Little Luciano studied music from an early age. The baby began to give the first concerts in front of neighbors and relatives at the age of 4. Later, together with his father, Luciano sang in the church choir. At home, the boy constantly listened to records of opera singers from his father's collection, and at the age of 12 he first went to the opera house, where he heard the performance of tenor Benjamin Geely. While still at the Schola Magistrale, the young man took several vocal lessons from Professor Dondi and his wife.
In addition to singing, Luciano played football and even seriously thought about a career as a goalkeeper. But after receiving a diploma of secondary education, the mother convinced her son to learn to be a teacher. After receiving a professional education, Luciano Pavarotti worked at the school as a primary school teacher for two years. At the same time, Luciano began taking lessons from Arrigo Paul, and two years later from Ettori Campogalliani. After making the final decision to start a vocal career, Pavarotti left school.
Music
In 1960, after laryngitis, Luciano received an occupational disease - thickening of the ligaments, which led to loss of voice. Pavarotti, having experienced a fiasco on stage during a concert in Ferrara, decided to leave music, but a year later the thickening disappeared, and the tenor's voice acquired new colors and depth.
In 1961, Luciano won the International Vocal Competition. The first prize was awarded to two singers at once: Luciano Pavarotti and Dmitry Nabokov. The young vocalists received roles in Puccini's La bohème at the Teatro Regio Emilia. In 1963, Pavarotti made his debut at the Vienna Opera and London's Covent Garden.
Success came to Luciano Pavarotti after performing the role of Tonio in Donizetti's opera The Daughter of the Regiment, with which the tenor performed first at the Royal Theater in London, Covent Garden, and then at the Italian La Scala and the American Metropolitan Opera. Pavarotti set a kind of record: he sang 9 high notes "to" in a row at full power of his voice in Tonio's aria with impeccable ease.
The sensational performance forever changed the creative biography of Pavarotti. The impresario Herbert Breslin signed a contract with the new star of the operatic sky, who took up the promotion of the tenor in the best theaters in the world. Since 1972, in addition to performing in performances, Pavarotti began touring with solo concerts, which include classical opera arias, Italian songs and concons.
In addition to the roles of the lyric tenor Elvino in La Sonnambula and Arturo's Puritani by Bellini, Edgardo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Alfred in La Traviata and the Duke of Mantua in Verdi's Rigoletto, Luciano Pavarotti masters the dramatic roles of Riccardo in Ballet masquerade” by Verdi, Cavaradossi in “Tosca” by Puccini, Manrico in “Il trovatore” and Radamès “Aida” by Verdi. The Italian singer often appears on television, participates in the Arena di Verona festival, makes recordings of famous opera arias and popular songs "In Memory of Caruso", "Oh sole mio!".
In the early 80s, Luciano Pavarotti founded The Pavarotti International Voice Competition. Over the years, with the winners of the competition, the stage star goes on tour around America and China, where, together with young talents, the singer performs excerpts from the operas La bohème, Potion of Love and Ball in Masquerade. In addition to concert activity, Pavarotti collaborates with the Vienna Opera and the La Scala Theatre.
Luciano's performance in the opera "Aida" is accompanied each time by a long standing ovation and repeated raising of the curtain. But it was not without failures: in 1992, in the play "Don Carlos" by Franco Zeffirelli, which was staged at La Scala, the audience booed Pavarotti for playing the role. The tenor himself admitted his own guilt and did not perform in this theater anymore.
A new round of international recognition of the Italian tenor occurred in 1990, when the BBC made the aria "Nessun Dorma" performed by Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, José Carreras as the screensaver for the broadcast of the World Cup. The video for the clip was filmed in the Roman imperial baths of Caracalla. The circulation of sold records became the largest in the history of music, which is recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. The Three Tenors project turned out to be so successful that the singers performed at the opening of the next three FIFA World Cups.
Luciano Pavarotti popularized opera. His solo concerts gathered up to half a million spectators who came to listen to the tenor live in New York's Central Park, in London's Hyde Park, on the Champ de Mars in Paris. In 1992, Pavarotti created the Pavarotti and Friends program, which, in addition to opera singers, includes pop stars Elton John, Sting, Bryan Adams, Andrea Bocelli, Lionel Richie, James Brown, Celine Dion, Sheryl Crow. In 1998, Luciano Pavarotti received the Grammy Legend Award.
Personal life
While still at school, Luciano met his future wife, Adua Veroni, who was also fond of singing. Together with Luciano, the girl went to work as a teacher in a rural school. Young people were able to get married in 1961, as soon as Pavarotti began to earn money on the opera stage on his own. In 1962, the couple had a daughter, Lorenz, in 1964 - Christina, in 1967 - Juliana.
The marriage with Adua lasted 40 years, but Luciano's constant infidelities forced his wife to file for divorce. Pavarotti met with many singers during his musical career. The most famous novel of the 80s was his connection with the student Madeleine Reni. But at the age of 60, the tenor met a girl who gave Luciano a second life.
The young lady's name was Nicoletta Montovani, she was 36 years younger than the maestro. In 2000, after a divorce from his first wife, Pavarotti proposes to Nicoletta and builds a spacious mansion for the new family. In 2003, the couple had twins - son Ricardo and daughter Alice, but the newborn boy soon dies. Pavarotti gives all his strength to raising a little daughter.
Death
In 2004, Luciano made a disappointing diagnosis - pancreatic cancer. The artist, having weighed all the possibilities, decides to conduct the last farewell tour of 40 cities around the world. In 2005, the singer's disc The best was released, which included the best numbers ever performed by Pavarotti. The last performance of the great tenor took place on February 10, 2006 at the Turin Olympics, after which Pavarotti went to the hospital for an operation to remove a cancerous growth.
Luciano's condition improved, but in August 2007 the singer suffered from pneumonia. Returning home to Madena, the artist died on September 6, 2007. The death of the maestro could not leave his fans indifferent. For three days, while the coffin with the body of Luciano Pavarotti stood in the cathedral of his native city, people walked around the clock to say goodbye to the idol.
Discography
The Essential Pavarotti - 1990
Pavarotti & friends - 1992
Dein ist mein ganzes Herz - 1994
Pavarotti & friends 2 - 1995
The Three Tenors: Paris - 1998
Christmas with Pavarotti - 1999
The Three Tenors Christmas - 2000
Luciano Pavarotti is one of the most talented and popular performers in the history of opera music. He was called a classic already during his lifetime. Many of his arias became immortal hits. He brought the art of opera to the masses. And it was thanks to him that classical music experienced a real renaissance at the end of the twentieth century.Childhood and family of Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti was born in the small Italian city of Modena in the family of a baker and a working cigar factory. His family lived very poorly, and therefore there was always not enough money even for the most necessary things. Despite this, Luciano always spoke very warmly and reverently about his childhood.At an early age, football was the favorite hobby of our today's hero. He dreamed of becoming a goalkeeper, but later abandoned this venture. Due to the Second World War in 1943, the Pavarotti family was forced to leave Modena and move to one of the suburban farms. In this place, the whole family of the future great tenor began to farm. And, surprisingly, at a certain point, Luciano began to enjoy such a routine of life.
As for the love of music, it has always coexisted in the soul of a young guy in parallel with other hobbies. The foundations of Luciano's musical taste were laid by his father, who in his youth was also fond of opera singing. In the personal collection of Fernando Pavarotti there were a huge variety of different records with arias by Enrico Caruso, Tito Skip and some other performers. In addition, on Sundays, the father of our today's hero sometimes sang in the church choir. At a certain point, Luciano himself began to perform with him.
This went on for many years, however, after graduating from high school, our today's hero at first did not even seriously think about the career of an opera singer. He wanted to enter the sports academy, but Luciano's mother convinced him to get a job as a teacher. So our today's hero became a music teacher in elementary school. In this capacity, he worked for two years, but later it was these years that finally allowed Luciano to understand how important the musical art was in his life. Pavarotti decided to become an opera singer, and at the age of nineteen he began singing with the famous tenor Arrigo Pola, who, by the way, even agreed to teach the young guy for free. After that, our today's hero also worked for some time on the development of his vocal abilities under the guidance of Ettori Campogalliani.
Luciano Pavarotti and first wife
Music lessons at one point introduced Luciano to his first wife, the aspiring opera singer Adua Veroni. They got married in their youth - right after Luciano received his first performance fee. But then they parted ways pretty soon. Many years later, Luciano Pavarotti admitted more than once that it was Adua who made him seriously think about a career in the world of opera.Luciano Pavarotti - Caruso
Perhaps for this reason, after parting with his beloved, Luciano Pavarotti's career began to decline sharply. He spoke very rarely, and at some point he even found out about the thickening that appeared in his vocal cords, which at one point called into question his entire career. The singer's voice deteriorated greatly, but Luciano continued to perform. As a result, the concert in the city of Ferrara caused a hail of criticism and became one of the biggest failures in the life of a musician.
After him, our today's hero decided once and for all to tie up with the world of music. He completely concentrated on the work of an insurance agent (which he used to do in parallel with his musical career) and at some point completely put an end to all performances.
Luciano Pavarotti - friends
However, surprisingly, the thickening in the singer's larynx at some point suddenly resolved by itself. Moreover, it was after the illness that the musician's voice acquired the desired depth and richness. Luciano Pavarotti could perform again. And in the end, it was this moment that became a turning point in his life and work. Star Trek
Great success for tenor Luciano Pavarotti
Already in 1961, our today's hero won the main prize of the International Vocal Competition. After him, Luciano Pavarotti made his debut on the stage of the prestigious Teatro Regio Emilia, and very soon also appeared on the stage of the Vienna Opera and London's Covent Garden.From that moment on, the career of the Italian tenor began to rapidly move up. He sang at the best venues of our planet. He was applauded by London, Vienna, Paris, New York, Marseille and many other major cities on the planet. In 1990, during the football world championship in Italy, Luciano Pavarotti performed his famous aria "Nessun Dorma", which later became very popular even among people far from opera art.
It was at this moment that our today's hero was inflamed with the idea of \u200b\u200bpopularizing classical music. Soon, together with Placido Domingo and José Carreras, he formed the Three Tenors trio, which performed the classics in a more modern version. This approach brought the singers a huge commercial success and made them real stars not only of the opera, but also of the pop scene. They were criticized, but they remained true to themselves. As a result, it was thanks to the work of the Three Tenors that the popularity of opera music in the nineties increased significantly.
In addition to musical performances, Luciano Pavarotti also worked as a patron of the arts throughout his life. He worked closely with the Red Cross organization and also organized a number of music festivals to promote young musicians.
Personal life and death of Luciano Pavarotti
As is commonly believed, Pavarotti's marriage to Adua Veroni fell apart due to the singer's frequent betrayals. Subsequently, in the life of the artist there were many novels. However, at an older age, he nevertheless decided to tie the knot again. His new life partner was a young woman named Nicoletta Mantovanni. Subsequently, she gave birth to a tenor daughter, who was already his fourth child (the previous three were born out of wedlock).Despite all the rumors, Nicoletta remained with her husband until his death. In the mid-2000s, Luciano was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In 2007, it was he who caused his death. Shortly before his death, the outstanding opera singer wrote a will in which he transferred all his millions to his wife, sister and four daughters.
This site is dedicated to self-learning Italian from scratch. We will try to make it the most interesting and useful for everyone who is interested in this beautiful language and, of course, Italy itself.Interesting about the Italian language.
History, facts, modernity.
Let's start with a few words about the current status of the language, it is obvious that Italian is the official language in Italy, the Vatican (simultaneously with Latin), in San Marino, but also in Switzerland (in its Italian part, the canton of Ticino) and in several counties in Croatia and Slovenia, where there is a large Italian-speaking population, Italian is also spoken by a part of the inhabitants on the island of Malta.
Italian dialects - can we understand each other?
In Italy itself, even today you can hear many dialects, sometimes it is enough to drive only a few tens of kilometers to encounter another of them.At the same time, dialects are often so different from each other that they can seem like completely different languages. If people from, for example, the northern and central Italian "outback" meet, then they may not even be able to understand each other.
What is especially interesting is that in addition to the oral form, some of the dialects also have a written one, such as the Neopolitan, Venetian, Milanese and Sicilian dialects.
The latter exists, respectively, on the island of Sicily and is so different from other dialects that some researchers distinguish it as a separate Sardinian language.
However, in everyday communication, and especially in large cities, you are unlikely to experience any inconvenience, because. today the dialects are mainly spoken by older people in the countryside, while young people use the correct literary language, which unites all Italians, the language of radio and, of course, television.
It may be mentioned here that until the end of the Second World War, modern Italian was only a written language used by the ruling class, scientists and administrative institutions, and it was television that played a large role in spreading the common Italian language among all inhabitants.
How it all began, origins
The history of the formation of modern Italian as we all know it is closely connected with the history of Italy and certainly no less fascinating.Origins - in ancient Rome, everything was in the Roman language, commonly known as Latin, which at that time was the official state language of the Roman Empire. In the future, from Latin, in fact, the Italian language and many other languages \u200b\u200bof Europe arose.
Therefore, knowing Latin, you can understand what a Spaniard is saying, plus or minus a Portuguese, and you can even make out part of the speech of an Englishman or Frenchman.
In 476, the last Roman emperor Romulus-Augustula abdicates the throne, after the capture of Rome by the leader of the Germans Odoacar, this date is considered the end of the Great Roman Empire.
Some also call it the end of the "Roman language", however, even today disputes still do not subside, because of what exactly the Latin language has lost its relevance, due to the capture of the Roman Empire by the barbarians, or was it a natural process and in what language itself spoke towards the end of the Roman Empire.
According to one version, in ancient Rome, by this time, along with Latin, the spoken language was already widespread, and it is from this folk language of Rome that Italian comes, which we know as Italian of the 16th century, according to the second version, in connection with the invasion of the barbarians Latin was mixed with various barbarian languages and dialects, and it is from this synthesis that the Italian language already originates.
Birthday - first mentioned
960 is considered the birthday of the Italian language. The first document is associated with this date, where this "proto-folk language" is present - vulgare, these are court papers related to the land litigation of the Benedictine abbey, the witnesses used this particular version of the language so that the testimony was understandable to as many people as possible, up to this point in all official papers we can see only Latin.And then there was a gradual spread in the ubiquitous life of the vulgare language, which translates as a folk language, which became the prototype of the modern Italian language.
However, the story does not end there, but only becomes more interesting and the next stage is associated with the Renaissance and with such well-known names as Dante Alighiere, F. Petrarch, J. Bocaccio and others.
to be continued...
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Italian self-instruction manual
I present a new separate section for all learners of the Italian language - Italian Tutorial for Beginners.Making a full-fledged Italian tutorial out of a blog is, of course, not easy, but I try to give the most convenient and logical sequence of interesting online lessons so that you can learn Italian from them yourself.
There will also be a section - an audio tutorial, where, as you might guess, there will be lessons with audio applications that can be downloaded or listened to directly on the site.
How to choose an Italian language tutorial, where to download it, or how to study it online, you will find information about this in my posts.
By the way, if someone has ideas or suggestions on how best to organize such a tutorial on our Italian blog, then be sure to write to me.
Italian via Skype
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In chapter "
LUCIANO PAVAROTTI - THE KING OF THE UPPER "DO"
The success that he has achieved has not yet been achieved by any tenor. He turned arias into hits. Stadiums gathered to hear it. He was great because his soul was revealed through his voice. There are opera singers in the world, and Pavarotti was an opera himself. None of the operatic tenors of the last generation possessed such a sunny timbre of voice and such an ability to communicate with the audience.
Son of an Italian baker
The fertile Italian province of Emilia-Romagna is the birthplace of Parmesan cheese and Lambrusco wine. And in the city of Modena of this province, balsamic vinegar was invented. It was there in 1935 that he was born. His father worked as a baker, but he really wanted to become an operatic tenor. The singing baker was a celebrity of Modena. He sang in the church choir and in the opera. Fernando had an excellent voice, and he could easily have become a singer, but he lacked the courage - because of stage fright, the man remained in the bakery. Mother Pavarotti Adele was proud of her husband and firstborn. Luciano grew up in the nursery of a tobacco factory where his mother worked.
miraculous rescue
Peaceful childhood Luciano darkened the shadow of war. Italian 
the Nazis fought on the side of the Nazis, but the province of Emilia-Romagna remained a stronghold of the partisans. They defeated the Nazis, but the Germans still came to this land. Then Luciano was 8 years old. In 1945, the inhabitants of Modena met the Americans, who became for them a symbol of liberation after two years of occupation and terror. These years have affected Luciano. Already as a star, he always spoke out against the war.
First performance Luciano took place when he was 4 years old. He sang "The heart of beautiful women is prone to treason." The audience, which consisted of grandmothers, aunts and mother, was simply fascinated. Later, in the house of one of the friends, the yard guys held singing competitions, in which Luciano. 
He always strived to be the first in everything - whether it was playing football, cycling or running a race. Sometimes he helped his friends charm girls by singing serenades under the windows. They stood near the house and opened their mouths, imitating singing, and Luciano in the arch gave out excellent modulations.
Once a 12 year old Luciano playing football with the boys barefoot and hurt his leg on a nail. Blood poisoning began, he spent several weeks in a coma, but miraculously survived. To please his son after his recovery, his father took him to the Modena Opera for the first time, where the young man heard the tenor Benjamin Geely. Luciano was shocked. Then he realized that he wanted to become not just famous, but a great tenor. 16 years later, this is what happened...
The birth of a star
My love Pavarotti met at a party. To impress Luciano sang the love song "Swallow's Nest". Subsequently, with this song, he delighted millions of listeners. But then in 1952 he sang only for her - 16-year-old Adua. The girl studied better, and they began to study together, saw each other every day. At school, they still tell this romantic story about them. Love survived school time, and in 1955 their engagement took place, which turned out to be a long one. Both of them worked as teachers - Luciano taught physical education, worked as an insurance agent, and at the same time took singing lessons from Arrigo Polo.
For many years Pavarotti together with his father, he sang in the best and most famous choir in Italy - the Rossini choir. At a competition in British Llangollen, they 
the best choirs won. First Pavarotti felt success, but still remained in the shadow of his father, whose voice was considered better. There was a tender rivalry between them. My father said: "Who knows what he would have achieved if he had my voice."
When the teacher left for Japan, Luciano agreed to study another maestro - Ettori Campogalliani. Pavarotti together with his childhood friend Mirella Freni (who also became an opera celebrity) went to the teacher for tens of kilometers. They excelled more in singing than in reading music, but the maestro was in no hurry to re-educate them. He believed that the voices of young people sound so natural that it makes no sense to change this.
The first successes of Luciano Pavarotti
In 1960 he took part in the competition of the Teatro Regio Emilia. The main prize is the leading role in a new opera. Luciano was sure of his victory. And then something happened that no one could believe. Due to laryngitis, it seemed that he was pulling notes. Eventually Pavarotti took second place. For the perfectionist, this was a bitter defeat. A year later persistent Luciano tried again and won. He got the role of Rudolph in Puccini's La bohème. And the role of Mimi was played by his girlfriend Mirella Freni.
Luciano and Adua
Finally Luciano and Adua were able to get married, though the singer's fee barely covered the cost of the wedding. Adua continued to work as a teacher, because Luciano earned by today's standards 90 euros per concert.
In October 1962, shortly before the birth of their first child, the turning point came when Luciano did not come home because he was celebrating his success at Rigoletto with friends. When he returned, he learned that his wife was in the hospital. He missed the birth of his first daughter, Lorenza, and in 1964, his second, Christina. In 1967, when Juliana was born, Pavarotti was also absent. Luciano believed in omens. He was not present at the birth of the first child and decided not to do so on all other occasions.
If something brought good luck, he no longer refused it and did not change it. For example, it was 
with the famous handkerchief that became a lucky charm Pavarotti. Luciano was very superstitious. He believed that the handkerchief brought him good luck for the first time, so it would be a bad sign if he did not have a handkerchief with him at other concerts. In addition, due to superstitions, he could not stand the purple color, never passed under the stairs, did not tolerate if someone spilled salt on the table in his presence, and so on. There were dozens of similar signs.
International recognition
At 28 Luciano went to London. He barely spoke English and felt confused and uncomfortable. There he again rehearsed La bohème, but this time as an understudy for the star - Giuseppe di Stefano. He was also supposed to replace prima donna Joan Sutherland's partner. This was his chance. The rumor about the amazing tenor scattered around the theater instantly.
Success in London prepared him for a trip to Milan. And again there was "Bohemia". Teatro alla Scala rejected him twice. But for Pavarotti conductor Herbert von Karajan stood up and 
demanded to be replaced. Karajan would later call Luciano the best tenor of all time.
In 1967, The Regiment's Daughter at the Royal Opera House in London made Luciano legend. This time the audience came to hear it. He exceeded all expectations. Until now, not a single tenor sang like that - 9 upper "do" in a row at the limit of the power of his voice. No one could believe it, especially since the notes sounded one after another with extraordinary ease. It changed everything - Pavarotti did what no one else had done before.
The sensation was repeated at La Scala and, finally, a triumph at the Metropolitan Opera. New York lay at the feet of the king of the upper do. The time of small fees is over, thanks also to the new impresario Pavarotti Herbert Breslin, who created his career. America made of Pavarotti star, but his impresario wanted more - solo concerts. At one of his performances at Carnegie Hall, there was a full house. Pavarotti for the first time he dared to combine arias with canzones - songs of his homeland. The audience was enthralled.
Life private and public
At the same time, his family life was subject to the schedule of theatrical seasons and only occasionally became truly private. Great love has cooled down, and a happy family life was now only for show. And later, Adua found out about his husband's love affairs.
In 1981 in life Luciano Madeleine Reni appeared, first as a student, and then as a lover. Officially, she was considered the secretary Pavarotti. In Italy, he was with his family, and on tour with his mistress. This went on for 6 years, but then they parted amicably.
with Madeleine Reni
Music, food and football were his passions. In 1990, this ardent fan, along with José Carreras and Placido Domingo, performed at the opening of the World Cup. The opera aria “Let no one sleep” performed by him became a hit with football fans. He was applauded by 400 million people around the world.
It was as if he lived on the stage, and the stage was his life. Pavarotti brought the opera to the street and made it accessible to all people. In addition, he organized the Three Tenors projects with Carreras and Domingo, as well as the Pavarotti and Friends charity concerts, combining opera and rock music.
New and final chapter by Luciano Pavarotti
In 1994, 500,000 people gathered in New York's Central Park to hear the legendary tenor. No person has ever gathered so many people on the big lawn. He broke all records, including financial ones.
Then began the final chapter of his life. Nicoletta Montovani was 24 years old and Pavarotti almost 60. Unlike other mistresses Luciano, she did not remain in the shadows. Adua could not live in a love triangle and, in order to maintain self-esteem, kicked out Luciano from home. They divorced only in 2000 after 40 years of official marriage.
with Nicoletta Montovani and daughter Alicia
second life Pavarotti started at age 65. He built a new house where he planned to spend a happy old age. However, life ruined all his plans - the young wife Pavarotti suffered from multiple sclerosis, her father and mother fell ill with pancreatic cancer and died in 2002. And in early 2003, his newborn son Ricardo died. Alicia's twin sister survived. Pavarotti devoted himself entirely to the girl. Finally Luciano and Nicoletta could enjoy a quiet life and got married right in the municipal theater of Modena.
But three years later, his condition deteriorated sharply, he began to experience severe pain. Doctors announced the diagnosis - pancreatic cancer. He tried to fight to the end, although he realized that this test would be stronger than him. 2007, he lost this battle. For three days in the Cathedral of Modena, people stood in line to say goodbye to the maestro. Nicoletta was on one side of the coffin, and Adua and her daughters were on the other. They still had to fight for the inheritance.
Until now, his place in the world of art has not been occupied by anyone, because there is simply no analogue of such a powerful talent.
DATA
Besides food and football, great passion Pavarotti 
were horses. He maintained a horse yard and even organized equestrian competitions. If the horse was sick, he could stay with her overnight to care for her. Adua's wife recalls that he never did this for any of his daughters.
In 1993, during a performance at La Scala in the opera Don Carlos, he made a gross mistake and was booed. He said it was only his fault, he didn't prepare well. Luciano never aspired to get more than he deserved. In this regard, he was very honest.
Updated: April 8, 2019 by: Elena
I PLEASE, no, I demand that this music not be played in my office! Luciano was furious. - I have nothing against rock, but THESE sounds piss me off!
Especially before a serious rehearsal!
The secretary grunted displeasedly and adjusted her glasses, which had slipped down to the tip of her nose. The maestro took a look at her: her long hair is gathered in an old-fashioned bun, a strict business suit is buttoned up with all buttons ... A real "blue stocking"!
You know, Nicoletta, - he said, disappearing through the door of his study, - sometimes I sincerely regret that I hired you! You probably got the wrong door. After all, Zucchero's office was nearby!
NIKOLETTA was already accustomed to such remarks, although the tediousness of the fat man infuriated her terribly: “Nicoletta, don’t invite your girlfriends to the office, don’t talk on the phone so often, don’t be late for work ...” How much can you? It's time to put in place "Signora Nine Do" (Nicoletta assigned this nickname to the chef after she found out that he was the first tenor in history who took all nine "do" of the second octave in the aria "What fate" in Donizetti's opera "Daughter of the Regiment" ). Maybe come to his office, take off your glasses, squint threateningly and say, for example: “Signor Pavarotti, I’m not satisfied with the working conditions, look for another secretary”? If he fusses, apologizes or promises to increase his salary, then, casually throwing “I’ll think about it,” you can sedately leave the office ... Indulging in dreams of massacre, Nicoletta did not even hear the boss call out to her. Then another and another, and woke up only when she saw his red, angry face in front of her: “Dear girl, what do you allow yourself to do? I have a rehearsal in fifteen minutes and I haven't taken a sip of green tea yet! Your negligence goes beyond all limits!”
And then her dreams began to come true - the “girl” put on a hostile look and blurted out in one breath: “If I annoy you, maybe we should talk about my departure?” Luciano did not expect such a turn. As a secretary, Nicoletta is simply priceless! How many times she rescued him by whispering the right words during important meetings and contracts! Nicoletta remembered by heart all the dates, numbers, names of people with whom Luciano had ever had to deal. Without her help, real estate transactions around the world, the opening of an educational center for the poor in Guatemala, negotiations with businessmen and officials of all stripes would be impossible. No, he can't live without her. Luciano put on a conciliatory smile on his face.
Forgive me Signorita Mantovani. You know my hot temper... Please bring me some tea...
Nicoletta was jubilant. She beat the boss! Next time, he'll think twice before telling her something nasty! Maybe take advantage of the situation and hang a photo of Mick Jagger on the wall?
The genius and the blue stocking
“THIS happened on an early spring morning in 1998,” William Wright recalls in My World. - Luciano with a group of colleagues, including Nicoletta, descended the stairs of the Florentine Villa San Izhm hotel, where they had to spend the night. The maestro and his retinue were already leaving the hotel when the porter's voice was heard behind them:
I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen, but you'll have to stay a couple of minutes. I just got a call from the maid saying she missed a handmade terracotta vase in one of your rooms. Have you heard anything about it?
Nicoletta immediately hid behind the chief. She knew what they were talking about. She liked this vase, and she could not resist. But who knew that the staff would be so agile! How many times did she grab either a towel, or a bathrobe, or another “memorial change” from the luxury hotels where they stayed! And no one caught her red-handed. And suddenly such a shame! And Pavarotti, meanwhile, was already saving the situation:
You can tell the press that Maestro Pavarotti took this vase for his home collection. I assure you, my friend, you can’t think of a better advertisement for a hotel!”
The next morning, when Luciano arrived at his office to check his mail and listen to his secretary's report on business calls, she met him at the door. Nicoletta's cheeks were red with excitement, and her eyes wandered in complete confusion. She brought him a traditional cup of green tea and ... a small package, which turned out to be a scarf made of prickly wool.
Did you buy it especially for me? Luciano was surprised.
Instead of answering, Mantovani only hiccupped. Pavarotti fussed - poured the girl a glass of water, patted her on the back, but thereby only aggravated the situation - Nicoletta's hiccups turned into sobs. At that moment, Luciano's personal chauffeur entered the office. The boss was never late, especially for the rehearsal, where Carreras and Domingo were already waiting for them. But the tenor did not even look at him - he was completely absorbed by the girl ...
Already in the car, Pavarotti lowered the side window (he had never done this before for fear of catching a cold), closed his eyes and began to eagerly inhale the intoxicating Milanese air. He wanted to stop the car, walk barefoot on the lawn of the park, drink wine, and maybe even play football with the boys ... And finally take off this stuffy tie that turned Adua's starched collar into a thick shell ... Adua! The name of the wife acted like ammonia. I wonder if she will notice this change in him?
Pavarotti had a concert that evening. Luciano, as always, glanced at the audience and - oh, God! In the fifth row in the very center sat Nicoletta! Her eyes shone either from tears, or from the beams of spotlights. At that moment, the audience booed him for the first time: at the very beginning of the famous "Agnus Dei" Luciano "gave the rooster" - he sang past the notes in a trembling voice. Maybe cancel the remaining concerts and run away with a rock rebel wherever your eyes look? At night, Luciano could not sleep for a long time. The presence of Adua, the rustle of her curlers on a linen pillowcase was simply unbearable! Even the sweet rolls baked by her in the evening, which he, the son of a baker, used to adore, now seemed to him absolutely tasteless. As, however, and all the individual menu of this day! From now on, he will eat in restaurants! Down with the smell of heart drops that Adua has been taking before bed for a decade! Away with the body, touched by three pregnancies and clad in pajamas, as if in bulletproof vest! Quite another matter - naked Nicoletta! So what, that she reminds many of a hanger and did not come out tall? For him, she is still the most desirable woman in the world!
A few days later, the "yellow" press trumpeted the whole world about the failure of the first intimacy of lovers. According to newspapermen, as soon as Pavarotti undressed, the mutual desire for intimacy evaporated somewhere. It was as if Luciano saw himself for the first time - in the mirror it was not the Spanish macho that the singer used to imagine himself to be, but rather an old, flabby libertine! This is not only unlikely to give the girl pleasure, but what good will crush the baby! From that day on, Nicoletta began to actively monitor the maintenance of the shape of her lover. With a suspicious timbre of her voice, she forced Luciano to take herbal tincture. If the suit sat absurdly, emphasizing the obvious shortcomings of a heavy and loose figure, she immediately sent Luciano to a new fashion designer. Before meeting Nicoletta, Luciano liked to play pranks. Once he refused to perform, saying that he was not going to suffocate on the stage, where there is so much dust. And during the performance of Othello, he, sitting on a high leather throne, ate while his colleagues sang their parts. Now Nicoletta could scold the maestro, slapped him on the cheeks for the slightest offense. And Pavarotti loved it! At the same time, the wise Adua Veroni continued to behave as if she had no idea about anything, and naturally the “triangle” did not open. In fact, Adua had been building up her endurance for years, secretly suffering from her husband's romantic interests and often seeking the help of a psychotherapist. And Luciano looked at it simply: “I was always very guarded and constantly pampered. Still would! I am the first son born after six daughters - everyone was so happy! And now I constantly surround myself with women. I have eight or nine secretaries, if I had my way, I would let women rule the world. They are serious, very sympathetic and kind. But to understand them is the same as knowing the world to the end. I began to explore this world at the age of four and still have not known it. And I don't want to. Otherwise, it will be boring."
For all 35 years, Adua not only took care of the singer's comforts, but also of his finances. Pavarotti, earning about $ 2 million a year, had real estate in Modena, Monte Carlo, Paris and New York, eleven operating enterprises, a stable for 60 horses, was engaged in the perfume business ... Adua baked about all this and tried her best to save her family for the sake of a secure future for three daughters - Lorenza, Christina and Juliana ...
Luciano, meanwhile, dyed his hair and eyebrows: the black color gave his face an ominous expression and emphasized the sagging of pale skin. But the maestro did not care about this - he experienced an internal anguish and spiritual discord ...
Divorce in Italian
With the Spanish actress Ines Sastr. RETURNING together with Nicoletta from the Bahamas to Italy, Luciano announced to his wife that “all permeated with love”, and began to openly live with his mistress. “She is charming, sweet and so strong! She was created for me, ”the singer admired. "Doesn't he understand that he looks like an idiot - at his age, next to a girl who is younger than his own daughters!" - Adui's indignation knew no bounds.
Once, at a dinner party attended by high government officials, Placido Domingo patted Luciano on the shoulder and said loudly: “You look great, despite the fact that you have an adult granddaughter. I just forgot which of your daughters gave birth to her? Another time, Luciano booked a room at the Sheraton Hotel in Padua and arrived there in the evening in an embrace with Nicoletta. The administrator gave the comical couple an icy look and demanded Luciano's passport, which, unfortunately, he forgot. Pavarotti was indignant: “I stayed in the best hotels in the world, and no one ever asked me for documents!”
The rules are the same for everyone,” the administrator replied. - Our hotel is visited by famous people who always have an identity card with them. - And Pavarotti pointed to the door!
At another hotel, the porter accompanying the couple pointedly held out his hand, openly reminding them of a tip. Luciano sang him several passages from "O sole mio".
Is that enough? he asked cheerfully.
I need money, not the singing of a deceiver, - cut off the porter.
The last straw was the paparazzi pictures, which bypassed all the tabloids of the world. On them, Luciano hugged his mistress. Everyone was especially shocked by the reportage about the holidays of Luciano and Nicoletta on the exotic island of Barbados: an elderly millionaire, dressed in stupid shorts and a ridiculous panama hat, frankly hugged a young secretary. The first thing Adua did when she unfolded newspapers with pictures compromising her husband over morning coffee was tore off the Pavarotti nameplate from the gate of the family mansion. Then, through a lawyer, she handed over to her husband a long letter in which she tried to reason with Luciano, who had lost his head. “The fire of love,” she wrote, “burning you with happiness today, can turn into grief and disappointment. When night falls, the pain of loneliness, especially sad for people who have enjoyed resounding success, can only be relieved by another feeling, deeper, which has stood the test of time. And Nicoletta was happy - she no longer needs to hide her love for her boss! She shared with journalists with might and main that in recent years Luciano had only friendship with his lawful wife and that he was hungry for sex: “Luciano complained to me more than once about loneliness. He respects his wife, but he has not experienced the same attraction to her for a long time. They haven't had sex in years. It seems to me sheer madness, because Lucianino is full of energy, he is so passionate in bed! He just needs a young, active person next to him, an inspiring muse. After all, he is an artist, he needs new, thrilling sensations, and not smoldering emotions and monasticism imposed by fate. At the same time, Nicoletta boasted of the jewelry that her lover systematically presented her with - emerald and diamond rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets - she loved to wear everything at once. Mantovani made far-reaching plans for legal marriage and future children. Luciano did not lag behind: “Of course, we will definitely have children, a childless marriage is like a pianist who does not play!” Adua, however, was not going to give up without a fight. If Nicoletta, in a conversation with journalists, sang the virtues of "her Lucianino", then Adua, on the contrary, did not get tired of practicing slander. The offended wife recalled the most unpleasant facts from the life of her husband. Nicoletta: “Luciano is a great good man. He is completely unselfish. Sometimes it seems to me that he came from another world, that his soul is woven from the sun's rays. Adua: “... He had to use special corsets so as not to look like a shapeless lump ...” The wife sent close family friends to Luciano, who conducted “explanatory conversations” with him, appealed to prudence and common sense. Everyone, without exception, warned him against marrying "that devil." Doesn't Luciano understand that the girl just needs his capital? Doesn't he see that this love of hers is just a cynical calculation? No, Luciano didn't see it. Or didn't want to see. He tried to explain to his friends who stood in defense of the humiliated Adua that his former life was no less beautiful. That Adua gave him many happy moments that will forever remain in his heart. But their love story, alas, ended ... It just ended. Nobody is to blame for this.
Adua could not stand such impudence and filed for divorce. At the same time, she managed to sue her ex-husband for $100 million, and she also told law enforcement agencies that Luciano hid $20 million from taxation! The "forgetful" singer had serious problems with the authorities. He faced a three-year prison sentence. And all of Italy discussed his connections with the mafia.
"Just think about it! - the singer was surprised in his book "My World". “It once took me six years to win over Adua. And now I'm spending almost as much time trying to divorce her. But I could spend it on my career! Everyone says that forty years flew by like one day, but not for me. It was a long time dedicated to a very demanding profession. Fifteen years are spent on becoming recognized, fifteen on winning their own place in the sun, and the rest of the time on its subsequent defense. I love to please the public, because, in fact, they are my bosses.
And Nicoletta echoes him: “Don't you understand what kind of person this is? Only the list of his merits should make you blush: more than 40 years of career, 315 solo concerts, 331 participation in joint performances, 1266 performances in 60 countries of the world, the main roles in 26 operas! This is the king! They say that women experience a real orgasm from his singing right in the hall! And you're treating him like a petty crook! »
Four times father
The wedding of Nicoletta and Luciano. PAVAROTTI and Mantovani settled on the top of a cliff in one of the singer's villas in the provincial town of Pesaro on the Adriatic coast. Inside the white and blue house, everything is painted in bright colors, and guests feel like heroes of fairy tales here. On the walls are paintings by Luciano, painted in poisonous green and burning blue colors. “These are my colors, the colors of my soul,” the maestro likes to explain to guests. "I'm trying to convey those same colors with my voice." A year ago, Luciano Pavarotti and Nicoletta Mantovani had opposite-sex twins. To prepare for the birth of the twins, Pavarotti postponed the Three Tenors concert, in which he participated with José Carreras and Placido Domingo. By the way, shortly before that, the mother of the singer Adele died, but he continued to work as if nothing had happened and dedicated his performance at the London Royal Opera House to her memory ...
Unfortunately, the birth was difficult - Nicoletta had to undergo an emergency caesarean section, and the boy, due to a lack of oxygen to the fetus, died immediately after birth. The surviving girl was the first child of 33-year-old Mantovani and the fourth of 67-year-old Pavarotti.
Wedding
At the end of 2003, the 68-year-old tenor finally married his former secretary after 10 years of dating. Despite the significant difference in age - 34 years - they still get along well with each other. 1,000 guests received wedding invitations on behalf of their one-year-old daughter. The solemn ceremony, for which the bride was exactly half an hour late, was held at the theater, where Luciano made his debut in the role of Othello. Here, the newlyweds exchanged rings to the sounds of "Ave Maria". And the wedding itself was played in the park, where they met when Nicoletta was still working as an assistant at the maestro's stable. According to Nicoletta, now Luciano plans to lose weight and think about a second child. And Luciano himself dreams of October 12, 2005, when he will be 70 years old and he will finally leave the stage forever to devote all his free time to his wife, little daughter and think about the eternal. No, he is not afraid of death, since he suffered tetanus at the age of 12 and lay in a coma for 15 days. But it was then that he understood the meaning of existence, and for the first time thanked God for saving his life. Later, the singer survived a plane crash in New York, which he described in detail in his autobiography: “It was as if the Lord grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and said:“ You are so indifferent to life. Know what death is." The plane split in half, and in the next seven or eight seconds, my entire life from birth to that moment flashed before my eyes. And at that moment I realized that life should be accepted as it is, and enjoy it to the fullest. Give yourself to her with all your might. Now I am barefoot on the seashore, singing lullabies to Nicoletta, preparing scrambled eggs and spinach for her in the morning and listening to our favorite Rolling Stones with her. But mostly I listen to her. I enjoy hearing her voice. If I'm with Nicoletta, then I feel good everywhere, and I want to be with her forever! For the sake of his cherished dream, the singer has already begun a farewell tour around the world.
