Nessun Dorma (Pavarotti, NY 1980)

Passione or Contenuto?

I have always wrestled with the question over what is more important in the arts, passion (passione) or content (contenuto)? Above I have linked a short video of the great Luciano Pavarotti singing the ageless Dorma which is worth seeing. Pavarotti seems to be passione embodied in physical flesh.

The question is of course a flight into fancy and perhaps an artificial one in that we are seeing divisions where they should not exist. But just as I am saying this I'm reminded of the work of the modern artist David Lynch (popularly known for his directorship in films). Here is a man that is devoted entirely it seems to the form and the aesthetic and little to content or semblance of intellectual continuity. Lynch is a classic example of utter passion with little content. But what of the reverse? Content with no passion seems dry, verbose and lukewarm. Was the Jesus of the Apocalypse far of the mark when he chastised that certain congregation for being "lukewarm" and threatening to spit them from his mouth because they could not in the long run make a decision for this way or that? Alas I digress.