Carlo Bergonzi endures. Not only is the Italian tenor approaching his 90th birthday (on July 13) but for decades he sang with tireless warmth and precision, representing a certain old school approach to carefully cultivating one's vocal resources.

Bergonzi may not have been as loud or intimidating as his Italian rivals (especially Mario del Monaco and Franco Corelli), but he outlasted them all, singing at Milan's La Scala for 20 years and at New York's Metropolitan Opera for more than 30.

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