After passing of Pavarotti, music labels and singers jockey to fill his place.
The curtain is about to rise on opera's next act.
The death of acclaimed tenor Luciano Pavarotti is a huge loss to opera fans -- and in the classical music industry, it's also sparking a frenzy over how best to replace him. Tenors who have labored in Mr. Pavarotti's shadow are jockeying to take his place atop the opera pyramid. Classical labels and opera houses, meanwhile, are readying a barrage of Pavarotti products and events, from tribute concerts to multi-album reissues.
The real drama, however, is the race to succeed Mr. Pavarotti as the opera world's most in-demand tenor. Contenders -- several of whom have been strategically positioning themselves to appeal both to hard-core opera fans and mainstream listeners in recent years -- include Italy's Salvatore Licitra, 38, Mexico's Rolando Villazón, 35, and Italy's "popera" star Andrea Bocelli, 48. Mr. Pavarotti was 54 when he first performed as one of the Three Tenors.
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