For Salvatore Licitra (1968-2011)

A cerebral hemorrhage on his Vespa. He didn't stand a chance. It wasn't too long ago that people thought of him as the successor to Pavarotti. He was never going to be that, his voice was frankly too light for all the Verdi/Puccini roles into which he pushed himself and in any clip of his you can readily perceive the strain. But he was a fine tenor with a voice that at its best could recall memories of Pavarotti and Carlo Bergonzi - his mentor who though 44 years his senior now outlives him. What a shame.