Search - Luciano Pavarotti :: Pavarotti Forever

Forever, indeed

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 10/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This double CD at budget price in honor of the great Pavarotti must have been prepared in advance of his death, since it arrives within weeks of his demise from pancreatic cancer. CD 1 is devoted to his greatest hits from opera, CD 2 mainly to the greatest hits on the crossovver-pop side of his career. Toward the end of his long public life, Pavarotti was dismissed by critics as musically irrelevant, a once-great voice pushed far beyond its viable life span. At worst he was seen as a defector from the sacred temple of classical music to the muddy arena of popular kitsch.



Yet I loved him -- the world loved him -- beyond any other tenor in modern memory. He was immense and lovable in all his incarnations, whether at Wembley Stadium, Central Park, the Met, or his native Modena. Painted by the media as a creature of excess, I have no doubt he was, but what a glorious excess! Intimates described him as a child in a man's huge body, and he was often as lazy as he was self-indulgent. Does any of that matter? As the opera selections in this set testify, Pavarotti's dedicaiton to the highest artistic standards was a hallmark of his musicianship for twenty years. He was extravagantly gifted but also extravagantly giving. What he had to give was all of himself. That's a hugely egotistical way to go thorugh life, and yet for the rare few who can bring it off, it's also hugely rewrding, for both giver and receiver. I will never forget the one and only time I heard the great man in recital, and despite the hype of "Pavarotti Forever," his name will endure for a very, very long time."

Excellent compilation, but...

monoblocks | Seattle, WA | 11/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...be forewarned. Anyone who already purchased 'Pavarotti Greatest Hits' released a decade ago in 1997 (also often referred to as 'The Ultimate Collection'), will already have this material released in this form, even if the artwork is quite a bit different.



This is a quick and (I unfortunately have to say a bit) dirty repackaging of the earlier set, without benefit of remastering or any other such tweaks. You can make your own judgments about the merits of Pavarotti's recording label for their actions in timing and makeover, but for the uninitiated it IS nonetheless a great introduction to a fabulous voice and persona that has now gone on to another realm for other souls to enjoy. For us remaining here, what we have left is his recorded legacy and memories of past concert performances. Even for longtime fans with extensive Pavarotti music already in your library, if you missed out on the earlier release version this is still worthy of purchase, if only because it contains many of Pavarotti's best recorded performances in a single collection."

The Gift.

Frank A. Stephenson | Phoenix | 01/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is sad, isn't it, that we take our gifted artists for granted until they're gone forever. I'm guilty of that short-sightedness to this day and here is a great example. When Pavarotti began his rush to fame in the early 1990's, like many others, I just knew his singing would be around throughout my lifetime. Now he's gone. Had he not passed on, I probably would still not have owned this CD continuing to take his gift to us for granted. Nevertheless, the reality creeps in and I bought it in remembrance of him and I'm not one bit disappointed. The CD is clear and crisp and if you close your eyes, he is standing in the room waving his white handkirchief at you so you can wipe away the tears - I'll guarantee you they'll come."