The trio of renowned tenor opera singers Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, and Jose Carreras’ first joint performance was on July 7, 1990. It was a fundraiser concert for the José Carreras’ International Leukaemia Foundation at Rome’s Terme de Caracalla. It was also the first time Carreras performed after his bout with leukemia — and The Three Tenors was born.
This was a time when the opera genre was highly competitive and high-class. Also, a format of three male tenors had never been done before. But despite its novelty and criticism from classical purists, the concert was immensely successful, introducing millions of people to the previously exclusive world of opera. It created a global sensation only seen with hit genres such as pop and rock.
“The Caracalla concert was a major event for all three of us. I hope I am not immodest to think it was also unforgettable for most of the present people,” Luciano once said.
The legendary crossover concert in Los Angeles
Following their acclaimed performance in Rome, The Three Tenors gave another one-night show at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles on July 16, 1994. It was held on the day before the 1994 FIFA World Cup final between Italy and Brazil. The concert was aired live on broadcasts in over 100 countries, and over 1 billion people tuned in for the show.
It had a live attendance of over 50,000 people, including dignitaries and celebrities such as Former President George H. W Bush and his wife Barbara, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gene Kelly, Tom Cruise, and Frank Sinatra.
The trio was backed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Music Center Opera Chorus and conducted by the venerable Zubin Mehta. It was an unforgettable crossover concert that featured light, popular, and serious music as the trio jovially went through opera arias, Neapolitan ballads, Broadway hits, and pop songs.
This event changed the opera genre into a rock-like concert stadium event for fans and popular media. It also elevated opera singing to a much larger global audience.
‘Nessun Dorma’
Before the 1990 concert, Pavarotti’s timeless rendition of Puccini’s Nessun Dorma (recorded in 1972) had earned him legendary status. It was also used as the theme song of BBC’s TV coverage of the 1990 Fifa World Cup in Italy.
The three tenors were already hits in their own right, but their collaboration elevated their careers to new heights. Pavarotti later said that all of them had been asked to collaborate “at least 50 times,” but since they were fierce competitors, they had not accepted until that point (1990).
Finally, when The Three Tenors made their first televised debut with their rich operatic tenor voices the night before a soccer final, it was as if soccer fans and the wider public had been subconsciously waiting for this soccer-opera marriage. Pavarotti performed Nessun Dorma in the Rome concert alone, then as an encore with Carreras and Domingo.
The three tenors still pursued their solo careers with reignited verve, but they also performed over 30 concerts worldwide in the 1990s and early 2000s. As avid soccer fans, they continued their association with “the beautiful game” by singing in Paris and Yokohama for the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and 2002, respectively.
The Three Tenors changed how classical music was perceived forever
As mentioned, The Three Tenors performances, especially the crossover performance in Los Angeles, took some rubbing from classical music purists. Most critics said they were more interested in making money than creating art. Still, the public loved it, and their performances have spawned many imitators.
Because of their famous public renditions, classical music and many timeless classics, such as the works of Verdi and Puccini, became known to a broader audience. They made opera popular to the modern younger generation when it was serious and exclusive.
The Three Tenors legacy lives on forever. Whether people love opera or not, more people have come to appreciate their talent, charisma, and humor. They also opened the door to a new generation of “crossover” singers like Andrea Bocelli and inspired artists in other genres, such as the Irish Tenors, Texas Tenors, and more. They are indeed a supergroup.
