The No.1 Tenor in the World

[Insidious Von]

Classical music isn't dead.

Hard to believe that a German (Jonas Kaufmann) is achieving the same sort of mass appeal Luciano Pavarotti enjoyed in the 70's.

Known primarily as a Helgentenor, he's been taking on more of the Italian repertoire lately.

 

[Insidious Von]

Typical of a German, he spends his summers in Italy and is a confessed espresso addict.

Of course, as languages, Italian and German are extremely different. He can't disguise his German diction here - but it works.

 

[Insidious Von]

This made him famous, fiendishly difficult to sing, he breezed through it.

 

[Insidious Von]

In my book, the litmus test.

 

[Insidious Von]

Although well done, with two dramatic voices, it was too opaque. The duet is for a lyric tenor, notice the difference.

 

[malata]

Luciano Pavarotti makes my balls tingle

 

[Insidious Von]

Luciano Pavarotti got undeserved criticism for becoming a quasi pop star late in his career. Imho, he made opera popular again, he was entitled to do what he wanted. He got a big push early in his career from Herbert von Karajan.

 

[uklatecomer]

My favorite Pavarotti "pop" duet.