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Pavarotti: My Own Story
Acclaimed as one of the world's leading tenors, Pavarotti reflects upon his personal life as well as his career and discusses the tenor phenomenon, his theories on singing, and the present-day world of opera and its personalities
319 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 1, 2022
I recently saw the 2019 documentary, Pavarotti, and instantly wanted to read his books. This being the first of his publications, I thought surely it would be a true autobiography by the great tenor.
I have to admit to being a bit disappointed in this story. The documentary gave an impression of a Man- not just Pavarotti, the number 1 Tenor in the world, not the master of operatic music- the Man who was, despite his incredible gift, emotional, flawed, loving, curious, and above all else, simply human. I expected this telling to be an expansion on the ideas and experiences that made up the bulk of that documentary (considering the source, and the time in which it was published). In reality, this is less autobiography, and more a compilation of reminiscences from his friends, coworkers/agents, and some from the artist himself. Though the beginning of My Own Story was engaging and built anticipation for more, I can honestly say the best parts of the book as a story of the man himself, are the first and last quarters. The middle sections of this book became stiff and seemed more about the business of opera productions and how to market artists as opposed to the story and true experience of THIS artist, which I found disappointing.
As a vocalist, yes it is always interesting to read about technique and the art and practices that accompany both performance and the success of great talents, but when a life story becomes more of a general manual that doesn't neither achieves an educational content, or tells a captivating version of events, the discussion falls flat. Luciano Pavarotti was anything BUT flat.
Overall, was the book enjoyable? 3/5 stars says mostly, yes. Would I read it again? No, probably not. Will I read his other book? Perhaps in the future after I recover from slogging through the perspectives of his agents and coworkers and what They did to create Pavarotti as we know him- the business side, rather than the man who actually DID the work and made such beautiful music, for himself and for the world. I realize this may be akin to saying "watch the movie instead of reading the book", but truly, I would recommend watching the documentary before wading through these books for two reasons. First, the documentary is both about and in great part narrated BY Pavarotti, and thus you get his speaking voice and personality in your head which will help get through the written experiences and perspectives included in this book. Secondly, the film, having been produced long after his death, gives a more complete picture of the whole person and both his professional And personal experiences which serve then to pique your interest to read his books in the first place.
By the end of both the film And this book, I feel a heightened affection for someone so charismatic and pure hearted. For a person to be That talented and that Dedicated to pursuing his craft and vocation, it is not unusual for perfectionism and anxiety to flourish- this was definitely the case for Pavarotti. All in all, it is easy to see how he became what he was, and in all honesty, I was left with the strongest desire as a fan and fellow human being, to simply give the man a Hug.
I have to admit to being a bit disappointed in this story. The documentary gave an impression of a Man- not just Pavarotti, the number 1 Tenor in the world, not the master of operatic music- the Man who was, despite his incredible gift, emotional, flawed, loving, curious, and above all else, simply human. I expected this telling to be an expansion on the ideas and experiences that made up the bulk of that documentary (considering the source, and the time in which it was published). In reality, this is less autobiography, and more a compilation of reminiscences from his friends, coworkers/agents, and some from the artist himself. Though the beginning of My Own Story was engaging and built anticipation for more, I can honestly say the best parts of the book as a story of the man himself, are the first and last quarters. The middle sections of this book became stiff and seemed more about the business of opera productions and how to market artists as opposed to the story and true experience of THIS artist, which I found disappointing.
As a vocalist, yes it is always interesting to read about technique and the art and practices that accompany both performance and the success of great talents, but when a life story becomes more of a general manual that doesn't neither achieves an educational content, or tells a captivating version of events, the discussion falls flat. Luciano Pavarotti was anything BUT flat.
Overall, was the book enjoyable? 3/5 stars says mostly, yes. Would I read it again? No, probably not. Will I read his other book? Perhaps in the future after I recover from slogging through the perspectives of his agents and coworkers and what They did to create Pavarotti as we know him- the business side, rather than the man who actually DID the work and made such beautiful music, for himself and for the world. I realize this may be akin to saying "watch the movie instead of reading the book", but truly, I would recommend watching the documentary before wading through these books for two reasons. First, the documentary is both about and in great part narrated BY Pavarotti, and thus you get his speaking voice and personality in your head which will help get through the written experiences and perspectives included in this book. Secondly, the film, having been produced long after his death, gives a more complete picture of the whole person and both his professional And personal experiences which serve then to pique your interest to read his books in the first place.
By the end of both the film And this book, I feel a heightened affection for someone so charismatic and pure hearted. For a person to be That talented and that Dedicated to pursuing his craft and vocation, it is not unusual for perfectionism and anxiety to flourish- this was definitely the case for Pavarotti. All in all, it is easy to see how he became what he was, and in all honesty, I was left with the strongest desire as a fan and fellow human being, to simply give the man a Hug.
August 11, 2019
As an opera lover, and a tenor, I found this memoir to be extremely interesting. From the plane crash in which Pavarotti emerged as somewhat of a hero, to his conquest over stage fright, to an inside look at his passion and studies that enabled him to launch into a once in a century career- this book has something endearing for all readers.
May 31, 2022
LOL, the funniest Audiobook on CD about Luciano Pavarotti!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2010
I enjoyed reading about how he grew up, his path to learning to sing in the Bel Canto style and how he broke into opera. I liked reading this first, then his later (1995 I think) autobiography as his fame grew, and then the "tell all" book written by his long-time manager Herbert Breslin. That was an eye opener! After reading his autobiographies I was really liking Pavarotti (may he rest in peace), but after reading what people who worked with him had to say, I admit I liked him less.
As an artist, he was so-so, though his voice will never be topped (it was fabulous) and he grew VERY wealthy and famous, but as a man, he was very wimpy and cowardly and not very bright in some respects. His redeeming grace was that he could be generous at times, though often his other personality quirks inconvenienced people so it's hard to say whether the positive balanced out the negative. I think fame ruined his character in the end, which is sad to me. Overall, I learned a lot about life, the opera world, human characteristics and failings, and talent from these books.
As an artist, he was so-so, though his voice will never be topped (it was fabulous) and he grew VERY wealthy and famous, but as a man, he was very wimpy and cowardly and not very bright in some respects. His redeeming grace was that he could be generous at times, though often his other personality quirks inconvenienced people so it's hard to say whether the positive balanced out the negative. I think fame ruined his character in the end, which is sad to me. Overall, I learned a lot about life, the opera world, human characteristics and failings, and talent from these books.
January 9, 2015
This was a good approach: Pavarotti writes one chapter and interspersed are the thoughts from those who were associated with him. He comes across as an interesting and dedicated man. It is interesting that one chapter is written by his manager, Herbert Breslin; it is very positive about Pavarotti's work ethic and willingness to try new methods and venues. Later Breslin writes a derogatory book with heavy criticism.
July 29, 2008
A look into the life of the world famous singer from many different viewpoints: colleagues, family, friends, and of course his own. Other famous people could learn alot from his example. After shows he would wait to greet every fan and if aspiring singers wanted him to hear them he would make time and offer them constructive criticism.
April 4, 2012
Extremely interesting insight to the life of this artist and the massive amount of dedication necessary to become an important opera singer and remain at the top of a demanding profession for year after year.
November 1, 2012
Talks about his life, developing his music/singing. Gave me a better appreciation for opera
August 22, 2016
A charming book about a charming man. His chapters are interspersed with chapters by people who knew him well. A nice read for opera lovers.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews