The highly acclaimed autobiography of Luciano Pavarotti- one of the most successful and best-loved opera singers in the world.
LUCIANO PAVAROTTI was born in Modena, Italy, in 1935. His operatic
debut in 1961 made an immediate impression on the international
operatic scene, and he went on to become possibly the most
celebrated singer in the world. In September 2007 he died aged
71.
WILLIAM WRIGHT is the author of several books which include
biographies of Christina Onassis and Lillian Hellman, and he
collaborated with Pavarotti on an earlier books, Pavarotti, My
Life published in 1979.
Miami Beach officials reroute air traffic to keep noise from interfering with a Pavarotti outdoor concert; in London, the Prince and Princess of Wales, John Major and scores of others endure a downpour without umbrellas (which are kept furled so as not to block anybody's view of the stage) at a Pavarotti park performance. That's his world. Yet the tenor, again writing with Wright, his coauthor on Pavarotti: My Story, attempts in these pages to project the image of a simple man who disdains being set apart. And he pulls it off. He further disarms us by not dodging the scandals of recent years: his lip-synching rock concert; being booed at La Scala. The book lets us catch up on Pavarotti's doings of the last 15 years, for example, the international vocal competition he holds in Philadelphia, the horse show he inaugurated in Italy, his tours, family, health. An unexpected mean streak surfaces on occasion when Pavarotti relates embarrassing episodes concerning friends who have displeased him. If much of what is covered here is of little moment, readers will find that Pavarotti's exuberance more than compensates for the banal stretches. Photos not seen by PW. (Oct.)
Pavarotti's recordings, television appearances, crossover projects, and stadium concerts have made his name a household word. When he speaks of being recognized by a small, ragged boy selling bread on a roadside in Mexico, it is only a little surprising. In this second collaboration with Wright (following Pavarotti: My Own Story, LJ 3/1/81), the singer discusses events in his career and personal life over the last 15 years. He is disarmingly frank about his eccentricities and his failures and justifiably proud of his many accomplishments. He gives us a backstage view of the Philadephia Vocal Competition, his trip to China to perform La Bohème with competition winners, and the phenomenally popular Three Tenors concerts with Placido Domingo and José Carreras. While cynics may feel that he is overrated and too commercially successful to be taken seriously as an artist, he argues persuasively that he does opera a service by broadening its audience. Like Pavarotti himself, this second book is hard to resist and will be welcomed by his many fans. Highly recommended for public libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/95.]-Susan McCaffrey, Legg Middle Sch. Lib., Coldwater, Mich.
"A candid look at fifteen years of astounding talent and public
adulation" * Sunday Express *
"Will amuse and entertain the legions of Pavarotti's fervent
admirers" * Irish Independent *
"Wonderful, moving and revealing" * Publishing News *
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