Two great Opera singers dead within a week ...

[dogtag]

First Jessye Norman and now Marcello Giordani.
The tenor being the best since Domingo.
I'm probably the lone opera lover around here, but
if the remote possibility exists that there's another
person around here who appreciates the finer things,
I thought you'd like to know.

https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/10/marcello-giordani-dead/

[bruce]

Both were very fine vocalist. Death of both is a real loss to those who enjoy opera. Sincerely. bruce.

[pcox]

Luciano Pavoratti performing Nesun Dorma is my favorite piece of music.

[Oyaji]

Luciano Pavoratti and Barry White doing "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" in Italian and English.

[Mark in Ottawa]

I was certainly familiar with Jessye Norman but not with Giordani. I just watched some clips on YouTube of him singing from Tosca and Turandot and yes he was very good. I see that he died at 56 of a heart attack - pretty young unfortunately.

[pcox]

Luciano Pavoratti and Barry White doing "You're the First, the Last, My Everything" in Italian and English.

Pavoratti stood head and shoulders above every other tenor of his time. He was acknowledged as the best since Caruso.

[dogtag]

Pavoratti stood head and shoulders above every other tenor of his time. He was acknowledged as the best since Caruso.

Acknowledged by whom ?
Pavarotti was a lyric tenor (could sing only light roles in the theater)
Domingo was a dramatic tenor (Could sing only the heavier roles in the theater)
No microphones on the opera stage, which is why Pavarotti sang almost
entirely on the concert stage where there were microphones. (plus more money)
Caruso started as a lyric, graduated to dramatic later in his life. (more meaty roles)
Domingo sang 4000 performances on the opera stage, Pavarotti less than 100.
You cannot compare lyric with dramatic or spinto voices, nor apples with oranges.
Pavarotti started out as a wonderful lyric voice (Daughter of the regiment has 9
high Cs one after the other - Pavarotti did them brilliantly but he spoiled his voice
to a large degree attempting heavier roles (Aida, Il Trovatore). \
Studio recordings with microphones and re-takes don't count.