Pavarotti’s loss very painful: Zubin Mehta

JERUSALEM: Terming the death of Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti as very painful, India-born music conductor Zubin Mehta, said his voice would stay “clear and alive” among millions of people around the world.

Pavarotti, who died on Thursday, was planning to record a number of songs with Mehta’s Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The maestro told Ynet that he had talked to the renowned opera star only a week ago.

“He asked the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to record three songs, to which he would lend his voice after he recovers, and it was clear to him that he would recover,” Mehta told the news portal. “The orchestra recorded these songs in July, but to my great sorrow, will never be made. It’s very painful,” he added.

The composer said that the orchestra would play Mahler’s Seventh Symphony in Pavarotti’s memory at its concert in Bari. “Pavarotti was a very positive person. At every rehearsal or performance that we did together, you could always see the positive aura and energy around him. He brought happiness not just through his voice but with his whole character,” Mehta said.

“His voice will stay alive in the recordings he made, and his soul will continue to touch millions of people,” he noted.