I just finished watching Pavarotti's funeral from the Cathedral in Modena. Such a beautifully done and fitting tribute. I was struck by the beauty and symbolism of the sunflowers covering the casket. The jets streaking toward heaven trailing smoke in the tricolors was also wonderful symbolism. Finally at the end, the voice of Pavarotti singing Nesun Dorma - the lyric is so perfect! "Go to sleep, go to sleep....I will be victorious."

basingstoke2, it must have been such memorable but sad experience to be there..and to wish the last goodbye to a great Singer and Charismatic man..I wonder if is going to be televised here in Texas.

"I wonder if is going to be televised here in Texas."

Probably only if there's a time slot they can't fill with sports.

Sounds like a beautiful service, basingstoke.

The Italian tv station http://rai.it/ has a video broadcast of the funeral on line (left side of the page, midway down). Of course, it's in Italian but if you want to see the service and hear the music, you might want to check it out.

kismet-I hope I did not give the impression that I was in Modena. The entire service was broadcast as it happened in the DC area this morning and I was transfixed. The Cathedral was beautiful, the thousands outside the Cathedral (large TV screens were set up) were reverent. The service was done with beauty, taste and elegance. An especially moving part was a short film of Luciano singing with his father. I hadn't realized that he, together with his father had sung in the Cathedral's choir as a youth and he decided to dedicate himself to singing when the choir won first prize at an international competition.

In general the commentary was well done. The only part that I thought off-putting was an opera critic commenting on Andrea Bocelli, a friend of Pavarotti and who sang at the funeral, that Bocelli had "gone commercial" as if a blind tenor would have a chance with any major opera company.

Indeed the service was sad but uplifting at the same time. Sometime during the service I realized just what it is that keeps me returning to Italy. It is the national sense of beauty that draws me and I am sure many of us to return.

Thanks toni_g_ I will watch the video later.I was reading his comment few days before his death and that he was hoping that not too many people would come to his funeral dressed in Black.

He was a Flamboyant person that loved to wear hawaiian shirts and colorful Foulards.

We are going to Miss him a Lots..

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