Luciano Pavarotti - Ella mi fu rapita - Live 1981

Luciano Pavarotti sings an achingly beautiful rendition of Ella mi fu rapita; Parmi veder le lagrime from act II of Verdi's Rigoletto. He does amazingly well here, even though he's a tad past his prime. At 4.07 you will witness one of opera's very finest moments, a Bb which is so meltingly gorgeous that it warms your heart.
Live 1981 - Rigoletto - The Metropolitan opera orchestra conducted by James Levine

[@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.

[@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!

[@DionIsaiah]

More of natural tenor imo. Literally born with this voice

[@pavarotti744]

Total singing machine...what a sound!

[@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.

[@numipieta5761]

Extraordinary, divine Luciano! He seems to be slightly ahead of the orchestra. Poor Levine, for everything he did for that theater...Both of them are now angeli musicanti per sempiternum...

[@arcot9]

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

[@bernardogirardi4604]

Really...THANK'S GOD!!!

[@doet1064]

in no generation that will come;)

[@ellenlyons7413]

thats right he is the best voice of all time, never to be equaled, a once in a millions years. @@doet1064

[@telfordguy34uk]

What can you say that hasn't already been said ? I'll go with perfection.

[@WakeUpJoshua80]

The best there EVER was. And probably the best there ever will be, considering humamity's mentality of destruction and sabotage. His voice was captured, by audio, but his mastery of voice will survive only as long as society continues. After that, this side of the universe must start from scratch to reach that high with such eloquent and unparalleled resonance.

[@KarstenKriwat]

Luciano the best tenor ever!

[@maximus1295]

Lol. He was the only one tenor on operatic trash

[@maximus1295]

On tapes

[@KarstenKriwat]

@@maximus1295 And who had the higher C?

[@pavarotti744]

Pavarotti is electrifying, simply wonderful, amazing.

[@photo161]

Pavarotti in superb voice and singing most expressively.. an extremely beautiful and utterly satisfying performance.

[@ron-yc5bh]

They say at the moment when he sing this aria. He was over his top. He is better here then al the top tenors we have now in 2016

[@stardust8359]

thats because he is the best tenor who has ever lived.

[@davidetenorino]

And also 2020...

[@bernardogirardi4604]

@@stardust8359 since your "answer" I guess you are a...really YOUNG boy...but ...you'll LEARN....time will..teach you...I hope

[@paoloparravicini3526]

Il miglior tenore di tutti i tempi...voce inconfondibile...la senti e senza vederlo sai che è lui....grande luciano

[@RIcoRick74]

Grande Luciano, un mito!

[@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

[@giovannimedini2091]

irraggiungibile!--fantastico!

[@flav2689]

Amen.

[@theodorecoen2793]

pro tip : you can watch series on Flixzone. Been using them for watching a lot of movies lately.

[@kannonhouston6754]

@Theodore Coen definitely, I've been using flixzone for months myself =)

[@stevenburton7922]

Well said!

[@giovannivercesi6503]

Dizione unica Grandissimo

[@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.

[@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!

[@germanquintero10121946]

MARAVILLA PURA

[@johnmills5064]

magnificent

[@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---

[@giuseppinascapparone5912]

Divino Pavarotti!!!!

[@djkostya76]

The best ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@operabitch77]

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

[@utscav]

not a huge opera fan, but watching this brought me to tears. wow!

[@sergealin9796]

The Duke is for me his best performance !

[@giovannimedini2091]

Fantastico Luciano Grazie

[@dee1153]

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

[@jadeladygrey3698]

Yes, many woman ,myself included, would not have put up much of a resistance if the Duca had come riding up on that big black charger and sang with such passion at them.

[@bcdside]

Thanks, Tom! Frasier, "Look Before You Leap."

[@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.

[@user-du4jd8zi6y]

Why his sound is so natural? Unbelievable

[@grandeopera]

not past his prime yet by the sound of it.

[@giacomofoti264]

straordinario

[@giovannimedini2091]

You must Remember Pav in 1971 in. Tokio.... wonderful. ....more than wonderful

[@MrGer2295]

Beautiful singing ! Thank you for posting :)

[@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!

[@trueblue3351]

lo amo....

[@lamex42]

We miss you!

[@dorotagembicka8384]

J'aime Luciano

[@elkegoldberg5733]

Wunderschön!!

[@dee1153]

He is beautiful.

[@maximus1295]

Not so. His voice already has been damaged. Heavy roles for uncoloured tenor are bad

[@heisenberg470]

​@@maximus1295Great Comment. Finally someone who say the truth about his voice in the '80.

[@chaiter1]

Beautiful.

[@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.

[@fireonephototgraphy2877]

I'm only here because I wanted to hear what it was Frasier was supposed to have attempted on PBS, only to chicken out at the last minute 😂

[@ianfinrir8724]

Yeah, no way Frasier was hitting the high notes.

[@aaronmichaelcooker]

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

[@davidecostanzo1441]

Grande maestro! Avrei preferito l'altra versione ma stupendo

[@jaydee9124]

Thank you for posting all these wonderful videos .

[@heisenberg470]

Migliore nella versione di 10 anni prima registrata nel 1971, il Pavarotti degli anni '80 aveva già perso lo smalto dei tempi d'oro.

[@lydiaguarro]

Il tempo pasa. Nato nel 35. Cantando dal 60.

[@pavarotti744]

no one can sing like him. All the others huff and heave, sound a little constructed Corelli etc much as i like him and many others too but, with Pavarotti it's like opening the flood gates of a great Dam, it just pours forth with no sign of visible effort...look at his eyes and face, no strain.

[@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.

[@QUESTANOTTE88]

Un Dio ❤️

[@MuratOranci]

Parmi veder le lagrime Scorrenti da quel ciglio, Quando fra il dubbio e l'ansia Del subito periglio, |: Dell'amor nostro memore :| Il suo Gualtier chiamò. Ned ei potea soccorrerti, Cara fanciulla amata; Ei che vorria coll'anima Farti quaggiù beata; |: Ei che le sfere agli angeli :| Per te non invidiò. Ei che |: le sfere :| agli angeli Per te Per te le sfere agli angeli per te non invidiò. Per te

[@sylviallera5450]

Gracias por la letra😊

[@tiatoms5379]

Primissimo tenore

[@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

[@sauronbaggins1833]

aguacun you meant “written”, not writted. No such word exists.

[@Nater389]

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

[@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!

[@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

[@Nater389]

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

[@silvanogiusti813]

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@aaronmichaelcooker]

@GREATWHITEish very true!

[@albertodiaz1531]

Pavarotti good tenor best Caruso wold

[@maximus1295]

Your caruso was a bass, he screamed like a mad in tenors repertoire

[@josephcold]

@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.

[@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".

[@aaronmichaelcooker]

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.

[@heisenberg470]

Of course he was not throaty at all, but the acute note is opaque, not brilliant as in his 1971 performance.

[@annadogolewska2359]

Don’t you have an impression that Pava at moments accelerates so much that Levine has to chase him? IMHO there are moments when the singer and the orchestra are crossing...

[@aaronmichaelcooker]

@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.

[@maximus1295]

2:57 still got tenors top. Most "tenors", which are baries forcing here and bari corelli too with his histerical voice

[@inspectorjavert8443]

I wish I could really here Kelsy Grammar sing this, though he has no chance of beating Pavarotti :)

[@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.

[@edwardkerrigan5356]

Past his prime - what are you talking about, he wasn't yet 50.

[@aaronmichaelcooker]

pavarotti haha, technical god

[@josephcold]

@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.

[@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.

[@josephcold]

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

[@d.k2502]

Parmi vedere le lacrime i would prefer it more slower.. More space, more emotions!

[@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? :)

[@sauronbaggins1833]

ShawDAMAN to cover the vowel

[@tdeane34]

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

[@juancruzgamarra5259]

Schipa, Alagna

[@rachelmelton4852]

0:22

[@rachelmelton4852]

0:23

[@ChristianSport]

The spectacular spiderman gangland fight

[@Nater389]

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

[@josephcold]

@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.

[@ssr6036]

You completely misunderstand "U" vowel. The sound is not in the throat, the "U" opens the throat length ways and allows the larynx to drop, it also activates and connects the voice to the diaphragam. The Italian language is already naturally placed in this position. The sound is in Pavs mask, fron the top lip up, it is not in in his throat. Without that "U" though, his sound will become strangled as the larynx will raise. Pav's entire voice is covered, when he gets to the passagio it just starts to turn more. He is not modifying the vowel, he is apply more diaphragmatic support to equalize the pressure on the vocal chords.

[@Mooorhe]

It's not really crap.

[@Nater389]

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

[@aaronmichaelcooker]

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

[@aaronmichaelcooker]

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

[@Mooorhe]

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

[@maximus1295]

Its not the main reason. Uncoloured tenor cracked his voice on heavy roles

[@edwardkerrigan5356]

Past his prime at 46, what are you talking about? Listen to the superb version of this aria by Jan Peerce in the 1950 RCA recording of the opera under Cellini - he was 46 at the time as well. I read somewhere, by the way, that Pavarotti studied Peerce's version of the Duke to assist with his phrasing - don't know how true that is. I suppose it is feasible as Pav was no musician, whereas Peerce was a musician par excellence.

[@aaronmichaelcooker]

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.

[@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.

[@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)

[@aaronmichaelcooker]

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.

[@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

[@josephcold]

@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.

[@aaronmichaelcooker]

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

[@jbell0243]

Aaron Cooker lol I agree that anyone trying to decry Pavarotti’s technique is full of it, however all singing is done in the throat;)

[@jbell0243]

Aaron Cooker of course he sang in the throat!! SINGING HAPPENS IN THE THROAT. Lol I love these bullshit terms everyone uses “not in your throat”. Well where the hell is it?

[@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.

[@skytrainflying]

pavarotti is a technical king with his singing. but I think not all can sing like him on the stage. the end he sings pör toe.....absolutly no go with my musicdirector!

[@ron-yc5bh]

And who the f is your musicdirector ?? Shi lei ?? To say that ?

[@aaronmichaelcooker]

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

[@bernardogirardi4604]

PERCHE non canta come " è SCRITTA?!?"... è NORMALE che un tenore (degno di tale nome..) raggiunga note alte ma...NON quando l'Autore NON le scrisse...credo...

[@josephcold]

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

[@slowbrun5428]

Like si viniste bibliotecaria de auschwitz

[@cesarezappa7574]

era una macchina perfetta di suoni purtroppo non credibile dal punto di vista di trasmettere emozioni nella interpretazione,molto meglio Bonisolli e il grande Di Stefano