concert Pavarotti in Hyde Park The legendary 1991 concert

Rediscover the mighty, once-in-a-generation voice of Luciano Pavarotti at one of the most storied concerts of his career—in front of some 125,000 spectators at London's Hyde Park in 1991!

Pavarotti, whose undeniable voice—a fact of nature—inspired music fans who had never set foot at the opera, attracted a crowd to rival that of the Rolling Stones' famous concert at the same venue in 1969, demonstrating his remarkable ability to move people by the thousands (and thousands). There is no mystery as to why: that rich, stentorian tenor that seems to shake the foundations of the earth, and that uncommon power to communicate powerful emotions. The full duration of the concert is given over to that extraordinary voice, a besuited Pavarotti nearly motionless on stage holding a white handkerchief, no other accoutrements necessary.

Only Princess Diana herself could share the spotlight with the tenor on this evening, receiving Pavarotti's dedication of Puccini's romantic aria "Donna non vidi mai"—the beginning of a friendship between the two that would enchant the public. Even a sudden, torrential downpour could not mar the festivities, with Pavarotti's voice warming the drenched crowd from head to heart.