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Pavarotti Lipsynched Last Performance |
Contributed By: Jah!
Created On: Monday, 07 April 2008
Hits: 61
 Luciano Pavarotti Magiera, who worked with Pavarotti for years, said the tenor was suffering from sharp pains months before being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was using a wheelchair. Pavarotti died in September 2007. He was 71. Pavarotti recorded the famed aria from Puccini's "Turandot" in a studio in his hometown of Modena a few days before his February appearance in Turin, Magiera said. The orchestra prerecorded its part separately.
Magiera did not elaborate on why Pavarotti was using a wheelchair. He stood during the Turin performance. Pavarotti's former manager, Terri Robson, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that the decision lip-synch was made because of the cold during the outdoor evening event. The singer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the summer of 2006 as he was preparing to leave New York to resume a farewell tour. Pavarotti underwent surgery in New York in early July, and his remaining 2006 concerts were canceled.
Earlier that year, Pavarotti postponed five June dates because of what was described as complications from back surgery. He canceled eight concerts in April, saying he had been advised not to travel or perform while undergoing back treatment. Robson said the tenor's voice was "in great shape ... but because of the extreme late-night temperature in Turin in February, for both him and the orchestra, it was decided that the only way to make it work was for him to pre-record."
Pavarotti lip-synched a performance in 1992 in Modena, drawing heavy criticism. His charismatic persona, ebullient showmanship, and powerful voice made him the most beloved and celebrated tenor since the great Caruso and one of the few opera singers to win crossover fame as a popular superstar. He appeared in television commercials and sang in hugely lucrative mega-concerts outdoors and in stadiums around the world, also mingling with pop stars in his series of charity concerts, "Pavarotti & Friends."
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