I told the story of learning the Bel canto vocalization from Magda Olivere before. Besides that episode, there were 2 more moments that awakened my music. For a short time while I had to go to Milan for a concert, I learned how to make the high tones from an elderly tenor, Perarora. During my ten years of doing vocal, I have never become a pupil of a tenor, but now I had found my teacher.
Uptill then, I was still unstable with my high doe. But I had gone through the wall of high tones that night, with the 1 hour lesson. I felt deeply moved but also a bit empty inside. How simple it was to overcome that high note.
And the other incident was meeting the song coach, Pavaretto. He was known as the godfather of songs in Italy and he came to Osimo to teach special lectures for 2 weeks. He had been sick of paralysis for 3 years so he couldn't move his body well, and he had brought an assistant pianist from Santa Chechilia .
As I started to sing and Italian song, he started getting excited. "My god." He told the assistant to get up from the piano and he started to assist me on the piano, himself. He told me that I've excellently recaptured the vocalization for the Italian songs that have not been used since Peruruchio Taliabini. He asked half marveling and half full of wonder, how a Korean vocalist could reach that sound that even Italian vocalists could not. I replied, "I learned from Beniamino Gilli ."
Veniamino Gilli was a master of the Bel Canto vocalization with Caruso. And he had also been dead for a long time. "Gilli is not of this time. How can you have learned from Gilli?" "I practiced listening to his records." I had 36 records of Gilli's. I'd listen to the records everyday and imitate him.
It was the middle part of the true vocal cord, and false vocal cord, and even while I was imitating it I had no idea if I was doing it right. But it seemed that Pavaretto had ascertained the truth. Pabaretto had exclaimed, "Peccato!(My goodness!)" and nodded saying, "Va Busseto(Go to Busheto!)" That's how I got to participate in the Verdi Concert.
I can not leave out the argument I had with Pavbarotti at the Ruchiano Concert. My teacher, Antonio Tonini, Pavarotti etc. were the judges. I lost at the second round. I was going to go when Pavarotti called for me. I had sung the piece, 'And the princess can't sleep.', and there was a part that went, "Vincero~ Vince~".
He pointed out that I had rested too long at the pause, than it said on the music. He was right. But the 'ce' part was really high, and I needed enough breath. All the other vocalists didn't sing it by the book and took long breaths. I defied him saying, "Do you keep by the music sheet? Don't you know better than anybody else, that it's impossible?" Pavarotti insisted, "Well, you're still a student, and you should sing by the book." and we argued for a long time.
After I had left, Tonini had said to Pavarotti, " He's my student, and although he has a strong opinion, he sings well." Later, I heard from Tonini, that even Pavarotti said "His voice is very high class." That night I did defy to Pavarotti, but I think even now that there is no tenor like him. I have confidence in confronting and winning Placido Domingo, and Hoseh Careras. But I confess that I don't have confidence in confronting Pavarotti.