Exhibition “The man who moved the world” | Rome, 2008
One year after his death (Sept. 6, 2007), an exhibition dedicated to the Modena-born tenor who, as the subtitle states, moved the world, was set up inside the Complesso del Vittoriano in Rome.
“The idea was born with the intention of telling about the two aspects of Luciano: an artist and a man who was able to move the world, from the youngest spectators to the powerful of the earth”, recalls Nicoletta Mantovani, “with the power of his simplicity. Because the secret of his charisma was certainly his extraordinary talent, but also his simplicity as a person. He never thought he was the best”.
The exhibition attempted to summarise over forty years of an inimitable career, also presenting a more unusual and private image of Pavarotti, with his passion for horses and for canvases and palettes, evidenced by twenty-nine paintings he created. Also on display were album covers, posters, CDs, awards and recognitions received from all over the world. There were also many letters and cards sent to Pavarotti by Lady Diana, Frank Sinatra, Bono, Kofi Annan and many others. His hats, scarves and a diary in which he wrote everything down were also on display. There is his tailcoat and his colourful red floral shirt, “because Luciano loved bright colours and hated black, grey and brown”.
There were costumes sent from Covent Garden in London, La Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan in New York, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Rome Opera: those from Tosca, Capuleti e Montecchi, L’elisir d’amore, Rigoletto, Turandot and Lombardi alla prima crociata. There were also many photos of a very young Pavarotti, who was still mainly devoted to football, and in 1952, posing proudly with the “Youth Champions”, and one who did not forget the weak and unfortunate and, involving many illustrious colleagues, committed himself to humanitarian causes.
But above all, the exhibition at the Vittoriano allowed visitors to rediscover his unmistakable voice, which always resonated powerfully and emotionally, while images of shows and concerts in front of huge crowds were shown on a large screen, showcasing him as a formidable ambassador for Italy around the world.
Le immagini della galleria fotrografica sono di © Gianluca Naphtalina Camporesi per la Fondazione Luciano Pavarotti
