Arrivederci Luciano! For your music and magic nessun dorma...

LUCIANO Pavarotti’s vibrant high C notes and ebullient showmanship made him the most beloved and celebrated tenor since Caruso and one of the few opera singers to win crossover fame as a popular superstar.

He died yesterday aged 71 at his home in Modena, Italy. Pavarotti had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent further treatment in August.

His manager Terri Robson said: “The maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterised his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness.”