"I will be back!" Four years ago Pavarotti, the world famous tenor, made this promise after giving a grand concert as part of the "Three Tenors" with Domingo and Carreras in the Forbidden City in Beijing.
On December 10 he will realize that promise by giving his last ever performance in Beijing.
"After that I will not sing any more, even when I am bathing," he joked.
The 70-year-old tenor began his farewell tour performance at the beginning of the year. At each stop of his tour, he performs 34 repertoires marking the end of his 44-year singing career.
"If there is no other arrangement, The Sleepless Night of Durandot will conclude the concert, because it well caters to my mood, and it is also my favorite," he said.
He chose Beijing as the last stage, because the 70 year-old tenor said he remembered clearly how warm-hearted Chinese audience was. "The state leaders asked me to come back, just like coming back home. And I have never forgotten the thundering heartfelt applause from the audience. The scene was branded in my heart," he enthused.
Pavarotti came to China for the first time in June 1986, leading a cast of Italian opera artists in a performance of Puccini's La Boheme. He also made a solo appearance at the Great Hall of the People, winning widespread acclaim from the Chinese. In 2001 the "Three Tenors" gave a grand concert to support China holding Olympic Games.
"When all is finished, I will focus on teaching and spending more time with my wife and children," said he.
Pavarotti is one of the most famous living opera singers. He made his operatic debut in 1961. In 1972 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, he drove the crowd into frenzy with his nine effortless high Cs in the signature aria in a production of Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment. In the 1990s, he became famous for his well-attended outdoor concerts, such as his televised concert in London's Hyde Park, his performance on the Great Lawn of New York's Central Park, and his grand show in the shadow of Paris' Eiffel Tower.
(China Daily November 18, 2005)
