A trio of musical craftsmen transformed the sporty, cavernous atmosphere of the United Center into a melodious, artistic haven Sunday night.

If anyone could warm up the crowd, who braved subzero temperatures to witness what many called a "once-in-a-lifetime" event, it was the Three Tenors.

Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti presented the near-capacity with a winning collection of classical and contemporary masterpieces.

In a nearly three-hour show, the trio put their own refined, yet passionate spin on works by composers ranging from Puccini and Rodgers and Hammerstein to John Lennon. They even spread some holiday cheer with a medley of Christmas carols.

Not even below-freezing temperatures or elevated ticket prices ($50 to $385, plus a bit more for extra special seating) could keep fans away.

After all, each show given by the Three Tenors, one could claim, is somewhat of a novelty itself. The three singers have appeared in concert together only 25 times in the past decade.

After an opening work, Berlioz's "Roman Carnival Overture," performed by the World Festival Symphony Orchestra directed by Maestro Janos Acs, the Three Tenors showcased their individual talents in three engaging works: Carreras sang Pietri's "Io Conosco Un Giardino"; Domingo followed with "Ch'ella Mi Creda" by Puccini; and Pavarotti presented another Puccini tune, "Recondita Armonia."

They performed individually again before joining together for a medley. The program proceeded in that fashion with each of the stellar singers crafting a song and then the trio presenting various medleys.

There was something for everyone in this concert by three of the world's greatest voices who, you might say, brought opera and classical music to the masses in the past 10 years. And the songmasters were in fine form for their last concert of the year.

Carreras lent his usual smooth and lilting touch to songs ranging from "Musica Proibita" to "Lamento di Federico," while Domingo's crying yet powerfully theatrical vocals appropriately colored songs such as "No Puede Ser" and "E Lucevan Le Stelle" from the opera "Tosca," and Pavarotti's passionate vocals, which move easily from lighthearted sounds to sad but beautiful tones, made songs from "Granada" to "Caruso" stand out.

In their medleys, the Three Tenors gave exquisite treatments to a range of tunes from the Spanish "Solamente Una Vez," and "Manha de Carnaval" to "Maria" from West Side Story, "My Way" and "Moon River."

By the end of the show, the audience stood for three encores, which included the rousing "La Donna E Mobile," the Christmas tunes "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "White Christmas" and "So This Is Christmas" and the final song, "O Sole Mio."

As the lights went up for the final time, audience members cheered "Bravo" and gave an extended ovation for the trio who created yet another bit of music history.

Copyright © 2000 Daily Southtown.