The 2019 documentary film
Pavarotti
directed by
Ron Howard
has had a mixed critical reception, but the soundtrack featuring the great tenor himself, is a success. It naturally enough sticks to big tunes and greatest hits, although there are three unreleased tracks, including one with
Bono
. The film was made with the cooperation of the
estate, enabling
Howard
to access some unusual material. It's not likely to tell
lovers anything they didn't know before, but for the purpose it serves, the album has a fine selection. Not only do you get the big arias that made
a household name, you get one of them,
Puccini
's "Nessun dorma", live from the original 1990
Three Tenors
concert in Rome, which still packs a punch. Many of them reveal the little details that made
great beyond his sheer power and musicality. The "La donna e mobile" from
Rigoletto
is a fine example, with
sacrificing most of the consonants in the first verse in order to propel the melody forward. The early
tracks are also well chosen to reenact the world's discovery of the tenor. Sample "Pour mon ame que destin" from
Donizetti
's
La fille du regiment
. This was recorded in 1968, and the almost polyphonic quality of the 33-year-old
's voice seems to spring to life in full color. The remastering of a large variety of sound sources is sufficiently done so that the listener experiences no distraction, and in general the large public drawn to the film by
's presence is going to get a reasonable introduction to
Luciano Pavarotti
. ~ James Manheim