(bells chiming) - [Narrator] Next on "Great performances," "Pavarotti and the Italian Tenor."

(group singing in Italian) - [Narrator] Italians say (speaks Italian).

"Italy is the cradle of beautiful singing."

(group singing in Italian) - [Narrator] It's the birthplace of opera.

A land of music lovers and music makers.

(group singing in Italian) - There is nobody in this country who is not trying to sing, (group singing in Italian) (group members speaking in Italian) especially if he has a tenor voice.

(inspirational music) - [Narrator] Great performances is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and by the financial support of viewers like you, and by Duracell, which proudly supports great performances, television's longest running performance series.

Duracell, (graphic beeps) (battery top thuds) the copper top battery.

(gentle upbeat music) (vocalist singing in Italian) - [Narrator] Luciano Pavarotti performs today in the grand tradition of the Italian tenor.

(vocalist singing in Italian) - [Narrator] The tradition of Di Stefano, Gigli, (vocalist singing in Italian) - [Narrator] Schipa.

The grand tradition redefined at the beginning of the 20th century by the exceptional voice and personal appeal of Enrico Caruso.

(vocalist singing in Italian) - I think Caruso for the singer mean the base of the building.

It doesn't matter how tall is the building, how heavy is going to be the building, on the basement of Caruso it will always rest, because he's essential, because vocally he's enormous and he's very, very, very close to the true in expression.

I think my first teacher in term of inspiring me, trying to sing even when I was a kid, I think they were all the tenor of the past.

The record of all the tenor of the past.

(somber music) (Enrico singing in Italian) (Enrico continues singing in Italian) (somber music continues) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] In the 1700s, there was the bel canto style.

And generally they were light tenors.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Tenors with large voices, lirico or lirico spinto, came about toward the end of the 19th century.

(somber music) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Caruso's revolution came really as a reaction to the bel canto style, not that Caruso had intended it but he was born with an extraordinary tenor voice with some of the qualities of a baritone.

He delivered a final blow to that period of singing, primarily for technical display.

(somber music crescendos) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] In Caruso's voice we heard genuine human inflections, a person's voice, not just a singer's voice.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] A true real voice.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Luciano sings this piece exactly as written.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] While a bel canto singer would sing it.

(gentle music) (Leone singing in Italian) (gentle music continues) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] With a lot of variations and flourishes that are completely different from the vocal style of Luciano and that of Caruso.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] So bel canto is more elaborate, lyrical, more human Truer.

- [Narrator] The repertory in our program is closely identified with the tradition of Italian tenors and includes music reaching back into the 18th century.

Songs exploring love, beginning with Paisiello's playful love song from his comic opera "La Molinara," "The Maid of the Mill."

(playful music) (Luciano singing in Italian) (playful music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (playful music crescendos) - [Narrator] We can still hear the vocal flourishes of the bel canto in Donizetti's song, celebrating the love of the sea and the sailor's life.

(gentle music) (Luciano singing in Italian) (gentle music rises) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle music continues) (Luciano singing in Italian) (Luciano singing in Italian) (gentle music) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (Luciano singing in Italian) (gentle upbeat music crescendos) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Pavarotti was born into the right family.

His father was a tenor and Luciano quickly followed him into the Rossini Chorale.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] There's an extreme passion for music in this region.

You have clubs for singing, societies, they breathe music from childhood.

(group singing in Italian) (group applauding) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Growing up with music was very important for him.

(group members speaking in Italian) - In a Chorale, there is always the old people then when they see a young kid come in they always think that he's an idiot.

That he cannot sing.

He cannot sing appropriately.

He cannot do a certain thing different than what they always have done.

(vocalist singing in Italian) (group singing in Italian) (vocalist singing in Italian) (group singing in Italian) (vocalist singing in Italian) (group singing in Italian) - But then if you prove to be very good you become one of them.

(instructor speaking in Italian) (all speaking in Italian) (instructor speaking in Italian) (all speaking in Italian) (gentle solemn music) - [Luciano] I have a big respect for these people.

They do this not for profession, but they do very seriously.

(trainer speaking in Italian) (shop keeper speaking in Italian) - [Luciano] They work.

(barber and customers speaking in Italian) - [Luciano] And every night instead to go out, they go to sing.

(instructor singing in Italian) (group singing in Italian) (instructor speaking in Italian) (group singing in Italian) (instructor speaking in Italian) (group singing in Italian) (Gino speaking in Italian) - [Translator] It's exactly 35 years, I've been a member of the chorus, a long time, like many of us.

(Gino speaking in Italian) - [Translator] My father was a member and had a very beautiful voice, like mine, let's say.

(Gino speaking in Italian) - [Translator] I began listening to opera on the radio after the Second World War.

(Gino speaking in Italian) - [Translator] I started singing in church and then I joined the Rossini Chorale.

(group singing in Italian) (instructor speaking in Italian) (gentle music) (Pietro speaking in Italian) - [Translator] I think that for man, the first form of artistic expression was really singing.

(Pietro speaking in Italian) (gentle music) (Pietro speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Because if we go all the way back when man was still a form of ape, (Pietro speaking in Italian) - [Translator] it seems to me that when he had some kind of victory, (Pietro speaking in Italian) - [Translator] captured an animal for his dinner let's say, (Pietro speaking in Italian) - [Translator] he would let out cries of exhilaration.

(Pietro speaking in Italian) (instructor singing in Italian) (group singing in Italian) (playful music) (group singing in Italian) (playful music intensifies) (group singing in Italian) (group members speaking in Italian) (Gino speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Luciano always had a very beautiful voice.

Subtle, high.

His father Fernando Pavarotti had a voice just as beautiful.

(Gino speaking in Italian) - [Translator] He was the greatest tenor that I've ever heard, an exceptional voice.

(Gino speaking in Italian) - [Translator] In 1957, Fernando Pavarotti sang" La Giana" in Cork.

I remember the incredible high notes.

(Fernando speaking in Italian) - [Translator] The maestro gave us the pitch for "La Giana."

(Fernando vocalizing) (Fernando speaking in Italian) - [Translator] I took it even higher.

(friend speaking in Italian) (Fernando speaking in Italian) - It was Gigli with a little more fat.

(friend speaking in Italian) (Fernando singing in Italian) (somber music) - [Translator] You must have hit 3,000 high Cs, right, Fernando?

(friend speaking in Italian) - [Translator] An Irish newspaper ran the headline, "Fernando is a World-Class Tenor."

(friend speaking in Italian) - [Translator] He would've been a great opera singer if he had studied.

(Fernando singing in Italian) - A voice alone is not enough.

For example, he did not have ambition, he did not have courage to go in front of the audience face to face and say, "Here I am.

"I am a tenor.

"I would like to sing.

"I want to sing," that my father wasn't unable to say.

I think I was a little like him at the beginning, but Pola, who was a tenor already, he really gave me the pushing, with example.

(Pola vocalizing) (Pola speaking in Italian) (vocalist and Pola vocalizing) - And every day, I remember, for six month, consecutive month, I just make vocalize.

(vocalizes) And nothing other than that.

Just to open this joint.

Because I was a little closed.

(vocalist vocalizing) I remember very well every time he was, for example, explaining the cover sound.

The (speaking in Italian) I always try, and of course I crack, and I say, "I cannot do it."

And he says, "Listen."

And he make the sound.

And he says if I do this then I am a person, "You can't do this, you are an animal."

I always remember that.

Of course, he was joking because very, very sweet man.

(Pola speaking in Italian) (vocalist and Pola vocalizing) - And after six months, we make a little baroque song and then little by little I begin to study operatic pieces.

(vocalist singing in Italian) (Pola singing in Italian) (Pola speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Just make a nice diminuendo and what follows will be more brilliant.

(vocalist and Pola singing in Italian) (gentle music) (vocalist and Pola singing in Italian) (Pola speaking in Italian) (vocalist and Pola singing in Italian) (Pola speaking in Italian) (Gino speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Luciano went on studying and became "the Great" Luciano Pavarotti (Gino speaking in Italian) - [Translator] the envy of the world.

- [Luciano] "O Colombina" is generally sang by tenorino, but once more Caruso changed this attitude and he sang in full voice.

And so since then some other tenor have tried to do it in full voice, even in concert (somber music) (Luciano singing in Italian) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (somber music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (somber music crescendos) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (Gino speaking in Italian) - [Translator] I think the father saw the son become what he himself wanted to be, but was never able to be.

(Gino speaking in Italian) - [Narrator] Guest tenors Luciano and Fernando Pavarotti join the Rossini Chorale in a traditional love song of their native city Modena.

(group singing in Italian) (group humming) (group continues singing in Italian) (group humming) (group continues singing in Italian) (Luciano singing in Italian) (group humming) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (group humming) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (group humming) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (group humming) (group singing in Italian) (group humming) (group singing in Italian) (group humming) (group continues singing in Italian) (Fernando singing in Italian) (group humming) (Fernando continues singing in Italian) (group humming) (Fernando continues singing in Italian) (group humming) (Fernando continues singing in Italian) (group humming) (group singing in Italian) (group humming) (group continues singing in Italian) (group humming) (group continues singing in Italian) (Luciano singing in Italian) (group humming) (Luciano singing in Italian) (group humming) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (group humming) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (group humming) (all singing in Italian) - Voice is one question, but you must have musicality.

You must have rhythmically, intelligence, memory.

To make a complete artist, you have so many, many, many things, together, you make a great singer.

But if you have... We have one big example.

The voice is not everything.

We have Tito Schipa, with a feeling, want a small voice, he become great, like Caruso.

(gentle music) (Tito singing in Italian) (gentle music continues) (Tito continues singing in Italian) - The voice is not big, it's particular.

After two words, you understand who it is.

And that is very, very very important because you have no doubt and you are following one person with a personality.

(somber music) (Tito singing in Italian) - I can tell you one thing, every time I'm studying a new piece, I always bring around me all the tape of the most important tenor of the past and even of the present, just to know what is going on in the piece.

Because the time to study a month or two, one song, we don't have anymore.

(gentle music) Schipa is unsurpassed.

(Tito singing in Italian) (gentle upbeat music) (Tito continues singing in Italian) - Just to understand the phrasing and the way in which he says the word, with absolutely master, forever.

(gentle upbeat music) (Tito singing in Italian) (gentle upbeat music continues) (Tito continues singing in Italian) (group speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Yeah, you sang with all the great ones, Fernando.

(Fernando speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Now take Pertile and Gigli, (friend and Fernando speaking in Italian) - [Translator] one did "Ballo in Maschera" and the other one did "La Gioconda."

(gentle music) (Gigli singing in Italian) (gentle music continues) (Gigli continues singing in Italian) (gentle music quickens) (Gigli continues singing in Italian) (gentle music continues) (Gigli continues singing in Italian) - Incredible.

(Gigli singing in Italian) - It's Gigli.

(Gigli singing in Italian) I think it is Beniamino Gigli.

(gentle music) (Gigli singing in Italian) - He was in Modena, I was 12, I remember vividly.

And I did like the performance good, but not... And then at the end of the opera, they brought a piano on the stage and Gigli make a concert on request.

"Di Quella Pira."

Okay, "Di Quella Pira."

"Nesson Dorma," "Nesson Dorma."

"Una Furtiva," "Una Furtiva."

It doesn't matter what he sang, I think he sang something like 20 or 30 pieces after the opera.

(crowd speaking indistinctly) At that point I realized that this is the most elastic, the most vocal of all the tenor.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Gigli was a fascinating tenor.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Campogalliani used to say that he had the voice of a woman, which is a strange way to put it.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] I think rather that he had the voice of a lily, a flower, very gentle.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] But he was without a doubt, a very important tenor because of his long career, his technical mastery and his legato.

I think Luciano took the legato from Gigli.

(Gigli singing in Italian) (Leone speaking in Italian) Legato means sustaining the song note with the same vibrancy until the very end.

(gentle music) (Gigli singing in Italian) (audience applauding) (announcer speaking in Italian) - [Narrator] Donaudy consciously imitates the melodic style of the 18th century, but uses 20th century harmonies.

In this song expressing the exquisite pain of love lost.

(somber music) (Luciano singing in Italian) (somber music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (somber music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (somber music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (somber music continues) (Luciano singing in Italian) (somber music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (somber music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (somber music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle music) (Di Stefano singing in Italian) (car engine purring) (gentle music continues) (Di Stefano continues singing in Italian) - This is Di Stefano.

(gentle music) (Di Stefano singing in Italian) (Luciano chuckling) (gentle music continues) (Di Stefano continues singing in Italian) - This is Giuseppe Di Stefano.

(gentle music) (Di Stefano singing in Italian) - And this is the tenor who make me fight with my father (laughs) because when he come out, I say to him, "Papa, I like this more.

"I don't want to take Gigli in less consideration."

My father was a super fanatic of Gigli, but I like this young man more because he's giving me a new message with a beautiful voice, he is going to try to stay close to the truth and he may hope and sound and they excite.

(somber music) (Di Stefano singing in Italian) - With this kind of pronunciation, then I would like to say sexual, not even sexy, sexual, really beautiful.

(somber music) (Di Stefano singing in Italian) (somber music) (Di Stefano singing in Italian) (vocalists singing in Italian) (Di Stefano singing in Italian) (vocalists singing in Italian) (Di Stefano singing in Italian) (vocalists singing in Italian) (Di Stefano singing in Italian) (somber music crescendos) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Di Stefano had the exceptional interpretive skills of a great creative artist.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] And I believe Luciano learned a lot from him.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] But he's shrewd enough not to follow his technical path (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Because Di Stefano's technique was not good.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Not good because, to put it technically, he used to open the notes of the passaggio when they need to be more focused.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] The passaggio are the notes between the mid and high range where the tenor needs to sing the vowels a little darker.

Di Stefano sings (Leone vocalizing) a little bit.

A classical tenor (Leone vocalizing) sings rounder and softer (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] and tires the voice less.

- [Narrator] Opera permeates the musical life of Modena from its opera house to the local music school where Pavarotti's teacher once studied.

(Massimo speaking in Italian) - [Translator] The piece by Giacomo Puccini was chosen for the children to bring them closer to world of opera.

(Massimo speaking in Italian) - [Translator] So it's really a lesson within a lesson.

(children singing in Italian) (Massimo speaking in Italian) (Massimo vocalizes) (Massimo speaking in Italian) (Massimo singing in Italian) (Massimo speaking in Italian) (gentle music) (Massimo speaking in Italian) (children singing in Italian) (Massimo vocalizing) (Massimo speaking in Italian) (children singing in Italian) (Massimo speaking in Italian) (children singing in Italian) (Massimo speaking in Italian) (children singing in Italian) - [Narrator] Puccini's best loved opera "La Boheme," had its beginning, according to the composer himself, in this love song which he submitted to the musical arts magazine Paganini.

(gentle upbeat music) (Luciano singing in Italian) (gentle upbeat music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle upbeat music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle upbeat music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle upbeat music continues) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] After his debut, a singer usually begins to tour the world and encounters all musical styles.

(somber music) (Luciano singing in Italian) (somber music continues) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Certainly it helps an artist to work with conductors like von Karajan, Kleiber, Abbado, Muti.

(gentle music) (Luciano singing in Italian) (gentle music swells) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle music continues) (page rustling) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] I have to say something that's not said very often about Luciano, but Luciano doesn't read music at all.

(Luciano singing in Italian) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] So when he studies, he absorbs by listening, then the music ripens internally.

(Leone speaking in Italian) (Luciano singing in Italian) (somber music) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] This inability to read music is something famous conductors used to speak to me about.

(Leone speaking in Italian) (gentle music continues) - [Translator] They'd say it's better if a singer can't read the music, he uses his imagination more freely.

(gentle music) (Luciano singing in Italian) (gentle music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle music swells) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle music continues) (audience cheering and applauding) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Luciano's vocal style brings many components into a miraculous equilibrium.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] He has absorbed the expressivity of Caruso, Di Stefano's artistic force, still with a very strong technique.

(audience applauding) (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] For Luciano text is very important.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] It has to be for a singer, as for an actor, to think of the meaning of each word.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] If one says amore, love, one has to say it in a certain way, (Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] thinking of the meaning of the word.

(Leone speaking in Italian) - [Translator] Luciano always studies the text very seriously.

- "Non T'amo Piu" of Tosti is a song, translating from Italian to English, "I don't love you anymore, "you are no more my dream."

There is a suspect than saying something like that, she is still your dream, but probably not.

(group speaking indistinctly) (gentle poignant music) (gentle poignant music swells) (Luciano singing in Italian) (gentle poignant music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle poignant music swells) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle poignant music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle poignant music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle poignant music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle poignant music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle poignant music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle poignant music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle poignant music continues) (Luciano continues singing in Italian) (gentle poignant music continues) (vocalists singing in Italian) (vocalists singing in Italian) (vocalists singing in Italian) (inspirational music) - [Narrator] "Great performances" is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and by the financial support of viewers like you, and by Duracell, which proudly supports "Great Performances," television's longest running performance series.

Duracell, (graphic beeping) (battery top thuds) the copper top battery.

(triumphant music) (gentle upbeat music) This is PBS.