Pavarotti & Friends For Guatemala And Kosovo
Hmm. The sixth charitable& Friendsendeavor by superstar tenor Luciano Pavarotti is one of the strangest, though it will undoubtedly delight the singer's legion of fans who hold him sacrosanct. Here, he duets withMariah Carey,Joe Cocker,Ricky Martin,Gloria Estefan,Boyzone,B.B. King, and others in some of the most unexpected mixes of Europop, classic rock, and opera ever seen onstage--all for the sake of the children of Guatemala and Kosovo. The oddest moment belongs to B.B. King's trademark (and telling) "The Thrill Is Gone," where Luciano, obviously at a loss for words, simply hums a duet with Lucille. On Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful," Pavarotti sings an entirely different tune in Italian. Is this what our Nemorino (Pavarotti's glorious role in Donizetti'sL'Elisir d'Amore) has come to? Is this the shape of classical to come?  Is your money better spent by sending it directly to the War Child charity or perhaps by hearing one of Pavarotti's classic recordings?  You decide.--Edward Garabedian