Jessie Wallace
06-09-2007, 07:16
Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti has died, his manager said.
Pavarotti, 71, had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent further treatment in August.
The opera legend's vibrant high Cs and ebullient showmanship made him one of the most beloved tenors.
Pavarotti died at 5am Italian time (4am BST), surrounded by his family, manager Terri Robson said in an email statement.
"The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life.
"In fitting with the approach that characterised his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness," the statement said.
The singer died at his home in Modena.
For serious fans, the unforced beauty and thrilling urgency of Pavarotti's voice made him the ideal interpreter of the Italian lyric repertory, especially in the 1960s and 70s when he first achieved stardom.
For millions more, his charismatic performances of standards like Nessun dorma from Puccini's Turandot came to represent what opera is all about.
Instantly recognisable from his charcoal black beard and tuxedo-busting girth, Pavarotti radiated an intangible magic that helped him win hearts in a way Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras - his partners in the Three Tenors concerts - never quite could.
Pavarotti, 71, had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent further treatment in August.
The opera legend's vibrant high Cs and ebullient showmanship made him one of the most beloved tenors.
Pavarotti died at 5am Italian time (4am BST), surrounded by his family, manager Terri Robson said in an email statement.
"The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life.
"In fitting with the approach that characterised his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness," the statement said.
The singer died at his home in Modena.
For serious fans, the unforced beauty and thrilling urgency of Pavarotti's voice made him the ideal interpreter of the Italian lyric repertory, especially in the 1960s and 70s when he first achieved stardom.
For millions more, his charismatic performances of standards like Nessun dorma from Puccini's Turandot came to represent what opera is all about.
Instantly recognisable from his charcoal black beard and tuxedo-busting girth, Pavarotti radiated an intangible magic that helped him win hearts in a way Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras - his partners in the Three Tenors concerts - never quite could.