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.
La bohème: Act I: Che gelida manina
Luciano Pavarotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Se la lasci riscaldar.
Cercar che giova?
Al buio non si trova.
Ma per fortuna
una notte di luna,
e qui la luna
l'abbiamo vicina.
Aspetti, signorina,
le dir con due parole
chi son, e che faccio,
come vivo. Vuole?
Chi son?
Sono un poeta.
Che cosa faccio? Scrivo.
E come vivo? Vivo!
In povert mia lieta
scialo da gran signore
rime ed inni d'amore.
Per sogni e per chimere
e per castelli in aria,
lanima ho milionaria.
Talor dal mio forziere
ruban tutti i gioelli
due ladri, gli occhi belli.
Ventrar con voi pur ora,
ed i miei sogni usati
e i bei sogni miei,
tosto si dileguar!
Ma il furto non maccora,
poich, vha preso stanza
la dolce speranza!
Or che mi conoscete,
parlate voi, deh! Parlate.
Chi siete? Vi piaccia dir!
"Che gelida manina" is a famous aria from Puccini's opera La bohème. This song is sung by a character named Rodolfo, who is a struggling poet, and he first sings this as an introduction to Mimi, whom he falls in love with. The opening line translates to "What a frozen little hand" and he offers to warm her hand. The phrase "Che gelida manina" is repeated throughout the song and has become a well-known phrase in Italian culture.
Rodolfo's initial offer to warm Mimi's hand, despite the coldness, is actually a metaphor for his desire to offer her love and warmth despite the harshness of their surroundings. He is attracted to Mimi's simplicity and beauty, and sees her as a source of inspiration for his poetry. He wants to know more about her and her life, and in turn, shares his own life story with her, which includes his struggles as a poet and his romantic pursuits.
The song takes on an emotional tone, with Rodolfo expressing both his joy and sadness through his voice. He is joyful that Mimi is with him, but sad because he knows their time together will be brief due to their financial and societal situations. The song ends with Rodolfo asking Mimi to tell him about herself, inviting her to share her own story with him.
Line by Line Meaning
Che gelida manina
My hand is so cold
Se la lasci riscaldar.
If you let it, it will warm up.
Cercar che giova?
What's the point of searching in the dark?
Al buio non si trova.
You can't find anything in the dark.
Ma per fortuna
But luckily
una notte di luna,
on this moonlit night
e qui la luna
we have the moon so near.
l'abbiamo vicina.
It's right here.
Aspetti, signorina,
Wait, miss
le dir con due parole
let me tell you in a few words
chi son, e che faccio,
who I am and what I do
come vivo. Vuole?
how I live. Do you want to know?
Chi son?
Who am I?
Sono un poeta.
I am a poet.
Che cosa faccio? Scrivo.
What do I do? I write.
E come vivo? Vivo!
And how do I live? I live!
In povert mia lieta
In my happy poverty
scialo da gran signore
I spend like a rich man
rime ed inni d'amore.
on verses and songs of love.
Per sogni e per chimere
For dreams and for fantasies
e per castelli in aria,
and for castles in the air,
lanima ho milionaria.
I have a millionaire's soul.
Talor dal mio forziere
Sometimes from my treasure trove
ruban tutti i gioelli
Thieves steal all my jewels
due ladri, gli occhi belli.
two beautiful thieves with lovely eyes.
Ventrar con voi pur ora,
If I were to come with you right now
ed i miei sogni usati
my old dreams
e i bei sogni miei,
and my beautiful dreams
tosto si dileguar!
would vanish quickly!
Ma il furto non maccora,
But the theft doesn't upset me
poich, vha preso stanza
since sweet hope
la dolce speranza!
has taken up residence!
Or che mi conoscete,
Now that you know me,
parlate voi, deh! Parlate.
you speak, oh please! Speak.
Chi siete? Vi piaccia dir!
Who are you? Please tell me!
Contributed by Jackson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@spizzell1
I love that the audience applauds the high C. Love it!!
@ILBARONE45
THANK GOD NOTHING CAN DISTRACT FROM LUCIANO'S MARVELOUS GIFT.. I always state that the captions should not be displayed especially when the are in error such as Che Gelida Manina.. Not Your fault GERCHA88. Just my opinion.
@CINEMAN8
@laddnyc me thinks it's China!!!