帕華洛帝 (Luciano Pavarotti) 與世長辭

早上剛看到路透社 (Reuters) 引述義大利媒體的報導, 帕華洛帝的病情又再度惡化 (in serial condition), 甚至陷入無意識 (unconscious) 狀態. 沒想到中午看到電視新聞的報導時, 帕老已經因為胰臟癌而過世了.

Pavarotti in "serious" condition: Italian media
Wed Sep 5, 2007 7:04PM EDT
By Gilles Castonguay

MODENA, Italy (Reuters) - Italian opera star Luciano Pavarotti, hailed by many as the greatest tenor of his generation, was in a serious condition on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, media reported.

The 71-year-old rotund, black-bearded singer, who helped bring opera to the masses and performed to vast stadium audiences round the world, had briefly lost consciousness, the ANSA news agency said.

A TV station in Pavarotti's home city of Modena said he was unconscious and suffering from kidney failure, and that family and friends had gathered at his villa to be near the singer, who underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in July 2006.

...


Tenor Luciano Pavarotti dead at 71
ROME, Italy (AP) -- Luciano Pavarotti, whose vibrant high Cs and ebullient showmanship made him one the most beloved tenors, has died, his manager told The Associated Press.

He was 71.

Pavarotti had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent further treatment in August 2007. His manager, Terri Robson, told the AP in an e-mail statement that Pavarotti died at his home in Modena, Italy, at 5 a.m. local time.

"The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterized his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness," the statement said.

For serious fans, the unforced beauty and thrilling urgency of Pavarotti's voice made him the ideal interpreter of the Italian lyric repertory, especially in the 1960s and '70s when he first achieved stardom. For millions more, his charismatic performances of standards like "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot" came to represent what opera is all about.

Instantly recognizable from his charcoal black beard and tuxedo-busting girth, Pavarotti radiated an intangible magic that helped him win hearts in a way Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras -- his partners in the "Three Tenors" concerts -- never quite could.



帕華洛帝曾經形容自己的聲音是被上帝親吻過的, 如今, 上帝將祂親吻過的聲音收回去了.

雖然我不太常聽歌劇, 但對這樣的消息仍備感震驚.