A tribute to the life of Pavarotti

On the 11th and 12th October, an incredible tribute to the life of Maestro Luciano Pavarotti took place in the picturesque setting of Petra, Jordan. On the occasion of ‘Salute Petra’ Luciano Pavarotti was honoured for his cultural and humanitarian legacy by order of his Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan ‘Order Of Al Hussein For Distinguished Contribution From The First Degree.’ On behalf of his Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah presents the royal Decoration to the wife of the late Maestro, Nicoletta Mantovanni Pavarotti.

Nicoletta Mantovanni Pavarotti was thrilled to receive the ‘Order Of Al Hussein For Distinguished Contribution From The First Degree.’ The prestigious honour was presented to Nicoletta on Sunday 12th October, which would have been Luciano Pavarotti’s birthday. The incredible day not only captured the imagination of the Petra, Jordan, but also the world with record numbers of television feeds taken from the event.

In recognition of receiving the ‘Order Of Al Hussein For Distinguished Contribution From The First Degree’, Nicoletta Mantovanni Pavarotti and HRH Princess Haya Of Jordan in conjunction with Harvey Goldsmith CBE, promoter of Luciano Pavarotti for 23 years, worked to turn a dream shared by Luciano Pavarotti and the late King Hussein of Jordan of a musical and cultural event, into a reality.

The event saw performances from some of the worlds most respected and revered musicians making it one of the musical events of the decade, and set the precedent for more cultural events coming to Jordan.

Over the two-day tribute, world-renowned flutist Andrea Griminelli performed ‘Czarda’ and ‘The Mission’ beautifully, and collaborated with 13 year old violin sensation Aleem Kandour. Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, who famously performed with Pavarotti as the Three Tenors for more than 17 years, sang together for the first time since his passing. Sting performed his own song ‘Fields Of Gold’, and sang ‘La Ci Darem’ from Don Giovanni in Italian with Angela Gheorghi, the first time the pair have performed a duet together.

Andrea Bocelli’s voice boomed around the natural amphitheatre with a spine tingling performance of "Mattinata", and Bocelli later performed as part of a quartet with Angela Gheorghiu, Cynthia Lawrence and Sherrill Milnes singing a powerful rendition of Puccini’s ‘La Boheme’. Jovanotti and Laura Pausini captivated the exclusive 500 strong audience with the heart felt and memorising performance of ‘Caruso’. One of the most emotional moments was Zucchero performing ‘Misere’ as a duet with Pavarotti’s original video on screen. All performances were back by the sublime Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.

This musical and cultural event that was produced by Harvey Goldsmith CBE, saw Petra resonate with the voices and music of many of the world's leading artists. The once in a lifetime event among the magnificent ruins of a civilization half as old as time created a magical moment and one Harvey Goldsmith are very proud to have presented, not only to the people of Petra but also as moving tribute to a friend and legendary performer Luciano Pavarotti.

The official DVD from Salute Petra, Celebrating The Life Of Luciano Pavarotti will be available through Universal.