Today the world mourns the passing of a titan of music. Luciano Pavarotti, the man who introduced opera to a wider audience than any other before him, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer today. He was 71. There are many tributes on the web, including a Life in Pictures on bbc.com, reaction from his Three Tenor partners Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras (also from bbc.com), a reaction from residents of Modena, Pavarotti’s birthplace, and, at last count, more than 2,000 articles about his passing. Indeed, he will be missed.
So, what’s the best place to celebrate the big man’s work? Go to the opera, of course! One perfect event is Rome’s Opere Sotto Le Stelle (Opera Under the Stars), which will run through September 29 at the Gran Teatro. See www.romaturismo.com for more information on this and other events.
If you’re not prepared to go to the opera this month, consider taking in some musica lirica at some of Italy’s famous opera houses and arenas. Those include the Sferisterio in Macerata (Le Marche); the Arena in Verona (Veneto); and, of course, La Scala in Milan and La Fenice in Venice.
