Bulgarian Opera Legend Performs Ave Maria to Say Goodbye to Pavarotti

Society | September 7, 2007, Friday // 00:00

Bulgaria's opera prima Raina Kabaivanska is to perform Ave Maria at the mourning ceremony in Modena Cathedral on Saturday, when the world will pay last respects to the legendary Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

Another world famous opera singer and a great Pavarotti's friend, Andrea Bocelli, will also take part in the ceremony.

The official rehearsal is to begin Friday evening, when the temple will be closed for the crowds that are still queuing to say goodbye to the deceased Italian legend.

Pavarotti and his Bulgarian colleague Kabaivanska are among the stars, who founded the Opera Academy in tenor's home town of Modena in 2005.

Pavarotti died Thursday at the age of 71.

The singer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year.

His death came the day after he received a new government award for his work in promoting Italian culture in Italy and abroad.

"The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life," manager Terri Robson said.

"In fitting with the approach that characterised his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness."

The world-renowned tenor started his spectacular career in 1961 in his native Modena, northern Italy, and enjoyed 40 years on the world stage, becoming one of the world's biggest-selling artists and a household name.

In 1990 he teamed up with the Spaniars Domingo and Carreras to perform at the football World Cup in Italy.

The Three Tenors, singing at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome before some 6,000 people, drew 20 minutes of applause.

The trio came together again four years later for the World Cup in Los Angeles, with a pay packet of a million dollars, performing before some 56,000 people with a television audience estimated at 1.3 billion.

Recordings of these two concerts sold some 23 million copies.

James Brown, Sting, Bono, Zucchero, Stevie Wonder and Elton John were among the stars sharing the stage with the opera legend during his annual charity concert "Pavarotti and Friends".

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