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WORLD / Europe
Crowd mourns Pavarotti in his hometown
(AP)
Updated: 2007-09-07 06:59
MODENA, Italy - Admirers massed by the hundreds in Modena's main piazza
Thursday night to pay their final respects to Luciano Pavarotti, the
tenor cherished by many as "the last, great voice" of Italian opera.
A picture of Luciano Pavarotti is printed on the frontpage of an Italian
daily newspaper, on display at a news stand in Modena, northern Italy,
Thursday, Sept. 6, 2007. [AP]
The crowd applauded as pallbearers carried the white casket into the
cathdral, where a funeral Saturday will draw dignitaries from opera,
politics and culture. The tenor died early Thursday in his hometown at
age 71 after a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer.
While Pavarotti moved the world with a wonderous voice, his legacy went
beyond the opera house. The tenor collaborated with classical singers and
pop icons alike to bring opera to the masses, rescuing the art from
highbrow obscurity in the process.
In many ways, Pavarotti fulfilled the public's imagination of what an
opera star should be. He often wore a colorful scarf and a hat, be it a
fedora or a beret, and while he didn't always have a beard, it was hard
to imagine him without it. His heft - as well as a restaurant on his
property in Modena - underlined his gourmet appetite.
But above all, his crystal clear voice, prized for its diction, made him
the most celebrated tenor since Caruso. "Pavarotti was the last great
Italian voice able to move the world," said Bruno Cagli, president of the
Santa Cecilia National Academy in Rome.
On the Piazza Grande, hundreds of people gathered for the first evening
of public viewing. Police on horseback stood at attention as mourners
shuffled up the steps into the cathedral to view Pavarotti, dressed in
his trademark white tie and tails, a white handkerchief and white rosary
clutched in his hands.
His wife, Nicoletta Mantovani, stood off to the side of the casket,
chatting calmly with well-wishers.
The atmosphere wasn't sad or tearful but warm, as Modena residents
celebrated their native son, many bringing their children to see what
they said was an unforgettable moment for the city and world.
Simone Sarrau, 32, waited in line until nearly midnight to pay his
respects.
"He's a symbol. He's a symbol of Modena, a symbol of Italy, he's
international," Sarrau said. "I think this demonstration of affection is
justified, and it's not just Modena its in the whole world. He's a
one-of-a-kind. There's only him, and there will always only be him."
Mayor Giorgia Pighi said the singer had been a beacon for the city.
"Thanks to Luciano Pavarotti, the name of Modena has gone around the
world as the name of a city much bigger than it actually is," Pighi told
Associated Press Television News before the casket arrived.
The viewing was scheduled to end at midnight and then resume Friday at 6
a.m. and last, but for a few hours of closure overnight, until shortly
before the funeral.
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