Is there a word for a male opera star which is the equivalent of the word "

Question:Hi Maria E,

He was a 'maestro'.

Luciano Pavarotti was the best-selling classical singer and humanitarian known for his most original and popular performances with the 'Three Tenors' and 'Pavarotti & Friends'.

He was born on October 12, 1935, in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, in Northern Italy. He was the first child and only son of two children in the family of a baker. His father, Fernando Pavarotti, was a gifted amateur tenor, who instilled a love for music and singing in young Luciano. His mother, Adele Venturi, worked at the local cigar factory. Young Pavarotti showed many talents. He first sang with his father in the Corale Rossi, a male choir in Modena, and won the first prize in an international choir competition in Wales, UK. He also played soccer as a goalkeeper for his town's junior team.

In 1954, at the age of 19, Pavarotti decided to make a career as a professional opera singer. He took serious study with professional tenor Arrio Pola, who discovered that Pavarotti had perfect pitch, and offered to teach him for free. After six years of studies, he had only a few performances in small towns without pay. At that time Pavarotti supported himself working as a part-time school teacher and later an insurance salesman. In 1961 he married his girlfriend, singer Adua Veroni, and the couple had three daughters.

Best regards,

Mr. Ramos
Security Information Engineer
Vancouver, BC., Canada

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Hi Maria E,

He was a 'maestro'.

Luciano Pavarotti was the best-selling classical singer and humanitarian known for his most original and popular performances with the 'Three Tenors' and 'Pavarotti & Friends'.

He was born on October 12, 1935, in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, in Northern Italy. He was the first child and only son of two children in the family of a baker. His father, Fernando Pavarotti, was a gifted amateur tenor, who instilled a love for music and singing in young Luciano. His mother, Adele Venturi, worked at the local cigar factory. Young Pavarotti showed many talents. He first sang with his father in the Corale Rossi, a male choir in Modena, and won the first prize in an international choir competition in Wales, UK. He also played soccer as a goalkeeper for his town's junior team.

In 1954, at the age of 19, Pavarotti decided to make a career as a professional opera singer. He took serious study with professional tenor Arrio Pola, who discovered that Pavarotti had perfect pitch, and offered to teach him for free. After six years of studies, he had only a few performances in small towns without pay. At that time Pavarotti supported himself working as a part-time school teacher and later an insurance salesman. In 1961 he married his girlfriend, singer Adua Veroni, and the couple had three daughters.

Best regards,

Mr. Ramos
Security Information Engineer
Vancouver, BC., Canada

"Fatso."

No, there really isn't. We can joke around and say "fatso" or "devo". Our friend from BC there didn't understand your question, she's thinking of men who sing up high in falsetto in the traditional female range (what Peter Schikele jokingly called "bargain counter tenors").

In fact, "Tenor" is starting to be the closest male equivalent of "Diva" since all of the male operati are starting to perform as "The (number of) Tenors". I know, it leaves the baritones and basses without much respect--then again, was any contralto ever called a "diva"?

Another word for a diva is "prima donna" which means leading lady. Leading man in Italian is "primo uomo," which is actually what I used in a research paper I did on the history of opera because I didn't know what else to put and I got 100% on the paper, if that helps.

And I think the others are talking about castratos...males sopranos (haven't been castrated).

There is no male equivalent word that I know of for diva and I used to work for the New Orleans Opera as asst. ticket manager, ticket salesperson, computer asst., etc. I know opera very well, and boy sopranos are solely children, in my experience for the organization, not adult singers. Only castrated adult males ,known as castrati, harmed centuries ago sang like that. Maybe I missed something and the term was used as some kind of insult, but not one I heard from my boss or co-workers. Maybe some male tenors of egotistical temperament are referred to as divas like the ladies of similar ilk, but I don't really know. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Some will try to tell you "Divo," but this word doesn't exist in the Italian language and is incorrect. The closest you could get would be "Divus," which is Latin.