A sea of umbrellas met Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti as the skies over Pretoria opened on Saturday night for his farewell concert from Africa.
Persistent rain did little to dampen the spirits of the thousands of faithful, but an undisclosed malady compelled the Maestro, as he is popularly known, to finish his performance early.
”I am sorry I cannot do more,” Pavarotti told concert-goers shortly before 9.30am. ”I have a fever.”
He finished his performance in grand style, an hour earlier than scheduled — singing an excerpt from the opera La Traviata with his compatriot Simona Todaro, South African sopranos Sibongile Khumalo and Sibongile Mngoma, and home-grown tenors Given Mabena, Agos Moahi and Lucky Sibande.
The audience, hoping for an encore, were instead treated to a fireworks display.
About 18 600 tickets were sold for Pavarotti’s Farewell from Africa concert, held at Supersport Park in Centurion. It forms part of a 40-city final tour by the sizeable tenor, who is retiring after four decades on the stage.
Crowd favourites on Saturday night included the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves and the ever-popular Sole Mio, which saw the audience swaying along, appreciatively holding aloft red, blue and green lights.
Another winner was Pavarotti’s performance of composer Franz Schubert’s Ave Maria, which he dedicated to peace and Pope John Paul II, who has since died after a long illness.
Concert-goers showed much appreciation for the performances of the local artists accompanying Pavarotti, applauding wildly for the two South African sopranos’ rendition of the Flower Duet from Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly.
Also among the entertainers were the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir, the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg and the Bonisudumo Choristers.
Among the audience were President Thabo Mbeki and his wife, Zanele, who were spotted enjoying the concert wrapped tightly in white plastic raincoats.
Pavarotti started his singing career after giving up primary school teaching in 1961.
Earlier this week, he said he intends using his retirement to train young singers, watch more soccer and spend more time with the latest love of his life — two-year-old daughter Alice.
His farewell tour includes performances throughout Europe, south-east Asia, the Middle East, the Americas and Canada. — Sapa