Farewell to "The King of the High Cs"

Luciano Pavarotti will be buried tomorrow, and with him the enmity of many critics who judged Pavarotti musically deficient.

Much ink and many pixels have already been spent discussing Pavarotti's lack of musical knowledge, fear of learning new repertoire, etc. Placido Domingo, it is said, is the more intelligent singer, the better actor, the more adventurous artist.

And all that's true. But, so what? Music doesn't have to be one thing, nor does it need to be judged by one set of criteria. Pavarotti was all about his voice: That incomparable glorious instrument that was gifted to him by the gods of music, and which he generously shared with the world throughout a spectacular career. Listen to vintage recordings of Pavarotti singing "Nessun Dorma" or "O Sole Mio" or any number of other arias and songs, and you will be spoiled for hearing anybody else sing them. Powerful, open, exuding joy, Pavarotti's voice was the splendor of the tenor world for much of the past half-century.

Toward the end, yes, the voice grew tired and strained. Age does that to every singer. But even as Pavarotti kept singing into his 60s, losing much of his sheen and power, he continued to project through his performances a profound lust for life. Music can be about that.

- Kenneth LaFave