Met To Honor Pavarotti With Free Concert
The Metropolitan Opera will offer a free concert performance of Verdi's Requiem on September 18 to honor the memory of one of its greatest stars, Luciano Pavarotti, who died last year of pancreatic cancer.
Tenor Marcello Giordani will sing the music once made radiant by the Italian tenor, with James Levine on the podium. They will be joined by soprano Barbara Frittoli, mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina, and bass James Morris.
Pavarotti sang 378 times at the Met during his career with the New York company, starting in 1968 when he stepped out as the poet Rodolfo in Puccini's "La Bohème." That was an audience favorite, rivaled only by the role of Mario Cavaradossi, the painting lover of Tosca.
"Pavarotti captivated millions with his performances at the Met and elsewhere, and his golden voice will resonate in this opera house for as long as it stands," Met Opera General Manager Peter Gelb said in a statement.
The ticket recipients for "Verdi Requiem: A Tribute to Luciano Pavarotti" will be chosen by a random drawing.
The 5 p.m. Pavarotti tribute concert will be broadcast live on Sirius Satellite Radio (Channel 78) and also will be streamed live on the Met's Web site.
