With so many names in the news of people who have shocked, disappointed or repulsed us so much, it’s a bittersweet moment to see a name and face on the front page of someone who symbolizes beauty, joy, exceptional artistic achievement. The bitter part comes because the news is of the death of Luciano Pavarotti, one of the world’s greatest operatic voices now stilled. The news is sweet because it gives all of us a chance to remember, and even hear again, the unforgettable music of this remarkable tenor voice. This moment also reminds us that, while politics always distracts us and the tragedy of war and human crisis fills much of the news, in other realms of human life we can and should celebrate the better parts of our existence — the great aesthetic delights, the music and arts that lift our spirits and evoke our deeper intellectual and spiritual potential.

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Listen to more clips and read more news about Pavarotti on the National Public Radio website…