Luciano Pavarotti Dies at 71: "Heaven Now Has a Tenor"

Luciano Pavarotti, the most famous opera singer of our age, died at 71 of pancreatic cancer. The CNN headline "Heaven Now Has a Tenor" reflects the great admiration millions have for the singer.

Listen to the NPR coverage along with their choice of 7 Pavarotti recordings you must hear. During a tenor's high C, his vocal folds close 500 times a second; for a soprano's high C, the rate is about 1,300 times each second (source: Slate.com).


Luciano Pavarotti Sings Ave Maria by Schubert

According to Wikipedia, "Pavarotti was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2006 and required emergency surgery to remove the tumor. Shortly after surgery he was reported to be "recovering well." On Thursday, August 9, 2007, he was hospitalized for observation in his hometown of Modena, in Northern Italy. On August 21, it was announced that he was being treated in the cancer ward, given tests related to his pancreatic cancer, and would not be released for another few days. On September 5, 2007, Italy's AGI news agency reported that Luciano Pavarotti's health had deteriorated and the 71-year-old singer was in a "very serious condition". He was reported to be in and out of consciousness multiple times, suffering kidney failure. Luciano Pavarotti died the morning of September 6, 2007 at home in Modena, Italy where he was surrounded by his wife, sister, and four older daughters. In an email statement, his manager, Terri Robson, wrote, "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."


James Brown & Pavarotti

Further reading:
Profile: Luciano Pavarotti. NPR.
Tenor Luciano Pavarotti dead at 71. CNN.
A Patient with Pancreatic Cancer Presents with 30-lbs Weight Loss Over 3 Months. Clinical Cases and Images, 03/2005.
'He Loved Us As We Loved Him' - Luciano Pavarotti, 1935-2007. UBC Academic Search - Google Scholar Blog.

Updated: 12/01/2007