World pays tribute to Pavarotti, singer and man

ROME (Reuters) - Here are some tributes to Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who died on Thursday aged 71:

Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli:

"There were tenors, and then there was Pavarotti."

Spanish tenor Placido Domingo, who teamed up with Pavarotti and Jose Carreras for the "Three Tenors" performance in 1990:

"I always admired his divine voice, with its unmistakable timbre and complete vocal range. I loved his wonderful sense of humor. Sometimes in our concerts with Jose Carreras we forgot we were performing before a paying audience, because the three of us were having so much fun."

Spanish tenor Jose Carreras, the third in the trio:

"It's a great loss, not just of one of the best voices ever, but of a close friend. We always had a good relationship. I am happy to have known him. He was without doubt one of the most important tenors of all time. He was a wonderful man, a charismatic person. And a good poker player."

Irish pop star Bono, who sang "Miss Sarajevo" with him:

"Some can sing opera, Luciano Pavarotti was an opera. He lived the songs, his opera was a great mash of joy and sadness; surreal and earthy at the same time; a great volcano of a man who sang fire but spilled over with a love of life in all its complexity, a great and generous friend.

"Great, great fun, 'The Pavlova' we used to call him.

"I spoke to him last week ... the voice that was louder than any rock band was a whisper."

Metropolitan Opera in New York, where Pavarotti brought the house down by hitting nine 'high C's' in "La Fille du Regiment" in 1972. Music Director James Levine said:

"Luciano's voice was so extraordinarily beautiful and his delivery so natural and direct that his singing spoke right to the hearts of listeners whether they knew anything about opera or not."

Soprano Joan Sutherland, whose artistic partnership with Pavarotti began with his American debut in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" in 1965:

"The quality of the sound was so different. You knew immediately that it was Luciano."

Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe:

"He was a soul mate, a fantastic person. I sang very, very many times with him and recorded a lot with him. I loved him a lot and admired him even more. He was a marvelous human being.

"I feel his loss in my soul. I spoke to him so recently that it seems incredible that he's left us."

British pop star Elton John, who sang the duet "Live Like Horses" with Pavarotti:

"It is a sad day for music and a sad day for the world."

London's Royal Opera House at Covent Garden:

"He had a unique ability to touch people with the emotional and brilliant quality of his voice. He was a man with the common touch and the most extraordinary gift."

Russian President Vladimir Putin:

"This is a huge loss not only for Italy but for the entire world culture."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy:

"Luciano Pavarotti was the best known classical singer in the world, the best incarnation of the great popular tenor since Enrico Caruso. His artistic qualities, and his warmth and his charisma seduced the whole world."

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi:

"With the death of the maestro Luciano Pavarotti we lose a very great voice of Italian music. He showed the world the most authentic artistic image of our country, arousing emotions and spreading passion and culture."

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown:

"It's a terrible loss. Not just to the community that supports music but he was a great character, well-loved throughout the world, and I believe it's a testimony to his achievement that millions of people will be listening to his words and his music in decades to come."

Ioan Holender, director of the Vienna State Opera, which flew a black flag to mourn Pavarotti:

"This means the loss of the most beautiful tenor voice of my times and the loss of a human being who had an extraordinary impact through his art and who gave endlessly to his audience."

Blind Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli:

"The pain in my heart is only alleviated by the thought that his art will remain with us."

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso:

"It is a sad day for European opera. He was one of the most famous and beloved tenors, not just because of his exceptional talent but also because of his geniality and social commitment."

British tenor Russell Watson:

"He was a complete tour de force, he was incredible, he lived life to the full. His voice was so distinctive you only needed to listen to a couple of bars and you knew it was him, he had incredible power and control."

Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa:

"His voice was instantly recognizable when it was playing in restaurants. He was a distinct tenor."

Hugh Canning, Sunday Times critic:

"He was one of the greatest voices that has ever recorded for the gramophone. The sheer color of the voice and the emotion that he was able to bring, but also with his innate musicianship and wonderful diction."

Piero Ferrari, son of the founder of the sports car firm:

"This is very hard, very sad. I have so many memories, but above all that voice that will no longer be with us."

Venusta Nascetti, 71, who used to serve Pavarotti coffee in a bar in his hometown, Modena, when he was a teenager:

"He was full of joy, he had a happy spirit. He always loved us just like we loved him."

Opera fan Romolo Franchi in Rome:

"He was a man who did a lot to promote opera in Italy. And he did a lot to promote Italy in the world."