Pavarotti: The Greatest Hits

by Luciano Pavarotti

Overview

The 2019 documentary film Pavarotti, directed by Ron Howard, has spawned not only an official soundtrack but several new collections attempting to piggyback on the nostalgia. This is all to the good, for it's been a while since a new Pavarotti collection has appeared. Here, from Decca, you get three CDs worth of the "King of the High Cs," in chronological order and covering several aspects of his career. The collection comes with the imprimatur of the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation. The first CD is devoted to opera arias, and there's not much to complain of here; the first part of Pavarotti's career, when his voice had a physically startling immediacy, is given its due. Fans of pure opera might object to the overall balance in representing Pavarotti's career here. The second CD is devoted to Italian popular songs, like "Funiculì, Funiculà" (sample this), and sacred songs. The third covers duets, some operatic, others with the likes of Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, and even Lou Reed. There's nothing wrong with these, and they may represent a way into opera for new listeners brought to it by the film. However, taken as a whole, the collection overstates the role of popular music in Pavarotti's output. Certainly, he performed such music when he reached a level of superstardom where it made sense to do so, but it was more notable how he avoided it than how he did it. Even the Three Tenors, only lightly represented here, tended more to put across opera in a popular way than to sing pop. Pavarotti was undeniably enjoyable in whatever he did, though, and for many viewers of the film, this big collection will fill the bill.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/07/2019
Label:	Decca
UPC:	0028948348909
catalogNumber:	003037302
Rank:	777

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Turandot, opera: Nessun dorma

   1. Nessun dorma  (03:00)

2. La bohème, opera: Che Gelida Manina

   2. Che Gelida Manina  (04:38)

3. L'elisir d'amore, opera: Una Furtiva Lagrima

   3. Una Furtiva Lagrima  (04:48)

4. La fille du régiment, opera: Pour mon âme quel destin

   4. Pour mon âme quel destin  (02:12)

5. Rigoletto, opera: La donna è mobile

   5. La donna è mobile  (02:22)

6. Il Trovatore, opera: Di quella pira

   6. Di quella pira  (02:11)

7. Tosca, opera: E lucevan le stelle

   7. E lucevan le stelle  (02:54)

8. Pagliacci, opera: Vesti la giubba

   8. Vesti la giubba  (02:49)

9. Manon Lescaut, opera: Donna non vidi mai

   9. Donna non vidi mai  (02:39)

10. La favorita, opera: Spirto gentil

    10. Spirto gentil  (03:31)

11. Carmen, opera: La fleur que tu m'avais jetée

    11. La fleur que tu m'avais jetée  (04:29)

12. La bohème, opera: O soave fanciulla

    12. O soave fanciulla  (04:13)

13. Tosca, opera: Recondita armonia

    13. Recondita armonia  (02:59)

14. Werther, lyric drama in 4 acts: Pourquoi me réveiller

    14. Pourquoi me réveiller  (03:06)

15. Martha, opera: M'appari

    15. M'appari  (03:29)

16. La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West), opera: Ch'ella mi creda

    16. Ch'ella mi creda  (02:05)

17. Aida, opera: Celeste Aida

    17. Celeste Aida  (03:32)

18. Der Rosenkavalier, opera, Op. 59 (TrV 227): Di rigori armato il seno

    18. Di rigori armato il seno  (02:21)

19. Andrea Chénier, opera: Come un bel di di maggio

    19. Come un bel di di maggio  (03:12)

20. La Gioconda, opera in 4 acts: Cielo e mar!

    20. Cielo e mar!  (05:08)

21. Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera: Addio, fiorito asil

    21. Addio, fiorito asil  (01:53)

22. Fedora, opera: Amor ti vieta

    22. Amor ti vieta  (01:46)

23. L' Africaine, grand opera in 5 acts: O Paradiso

    23. O Paradiso  (03:30)

24. Rigoletto, opera: Questa o quella

    24. Questa o quella  (01:58)

25. La Traviata, opera: Brindisi

    25. Brindisi  (02:49)

Disc 2

1. O sole mio, for voice & piano (or orchestra)  (03:23)
2. Caruso, for voice & orchestra  (05:20)
3. La danza. Tarantella Napolitana ("Già la luna è in mezzo al mare"), for voice & piano (Soirées musicales)  (03:06)
4. Volare, for voice & orchestra (a.k.a. "Nel blu dipinto di blu")  (03:27)
5. Torna a Surriento, for voice & piano (or orchestra)  (04:24)
6. Ti adoro  (03:12)
7. 'A vucchella ("Arietta di Posilippo") for voice & piano (or orchestra), C.S. 209  (03:10)
8. Vivere for voice & orchestra  (03:25)
9. La mia canzone al vento for voice & orchestra  (03:03)
10. Non ti scordar di me, for voice & orchestra (& chorus ad lib)  (02:55)
11. Ellens Gesang III ("Ave Maria"), song for voice & piano, D. 839 (Op. 52/6)  (04:49)

12. Requiem Mass, for soloists, chorus & orchestra ("Manzoni Requiem"): Ingemisco

    12. Ingemisco  (03:35)
13. Panis angelicus for tenor, organ, harp, cello & bass  (04:00)
14. Cantique de Noël, for voice & orchestra ("Minuit, Chrétiens," "O Holy Night")  (04:12)
15. Mamma, for voice & orchestra  (03:33)
16. L'Ultima Canzone, for voice & piano or orchestra, C.S. 80  (04:16)
17. Buongiorno a te  (04:14)
18. Mattinata ("L'aurora di bianco vestita"), song for voice & piano (or orchestra)  (01:58)
19. Core 'ngrato (Catari), for voice & orchestra  (04:53)
20. Passione for voice & orchestra  (03:44)
21. Santa Lucia  (01:29)
22. Granada, for voice & orchestra (with chorus ad lib)  (03:06)
23. Funiculì Funiculà, for voice & orchestra (& chorus ad lib)  (02:39)

Disc 3

1. Les Pêcheurs de perles, opera in 3 acts: Au fond du temple saint (Pearl Fishers' Duet)

   1. Au fond du temple saint (Pearl Fishers' Duet)  (05:25)

2. Otello, opera: Sì, pel ciel marmoreo giuro!

   2. Sì, pel ciel marmoreo giuro!  (02:16)

3. Beatrice di Tenda, opera: Angiol di pace

   3. Angiol di pace  (02:42)
4. Notte 'e piscatore  (05:05)
5. Miserere  (04:16)
6. Miss Sarajevo  (04:33)
7. Live like horses  (05:07)
8. I Hate You Then I Love You, song (after Manuel de Falla)  (04:49)
9. Hero  (04:20)
10. Holy Mother  (05:27)
11. Magic of Love  (04:34)
12. Too Much Love Will Kill You  (04:32)
13. Peace wanted just to be free  (05:04)
14. When We Dance  (05:03)
15. You're the first, the last, my everything  (04:27)
16. It's A Man's Man's Man's World  (04:16)
17. A Perfect Day  (03:45)
18. My Way, song  (03:33)

19. Turandot, opera: Nessun dorma!

    19. Nessun dorma!  (02:58)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Luciano Pavarotti   Primary Artist