4Ever couldnt have said it better myself!  :)

[jtanton10]

1:17 - 1:31 My ears just orgasmed that was awesome.