History of the non-profit organisation born in 2008 and which aims to keep
alive the human and artistic memory of Luciano Pavarotti. From events around
the five continents to the House Museum in Modena. With that compass always
oriented towards Emilia, a region that was his land, his home, his people. For FARE
INSIEME Giampaolo Colletti interviews Nicoletta Mantovani, Chairman of the
Luciano Pavarotti Foundation
of Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri e Francesca Aufiero
“I want to reach as many people as possible with the
message of music and beautiful opera.” With these words, the son
of a baker from Modena, who grew up to become the most famous opera singer of
his time, for years launched a message of awareness of the universal value of
music from the stages of outdoor and indoor theatres around the world, the
value of music that bonds peoples, the one that experiments with styles, the
one that makes the new generations grow. Thus, Luciano Pavarotti, the Master
who used his great talent to bring opera to a global audience of millions of
people, managed to break down barriers and break down borders, he transcended
the theatres to reach the great outdoor spaces, singing in spaces never used
before, such as sports arenas and large parks. And again, he always thought out
of the box and his voice, together with his charisma, touched the hearts of
many. «Today the most significant legacy that he has left is contained in the
importance of promoting culture to advance the society in which we live and the
duty to share passion, knowledge and talent with others.» This is what
Nicoletta Mantovani says, as Chairman of the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation, a
non-profit organisation that aims to keep alive the human and artistic memory
of Master Luciano Pavarotti. Today the team consists of five people, who were
close to the Master for many years. «They have been working with us for a long time and
lived through Luciano's last years. They know what Luciano would have wanted.
With them we carry forward two synergistic objectives and ambitions: to keep
Luciano's memory alive in the world and to intercept those young emerging opera
talents. Today there is a need to face each other to understand emotions. It's
not always enough to have a beautiful voice, you need to get into the right
chords, understand this time. These young talents travel the world and get
noticed by agents and thus begin an important career», explains Mantovani. It
all began in 2008 with the first major event in Petra, Jordan,
together with the Master's many friends: José Carreras, Plàcido Domingo, Laura
Pausini, Jovanotti, Sting. And then to follow dozens of initiatives in
Italy and in the world: Oman, Tunisia, Indonesia, South Korea,
Switzerland, Great Britain, China and many other countries. «Luciano has always
been deeply loved abroad because he had the ability to touch people's souls, as
well as possessing a beautiful and unique voice. In some countries of the world
he was and is considered a national monument. He was in tour for more than
forty years. A life on the road», remembers Mantovani.
The House Museum. From the world to Italy,
round trip. With that compass always oriented towards Emilia, a region that was
his land, his home, his people. An indissoluble bond that today is expressed in
the House Museum, which opened in 2015 on the occasion of the Expo and is still
presently visited with over 60% by international tourists, with Japan and China
in the lead. «Luciano has always been an ambassador for Italy and Emilia. His
great passion for Emilian cuisine was also clear on business trips: in his
suitcase there was always room for typical local products. But his attachment
to Modena is testified by all the "Pavarotti&Friends” who
remained in the Emilian capital city, despite the many offers from every part
of the world», recalls Mantovani. The Foundation decided to create a sort of
permanent monument to the life of Master Pavarotti by transforming the Modenese
villa, his last residence, into this museum. The House Museum (Casa Museo),
open every day from 9 am to 6 pm, is the residence where he spent the last
years of his life. We are at number 6 of Stradello Nava. It is the area that he
had purchased in the mid-eighties, in those spaces where he had cultivated his
passion for horses, building stables and opening a riding school. The villa was
designed following the indications and drawings that Pavarotti provided to the
architects and technicians who followed its construction. Many artefacts were
made by blacksmiths, carpenters, carvers, decorators from all over Italy and
who created unique masterpieces.
Beyond the
artist, there is the man. And this is the goal of the House Museum: to tell the
story and value of the person. Today the visit includes a guided tour within
the premises of the residence, which allows you to discover the tenor in the
more intimate and warm light of his rooms, to get closer to his memory by
admiring his personal objects, getting to know his daily habits, discovering
the man of the house having put aside the role of the great artist. You can
admire the stage clothes dear to him, the photographs and videos that marked
his great career, the countless awards and recognitions, the correspondence
with the great personalities around the world. «Vision and personality: this
house expresses a journey in the life of the tenor, but also in that of the
man. Approaching the world of Pavarotti by crossing the threshold of his house
does not only mean knowing the story of one of the greatest artists of the
twentieth century, but much more», says Mantovani.
For the young talents.For all young people approaching opera singing,
the name of Pavarotti remains a point of reference. «His whole story is a
source of inspiration: from his origins as a peasant family, as a child who
knew the war and who, thanks to his talent, self-denial and constant study, and
devotion to his work, managed to become the icon of a musical genre. Of him
that attention to the generations of tomorrow also remains. On the other hand, Luciano taught singing for free throughout his life»,
recalls Mantovani. Today the young singers selected by the Foundation have already
participated in numerous concerts in Italy and abroad, achieving great success
with the public. A bright future, in the name of the Master.
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