He soon gained fame due to the power and strength of his voice. The young tenor earned valuable experience and significant recognition while touring on the invitation of soprano Joan Sutherland, making his 1965 U.S. debut in Miami, Florida on her recommendation. His position was solidified in the years between 1966 and 1972, during which Pavarotti first appeared at Milan's seminal La Scala, at other major European houses, and, in 1968, at NYC's Metropolitan Opera. He received great acclaim, particularly working well with Joan Sutherland.
By the mid-70s, the tenor became known worldwide, famed for the brilliance and beauty of his tone, especially into the upper register. His "high C" became one of his trademarks. The late 70s and 80s saw Pavarotti making significant appearances in the world's opera houses and establishing himself as one of the great singers of the era.
Popular stardom came at the 1990 World Cup in Italy with the performances of "Nessun Dorma" (from Turandot) and as one of The Three Tenors in their famed first concert held on the eve of the final match of the tournament (repeated at later Cups). Pavarotti sang together with fellow star tenors Plácido Domingo and José Carreras and brought to the much wider audience hits previously confined to the opera world. Appearances in advertisements and with pop icons in concerts around the world furthered his influence. Pavarotti always maintained his identity as an opera star, unlike many crossover artists.
The later years brought a decline in ability to perform on stage due to a weight gain and lack of mobility. Pavarotti's final appearance in an opera was at the Met in March 2004. The 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy saw him performing for the last time. Pavarotti sang Nessun Dorma, with the crowd as its Chorus, and got a thunderous standing ovation. On September 6, 2007, he died at home in Modena from pancreatic cancer.
Giordano: Andrea Chénier
Luciano Pavarotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
L'irrequieta anima mia
Tu sei la meta d'ogni desio
D'ogni sogno, d'ogni poesia
Entro al tuo sguardo
L'iridescenza scerno
De li spazi infiniti
Ti guardo, in questo fiotto verde
Per non lasciarti son qui
Non è un addio
Vengo a morire con te
Finì il soffrire
La morte nell'amarti
Ah, chi la parola estrema dalle labbra
Raccoglie, è Lui, l'Amor
Tu sei la meta dell'esistenza mia
Il nostro è amore d'anime
Salvo una madre
Maddalena all'alba ha nome
Per la morte Idia Legray
Vedi? La luce incerta del crepuscolo
Giù pe' squallidi androni già lumeggia
Abbracciami
Baciami
Amante
Orgoglio di bellezza
Trionfo tu, de l'anima
Il tuo amor, sublime amante
È mare, è ciel, luce di sole
E d'astri
È il mondo
È il mondo
La nostra morte è il trionfo dell'amor
La nostra morte
Ah benedico, benedico la sorte
Nell'ora che si muore
Eterni diveniamo
Morte
Infinito
Amore
Amore
È la morte
È la morte
Ella vien col sole
Ella vien col mattino
Ah, viene come l'aurora
Col sole che la indora
Ne viene a noi dal cielo
Entro un vel di rose e viole
Amor
Amor
Infinito
Amor
Andrea Chénier
Son io
Idia Legray
Son io
Viva la morte insiem
The lyrics to Luciano Pavarotti's song Giordano: Andrea Chénier / Act 4 are filled with symbolism and reflect themes of love, death, and transcendence. The opening lines "Vicino a te s'acqueta, L'irrequieta anima mia" translate to "Near you, my restless soul is quieted." The singer is expressing their deep love for their partner, who is the source of all their desires, dreams, and poetry. The next lines, "Entro al tuo sguardo, L'iridescenza scerno, De li spazi infiniti" refer to the infinite beauty the singer sees in their lover's eyes, as if looking out into the endless expanse of the universe. The song continues with the singer pledging to remain by their lover's side, even in death. "Vengo a morire con te, Finì il soffrire, La morte nell'amarti" translates to "I come to die with you, The suffering is over, Death in loving you." This is a metaphorical way of saying that the singer is willing to give their life for the one they love.
The song also references two other characters, Idia Legray and Maddalena, who represent the harsh realities of life and death. The lines, "Per la morte Idia Legray, Vedi? La luce incerta del crepuscolo, Giù pe' squallidi androni già lumeggia," refer to the character of Idia Legray, who is a member of the aristocracy that is about to be executed during the French Revolution. The singer acknowledges her death and sees the light of dusk already creeping through the shadows. The line "Salvo una madre, Maddalena all'alba ha nome," refers to a mother who is saved from execution thanks to her newborn baby. The song concludes with the repeated chant of "Amor, Amor, Infinito," expressing the infinite nature of love and the way in which it transcends death.
Line by Line Meaning
Vicino a te s'acqueta
My restless soul finds peace when I'm close to you
L'irrequieta anima mia
My restless soul
Tu sei la meta d'ogni desio
You are the goal of all my desires
D'ogni sogno, d'ogni poesia
Of every dream, of every poem
Entro al tuo sguardo
In your gaze
L'iridescenza scerno
I see the iridescence
De li spazi infiniti
Of infinite spaces
Ti guardo, in questo fiotto verde
I look at you, in this green stream
Di tua larga pupilla erro coll'anima
My soul wanders in your large pupils
Per non lasciarti son qui
I'm here so as not to leave you
Non è un addio
It's not a farewell
Vengo a morire con te
I come to die with you
Finì il soffrire
The suffering is over
La morte nell'amarti
In loving you, there's death
Ah, chi la parola estrema dalle labbra
Ah, who has the ultimate words on their lips
Raccoglie, è Lui, l'Amor
He collects them, Love is the one
Tu sei la meta dell'esistenza mia
You are the purpose of my existence
Il nostro è amore d'anime
Ours is a love of souls
Salvo una madre
Except for a mother
Maddalena all'alba ha nome
Her name is Maddalena and she appears at dawn
Per la morte Idia Legray
Because of the death of Idia Legray
Vedi? La luce incerta del crepuscolo
See? The uncertain light of dusk
Giù pe' squallidi androni già lumeggia
Shines already in the shabby alleys
Abbracciami
Embrace me
Baciami
Kiss me
Amante
My love
Orgoglio di bellezza
Pride of beauty
Trionfo tu, de l'anima
You are the triumph of the soul
Il tuo amor, sublime amante
Your love, sublime lover
È mare, è ciel, luce di sole
It's the sea, it's the sky, the light of the sun
E d'astri È il mondo
And of stars, that's the world
La nostra morte è il trionfo dell'amor
Our death is the triumph of love
La nostra morte
Our death
Ah benedico, benedico la sorte
Ah, I bless, I bless fate
Nell'ora che si muore
In the hour of dying
Eterni diveniamo
We become eternal
Morte
Death
Infinito
Infinite
Amore
Love
È la morte
It's death
Ella vien col sole
She comes with the sun
Ella vien col mattino
She comes with the morning
Ah, viene come l'aurora
Ah, she comes like the dawn
Col sole che la indora
With the sun that gilds her
Ne viene a noi dal cielo
She comes to us from the sky
Entro un vel di rose e viole
In a veil of roses and violets
Andrea Chénier
I am Andrea Chénier
Son io
It's me
Idia Legray
I am also Idia Legray
Son io
It's me
Viva la morte insiem
Long live death together
Lyrics © PUBLIC DOMAIN
Written by: Luigi Illica, Umberto Giordano
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind