The Bristow Voice Method Blog

I remember clearly the first time I first heard his voice. I was in the beginning of my professional career and hanging out backstage in the theatre when a cast member was walking around with a walkman completely taken by what he was listening to. He let me listen, and even though I was no opera fan, I was quite in awe over the warm, passionate expression by this man who could sing high Cs like it was the easiest thing in the world. 

Singing a high C was in my mind simply not human. It would take many years until I realized that most people can learn to sing high Cs (no one can of course sing them like he could). 

Pavarotti had a tremendous impact in making classical singing popular among the broad public, much due to his genuine, lose and warm personality which not surprisingly matched his genuine, effortless and warm vocal quality. 

While many opera singers come across as working hard to create their tone, Pavarotti’s singing came across as effortless. The Three Tenors became a household expression. He sang to a crowd of 500,000 in Central Park (in addition to a couple of million who watched TV). What many may not know is that he was an excellent soccer player in his youth. Also, it might be interesting to realize that his road to success was far from easy. In fact, at one time he completely gave up the idea of pursuing a professional singing career after having developed a nodule on his vocal cords. His voice lives on.