Puccini

Listening to A Prairie Home Companion on Saturday, we were treated to a rendition of Nessun Dorma - which prompted us to listen to several versions:



Mario Lanza. Not bad. Old school. Beautiful women, but I digress.

Paul Potts. "Embedding disabled by request." Isn't that interesting?




Pavarotti. Brilliant. (And such drama!)



Andrea Bocelli. Can I say? Meh.



Placido Domingo. Not bad.



Michael Bolton? We couldn't sit through the entire aria.

Finally,



The Three Tenors.

Our favorite?
Pavarotti.

Comments

Crazy Mom! said…
I lurve Prairie Home Companion. Ketchup, ketchup....

And I am a major opera fan, though Turandot isn't my fav. Love Carmen & anything by Mozart....
Mary Beth said…
I have found that, with most things aria related, Pavarotti will always be my favorite. The Gesu Bambino from his Christmas album? Chills just thinking about it. And the Nabucco Chorus? (Contented sigh)
Anonymous said…
Pavarotti.
There is only one in a million.
sigh
Paola
Anonymous said…
Mine too.
Caterina said…
Ditto on the Pavarotti comments.

I mean, really, there is no other like him.
Anonymous said…
I am with you all the way on these. Andrea Boccelli is the essence of MEH, no matter what he is singing. He's Velveeta cheesy. And sorry, but Michael Bolton? Makes me want to stab my eyes AND ears out.

Wow, I am Negative Nelly today.

jbhat
Anonymous said…
Wow. An opera newbie who likes Pavarotti the best. What a surprise.
Watch a full opera DVD with Pavarotti and then watch one with Domingo, and see where that takes you. Or why Pavarotti is incredibly overrated.
Scot said…
What about the Aretha Franklin version? :O)
Just goes to show you, good tenors are a dime a dozen.
I think placido domingo is a pompous ass. Does anybody remember when he told Diana Ross to be quiet at the world music awards?(seems the stage wasn't big enough for BOTH of their egos.)
I've never heard the michael bolton version before. WOW, that's really bad. I think my brain is bleeding.
I agree, I like the Pavarotti version but I also like Bocelli's version too. Not to mention Aretha Franklin's version.

I used to be a big fan of prarie home companion but after reading some of garrison keeler's editorials on Salon.com I can't stand him anymore. Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin have both said they would never work with him again and Tommy Lee Jones said he was a bit of a handful. Good enough for me.
As or Nessun Dorma, I thinl I'll wait for the john mayer version...:O)
Pavarotti has been my favorite since I first heard his version.

I'm amused that Anonymous up there assumes you are an opera newbie.
Miz S said…
Yeah, and what's up the supercilious tone, Anonymous? How 'bout just a polite, "I prefer Domingo over Pavarotti"? Nothing wrong with being courteous.
Duyvken said…
Beautiful! And can I recommend the aria from The Pearl Fishers.