GREAT PERFORMANCES: LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER: LUCIANO PAVAROTTI WITH JOHN WUSTMAN {GREAT PERFORMERS SERIES} (TV)
Summary
One in this series on the performing arts. In this installment -- one in a series of live broadcasts from the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City -- renowned tenor Luciano Pavarotti offers a solo recital at the Metropolitan Opera, accompanied by pianist John Wustman. Announcer Martin Bookspan explains that Pavarotti is the first vocal artist to offer such a program on this stage since the new opera house was inaugurated in 1966. The program begins with two operatic arias, "Una furtiva lagrima" from Donizetti's "l'Elisir d'amore" and "Che far˜ senza Euridice" from Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice," plus Rossini's Neapolitan tarantella "La danza." After a brief break, Pavarotti returns to sing a group of songs: Beethoven's "In questa tomba oscura," Bellini's "Vanne, o rosa fortunata," and "Vaga luna che inargenti," and Donizetti's "Me voglio fa'na casa." He concludes the first half of the program with two operatic standards, both from Verdi's "Luisa Miller," "Quando le sere al placido" and 'l"Ara o l'avello apprestami." During the intermission, the program airs a conversation between the tenor and an old friend, London Records executive vice-president Terry McEwen, taped backstage the day before during a rehearsal break. The two begin by discussing the tenor's introduction to concert singing when as a child he heard "colossal tenor" Beniamino Gigli perform. They go on to talk about Pavarotti's reasons for adding solo concerts to his operatic schedule and the difficult reputation tenors have long endured in the operatic world. Pavarotti also touches on his feelings about his soprano co-stars, his regret that he was never able to sing with Maria Callas, his attitude toward his fame, his hope that his work will continue to improve, his joy at being surrounded by beautiful women, and the possibility that he will make a movie. When the recital resumes, Pavarotti performs Liszt's "Two Sonnets of Petrarch"; "Fra poco a me ricovero" from Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor"; and four songs by Tosti, "A vucella," "Aprile," "Ideale," and "Marechiare." This concludes the formal program, but audience applause and shouts of encores bring the singer and his accompanist back for three more numbers, all classic lyric-tenor showpieces: "E lucevan le stelle" from Puccini's "Tosca," "Mattinata" by Leoncavallo, and "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot."
Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Edward John Noble Foundation.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: February 12, 1978 4:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:58:51
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:69939
- GENRE: Music
- SUBJECT HEADING: Operas - Excerpts; Vocal music
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1976-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- John Goberman … Producer
- Peter B. Scharff … Production (Misc.), Production Manager
- Ron Rubin … Production (Misc.), Assistant Production Manager
- Charlene Harrington … Production (Misc.), Production Associate
- Mary McGee … Production (Misc.), Production Assistant
- Larry Sussman … Production (Misc.), Production Assistant
- Kirk Browning … Director
- Alan Skog … Direction (Misc.), Associate Director
- Rosario Augugliaro … Direction (Misc.), Technical Director
- Ludwig van Beethoven … Composer
- Vincenzo Bellini … Composer
- Gaetano Donizetti … Composer
- Christoph von Gluck … Composer
- Ruggiero Leoncavallo … Composer
- Franz Liszt … Composer
- Giacomo Puccini … Composer
- Gioacchino Rossini … Composer
- F. Paolo Tosti … Composer
- Giuseppe Verdi … Composer
- Luciano Pavarotti … Singer, Tenor
- John Wustman … Instrumentalist, Pianist
- Martin Bookspan … Announcer
- Terry McEwen … Guest
- Maria Callas
- Beniamino Gigli