Saturday, February 07, 2009

Too Much Love Will Kill You Or Luciano Pavarotti: The Epitome of Singing


Photograph
From Wikimedia Commons uploded by the author
User:Mariomanias, who released it under the licenses GFDL version 1.2
& CC by Sa version 3.0

Too Much Love Will Kill You Or

Luciano Pavarotti: The Epitome of Singing


Written by John Manuel Kennedy T.


February 7, 2009

Introduction

Luciano Pavarotti’s voice and the things he accomplished during his formidable career, nowadays, seem to be pretty more conspicuous than when he was alive, and like always we usually do, we did kind of taking him for granted. His voice is very much missed at the theaters of the world in which he would have performed, spite all those attacks and, the stupid negative criticism that some people would have stated about his professionalism, without any consideration whatsoever, because, these comments were made precisely when he was facing his very final days, and so they should have inflicted him great emotional damage. Still all of that, Luciano Pavarotti is the epitome of singing, in or out of the Opera. Incidentally, this post is about why I think Luciano Pavarotti is one of the immortals, one of the greatest singers of all the times, and also in here, I provide the evidence to substantiate this ’stanza’.

His Popularity and Greatness: Singing with All the Stars

Pavarotti’s humanity would not have any limits, it seems; and more importantly, his great charisma and talent, with which he knew how to captivate his 'publics' as also [he] earned the admiration of the most famous musicians from all musical styles and walks of life. We have many videos to enjoy Pavarotti’s grandiose “in vitro”. These videos could serve as the evidence, for all of us, about Pavarotti’s well deserve success; but especially, for those incredulous critics who otherwise, [they] did not hesitate to throw stones at the singer’s reputation.

Throughout all those videos, we can easily understand the incredible flexibility and extensibility of Pavarotti’s voice and professional artistic practice. He has achieved just the unthinkable. Let us think for a moment on what he has done all along and with whom he was able to sing. He sang with Deep Purple! With the spice girls, with Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, with Elton John, with Bon Jovi, (“Le it Rain”) with Stevie Wonder too; this list goes on and on and on... incredible, he sang also with Celia Cruz, and Jarabe de Palo, the cuban song, “Guantanamera” and, wih Enrique Iglesias, the mere Mexican song, “Cielito Lindo”; perhaps as a favor [to Enrique's dad] rather than any other thing. It goes without saying that at the opera business, Luciano sang with almost everybody that was considered somehow somebody of importance in it.

Notwithstanding, he got away with all of it, and in all the things that he did manage to do, he was superb and incomparable and, also outclassed a lot of people in the interim. His performances within otherwise unthinkable quasi-impossible mixed of musical styles, voices, instruments, tempos, key signatures and rhythms are admirable. All of what is too difficult to resolve in any given moment by any singer at any time. I do not think that any other tenor has, would or will, even start imagining or daring to try to do any of the numerous collaborations that Pavarotti did so well, and yet, at his own expense, evenly putting at risk his own reputation in each, and everyone, of them.

Always the Hiper-Citrics Critics

Perhaps, the case is that some of those who did not understand the outreaching power of Pavarotti or his immense “pluggable” talent, are incidentally all those who were the stolid writers who somehow felt the need to state negative things about Pavarotti’s ability to deliver his best at the scenario, as he has been always expected and supposed to do by the most exigent audiences. However, it is precisely those negative critics, and there were several of them, who evenly befriended Pavarotti for awhile but just out of personal gain or to gain some sort of international notoriety. Inclusively, Pavarotti, himself knew about this and their crude criticisms, by all means this were only betrayals, about his performances. Anyhow, what he ended up responding, when he was asked by a reporter about all that bad "jazz" and publicity? This: “They have reason to say what they are saying, I am too lazy too remember all those lyrics, they are so right...” The interviewer was put off right there and he was not able to dwell any more into Pavarotti’s system; also it was a great lesson, for the rest of us, on how to handle unfair, undeserved and unsubstantiated bad criticisms from your own "friends" and other counterparts.

The Elite of the Elites

Pavarotti was a master of masters. He only can be aligned together at the highest production of singers that we know of, the Elite of the Elites, the cream of all creams. He needs to be accompanied by the greatest singers who knew how to reach a "musical olympus". I am talking about Manuel García, Senior and Junior, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi (Some People do not hyphenate his last name and write it like this “Lauri Volpi”; however, I think it should be done so), Enrico Carusso, Franco Corelli, and Andrea Bocelli, following, in a inferior subcategory of excellence though, in which, I would put in it, and without any other especial order, to Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby and, now so far, I cannot put anybody else, evenly, I cannot see how to include Placido Domingo or José Carreras in this list, I do not think Mario Lanza either belongs in that team, sorry. Of course, this is only my appreciation, as the reader and others should, by all means, have theirs or, form their own opinions about who are the best singers of all the times. It is a very subjective matter anyway, but it is a positive exercise, especially, for those who like to sing and want to sing very well, because it stretches and forces their attention on voice techniques details and singing styles. If we make our mind of who is the best singer, we rapidly become interest to know why, for example Bob Dylan, it is still a very popular interpreter of folk and country American music, but he is out of the question as a singer when compare to others, perhaps as a poet or songwriter, in those categories, he would have a tremendous advantage but that is it.

How Well The Stars did it When Singing With Pavarotti?

Now, when you hear how the Sir Clapton’s guitar sounds right after you have heard the deep and chromatic voice of Pavarotti, and just to focus on the guitar and not on his voice, I think that you would agree, that very much that guitar’s vibes and dissonances disappear in the oblivion and evenly all of the sudden becomes fastidious, against the melodic music of an orchestra and with the educated voice of a tenor. It was like drawing a mustache to the Giaconda. Besides we can notice, watching the video, (at YouTube) how Sir Clapton seem so uncomfortable singing side by side with the immensity of Pavarotti. Eric appeared as he really sensed that he could
not be a match or should not have dare to step in the “ring” with whom was really a master singer. Without taking any of the tremendous talent and virtuosity of the guitarist, he is just not at the musical league of Pavarotti, he has not the musical trainning, education or mastering of Pavorotti, few tenors and musicians only could dream about, or wish, reaching the caliber of the Napolitano, though. Perhaps, Jimmy Page, could have been nearer to him, who really knows? I do not thing so, because Pavarotti [still] is really the 800 pounds Gorilla in singing and in music; and thus, definitely it is not Eric Clapton. Eric seems OK with BB king, or in those very blue notes.

The most pathetic case happened when Pavarotti sang side by side with the lead singer of the "Hard and Heavy Metal Rock" band “Deep Purple”, Ian Gillan. I mean, that was embarrassing for the rock singer and just to minimize the whole event and for say the least. These guy wanted to sing like a man and, indeed he went and finally did it, he sounded almost like an educated musician, he did enormous efforts to do just that, and what kind of song he picked to sing with Luciano?: “Nessum Dorma”! Indeed, the poor guy went and did this in front of a multitudinary audience. Gillan did it in the best of his true vocal chords abilities. Useless it is to write that at the video one can see how Gillan's legs and his overall posture, of this otherwise assertive heavy metal rock singer, denoted a total insecurity and, a high nervous tension, at the end of the song Pavarotti left the scenario rather very fast, as he almost disappear of it, it was Pavarotti's first "sfumato", I would say. However, other performances were not so bad as this one, except still with Stevie Wonder's, who did not know how to get “there” yet with Pavarotti in the first place. Stevie does not sound as good, at least in that song he interpreted with the tenor, especially when he is contrasted in the song with Pavarotti’s operatic voice. Stevie Wonder sounds good by himself or againg with others that are at his voice range, again not with singers of the level of Pavarotti.

Anyway, this did not happen with Sir Elton John, who somehow even create another voice for himself just to "face" Pavarotti's. He took a deep breadth, lowered a little the pitch and reduced the tempo of the melody, it seems for forcing Pavarotti to state in low key, and then Elton John sounded adequate as he was quietly successful with Pavarotti, in that song "Live Like Horses”. Also not as successful as Elton John but pretty decent though, were the spice girls, they sounded melodically correct and seemed very beautifully indeed together with the famous singer. There are other collaborations worth mentioning, like “O Sole Mio” with Roberto Carlos (in 1998). Roberto Carlos sounds extremely well and so relax, because he is a natural singer of tremendous talent, and so he just sings the way he sings and that is the whole of it. He is one of the greatest singers of all the times too, no question about, he style is trademark, and he showed it while singing with Pavarotti, who sang with him also the “Ave María”. When the public finished to listen to both of them, they applauded both with equally amount of retribution, because they deserved, just they were great. On this same subject, and moreover, and quite disturbingly, it was the collaboration of Pavarotti with James Brown; it is a perplexity, because, it was Pavarotti who got "down" into the realms of Brown, singing that soul song, “A Man’s World”, that was a rare and magic combination, though, and I do not know what to make out of it, the same when he sang with Grace Jones.


In the Final Analysis: "Too Much Love Will Kill You" It Was His "Rendition"

Consequently, at my final analysis from all of these Pavarotti’s “bizarre” and risky collaborations, I found a real and, surprisingly successful rendition. This was done with Queen’s Brian May’s beautiful song, “Too Much Love Will Kill You”. May, who composed the song and, [he] is an excellent musician and composer, started it with the right foot, and in his first entrance you could hear heim, the chocking voice of Pavarotti, singing the same song but in Italian; for that moment you only can think and fear that the deliver is going to be a disaster; because, I mean, that the change occurs in an almost supersonically and abruptly manner for anyone's ears, notwithstanding, right within the first measure, your can start sensing the magic 'blender' too, and then, we begin just understanding the true message of those voices' feeling and specailly of Pavarotti's. Now, if you put attention to the expressions of Pavarotti too, you can see the tremendous effort and; all the emotional energy that he puts in every phrase of that song all along and, how his delivering sounds with the orchestra and "Queen" just superbly beautiful. Pavorotti is telling us that there are no borders or boxes in music, he proved with this song.

This time the solo lick-guitar of May matches everything, those chords vibrate fret by fret, at the right volume and pitch, within the whole instrumentation, and especially, with the other Queen member, RogerTaylor’s piano. Besides, singing in English and Italian. It is a combination, that just added a very strange and special halo to the amazing wholeness and awesome holiness of this piece of genuine and eternal art. This musical interpretation is a climax of an “architecture” of cathedral proportions, that might reflect the highest advances and sensibilities of our western civilization. It is an achievement altogether of the most sublime sorts.

On Freddy Mercury's Talent

By the time Queen and Pavarotti sang this song, at the show of “Pavarotti and Friends” in 2003, Freddy Mercury sensibly had already passed away. Freddy deserves his own article; in fact, I have started writing it long ago about Freddy’s histrionic and sensational musical abilities. He was a unique strong “force” in many musical genres. He was, a very special type of genre by himself alone. The way he sang was so very unique. It was a virtuoso vocalist of many talents. Therefore, somebody somehow managed to produce and put together virtually, in a high quality homemade remix video, this two magnificent singers, Pavarotti and Mercury, then he added to the "blender" May’s guitar , Taylor’s Piano and the whole orchestra. It sound great altogether.

Therefore, I decided to preserve these two videos here in “El Arado” so you and I, can listen to them when we would want to. The remix has been done very well, I would say… Also I have transliterated the entries and lyrics of the song in English and Italian, so you can sing with them too. Also, I am sharing with you the PDF [Portable Document File] of this post [Look for the link at the very bottom of this Post] so you can download it, print it or save it, as you like it, and perhaps go on with your singing… There is nothing like singing with the greatest a great song, as it is this one, an unforgettable song of Queen: “Too Much Love Will Kill You” … enjoy it.

The Supporting Evidence

The Two Main Videos of this Article’s Song

Video-A:
Pavarotti’s Rendition with Brian May, Rogers Taylor and Queens at
2003, “Too Much Love will Kill You”

URL-A:
http://tinyurl.com/yr9reg or Click Here





Video-B:
Remix-Rendition - Freddy Mercury superb vocalization, with
Pavarotti Rendition of 2003, guitar: Brian May and Piano: Rogers Taylor

URL-A:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/c4rbl9 of Click Here


The “Video Script”

So you can practice your singing and your Italian as well.


Title:
To Much Love Will Kill You

Composition:
Brian May with “Queen”

Interpreters:
“Queen”, Brian May, Luciano Pavarotti, Freedy Mercury
Languages:
English & Italian Text & Testo

Brian May or Freddy Mercury

I’m just the pieces of the man I used to be

Too many bitter tears are raining down on me

I’m far away from home

And I’ve been facing this alone

for much too long ooh...


Luciano Pavarotti


Io sento che qualcuno non mai

ha detto mai su come

poi si riesce a vivere così

nella mente mia confusa

guardo indietro

per capire dove sbagliai Oh.. Oh.. oohh


Brian May or Freddy Mercury


Too much love will kill you

If you can’t make up your mind

Torn between the lover and the love you leave behind

You’re headed for disaster ’cos you never read the signs

Too much love will kill you, every time


Luciano Pavarotti


Son solo l’ombra di quell’uomo che ero io

e sembra che non trovo un’latra via per te

io a te portavo il sole

adesso quel che faccio butto giù

Oh.. Oh.. oohh


Brian May or Freddy Mercury



How would it be if you were standing in my shoes

Can’t you see that it’s impossible to choose

No there’s no making sense of it

Every way I go I have to lose

yeah....


Luciano Pavarotti


Troppo amor ti uccide

ma nessuno amore no

ma la forza che tu hai dentro

che ti fa gridar ancor

di dolore impazzirai

sei la vittima e lo sai

Troppo amor ti uccide

e lo sai


Brian May’s Solo Guitar Part


♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♫♪ ♪♫♫


Luciano Pavarotti


Troppo amor ti uccide

la tua vita è una bugia

Brian May or Freddy Mercury

Yes, too much love will kill you

And you won’t understand why

You’d give your life you’d sell your soul

But here it comes again

Luciano Pavarotti

Too much love will kill you... uuh


Both or all... kind of


In the end... In the end In the end... In the eeeeend


Download the JMK's beautiful PDF version of this same article for Free: It contains an additional matrix listing and 'linking' the very best collaborations of Luciano Pavarotti with numerous artists
Here Pavortti: The EPitome of Singing in PDF

John M. Kennedy T. 2009 ◙ released under Creative Commons, non-derivatives, attribution required. Version 3.0

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