Luciano Pavarotti

Luciano Pavarotti was certainly the most famous operatic tenor of the last three decades of the Twentieth Century. Even opera ignoramuses have to admit he had a great voice even when up in years. And the singing of Luciano - particularly when young - reveals a rare anomaly, an operatic tenor that is actually pleasant to listen to.

Luciano was one of the few opera stars to gain a mainstream audience. He appeared on The Muppets and Sesame Street television shows - the height of fame, we must say - and he even starred in the film, Yes, Giorgio!, a 1982 comedy about an opera star who loses his voice and then falls for his voice therapist. Most reviewers of the movie, one of whom titled his article, "No, Giorgio!", seemed to say, "For God's sake, Luciano, sing!

Then came the deep dark secret revealed by conductor Magiera Leone in Pavarotti visto da vicino or Pavorati Seen Up Close (BMG-Edizione, 2008). During the his performance of "Nessun Dorma" during the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics, Luciano (gasp!) lip-synched the song! Among the reasons given was the tenor was then quite ill and had to get around in a wheelchair, and the weather was too cold for Luciano to sing or the orchestra to play (try playing any musical instrument in freezing weather). So a good lip-synched and faked performance was, everyone reasoned, better than none at all.

Actually, though, the secret wasn't really that much of a secret, and besides, Luciano had caused a flap with lip-syncing before. In 1992 the BBC contracted him for the rights of a concert in Modena where Luciano was featured. Rehearsal time was limited so Luciano thought he'd prerecord his singing and make sure it was up to Pavarotti snuff. It wasn't until after the performance was over and the tape delivered that the BBC found they didn't get Luciano live. The broadcasters thought at the least they deserved a partial refund.

You can debate endlessly whether a good lip-synced performance is better than a mediocre live one. But one critic pointed out the virtue of a truly live performance is you don't know how it will come out. Sometimes it stinks. Sometimes it's even better than what can ever be caught in a studio. But that's what makes a live performance worth seeing.

Besides what's next? A scripted and rehearsed Super Bowl? A preplanned World Series?

Or caricaturists who use computers for the final composition and colors?

No! No! Anything but that!

Reference

"Critic's Notebook; Pavarotti Lip-Syncs, And the Echoes Are Far-Reaching", Bernard Holland, New York Times, October 27, 1992.