Aspiring students would knock on the late maestro's door in Modena and then audition in the living room, says his wife, who still lives with their six-year-old daughter.
For those young opera hopefuls, it was an Italian Idol-like opportunity, but without the cameras, acerbic judge or major ratings - with the potential prize being guidance from one the best-known Tenors (of singular and Three Tenors fame) in the world.
Tegliafilo was one of six students taken under Pavarotti's wing; after four years of free lessons from the master, the now-31-year-old used those lessons in performances for three different operas in Italy. He also gave a little taste of those skills to a small group of international auto writers in that same living room in Modena, to celebrate the recent launch of the automatic version of the Maserati GranTurismo S.
Much like the slinky Italian coupe, the most striking aspect of Tegliafilo's performance was the obvious passion involved. His unamplified voice could literally shake the glasses of a large room full of 50 dinner guests with booming power. And he held that high C long enough to feel Pavarotti's influence, to the point where I could see his lips and tonsils quivering at the effort.
Then again, it isn't often that one sits close enough to a professional singer in mid-performance to reach out and share a fist bump - assuming that's done in this part of Italy, where familiar men still regularly greet each other with a kiss on both cheeks.
For the GranTurismo S, the passion for performance is evident in its higher horsepower than the regular GT, plus its feistier appetite for curves than many other luxury two-doors.
This athletic scrappiness is tempered only slightly by the addition of the ZF six-speed automatic transmission, introduced this year to give S buyers a more comfortable option in the city than the slightly quicker but jerkier automated manual of the regular S.
You also can't ignore the passion that emanates from the GranTurismo S Automatic's lines. It's not the attention-seeking, overpowering machismo of some Italian exotic cars, but its smooth, sophisticated contours say elegance very clearly, while whispering sportiness, with its larger 20-inch wheels, six-piston Brembo brakes with subtle black calipers (although more outspoken caliper colours are available) and sharpened side sills.
Less subtle is the 4.7-litre V-8 that produces 433 hp, thanks to an engine built at the Ferrari plant in nearby Maranello, as are all Maserati engines.
Maserati officials are very open about the close connection their cars and engines share with their pricier, Fiat-owned siblings, while Ferrari folk tend to rarely want to discuss the more luxury-oriented Maserati division.
This engine drinks fuel in a way that would make full-size V-8 pickups blush, averaging about 15 litres/100 km in overall driving in Euro cycle tests, and gulping considerably more if you work the car to its intoxicating 7,500-rpm redline. There's really no need to, as more than 80 per cent of the car's 361 lb-ft of torque is available at 2,500 rpm.
But you'll want to, again and again. The soulful sound coming out of the GTS's four exhaust tips is a lower-pitched operatic score than, say, a Ferrari California, but one which would give Tegliafilo a run for his money in aural inspiration.
Although the sound is sweet music to any enthusiast's ear, it is an engine that feels more stressed than the 12-cylinder engines of luxury-oriented rivals such as the Aston Martin DB9 or Mercedes-Benz CL 600, even if the Maserati's 1,880-kg curb weight is in the lightweight division of this often-porky class.
With engine architecture similar to various Ferrari models, this V-8 engine most closely resembles the one in the $250,000 (U.S.) Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, a gorgeous car never officially sold in Canada, although it made it to the United States last year in very small numbers (and was sold through Maserati dealerships).
Unlike Ferraris or the more powerful 8C, what defines the GranTurismo S is the comfort side of the grand touring equation, and this is where the new automatic becomes key. It offers a perfectly graceful around-town experience, unlike the lumpier automated manual. And when it's time to speed things up, the shift paddles behind the steering wheel allow the driver to change gears just barely perceptibly slower than the clutch-less manual.
This engine and transmission combo takes the GranTurismo S automatic from 0-100 km/h in five seconds flat, only 0.1 seconds slower than the automated manual version, thanks to 200-millisecond shifts from the ZF six-speed automatic. The transmission is shared with the Quattroporte sedan, while even longer Trofeo shift paddles are offered.
Surrounding the shift paddles is an interior with an old-world luxury ambience, imbued with enough modern niceties to please its driver, without being confusing.
In addition to the fine Poltrona Frau leathers that can be combined with a variety of exotic woods, the steering wheel that features stereo and hands-free controls that can work your iPod or Bluetooth phone, you'll also find the classic gear-shift pull to D for Drive, a simple action that takes a variety of button-pushing forms in some of its rivals.
The luxurious seats feel assertively firm, but throw the car around a few corners and your sliding back and bum betray the fact that comfort is their primary goal.
The suspension uses Maserati's Skyhook continuously variable dampers, which quickly switch from comfort-oriented soft to firmer hustle mode, either automatically, or by choosing from Normal or Sport settings.
Bumps are not the soft-tushied GT S driver's friend in Sport mode -not surprising given the low-profile 20-inch tires - but for drivers who want an even more sporting suspension setup, stiffer dampers are also offered from Maserati's MC Sport Line.
Comfort is more restricted for those who clamber into the coupe's rear two seats, but the fact that the GranTurismo has a livable rear area at all will come as a relief for anyone who has ever spent time stashed into the rear of a Porsche 911, adult or child. Leg and headroom are still at a premium back there, but for adults up to about six feet tall, it's entirely civilized.
In the end, it may not be nearly as powerful as some rivals - Maserati folk insist that an even more sporting GranTurismo is coming in the next year - nor as soothing in its comfort as some quieter rivals, but when you put together the sporting but sophisticated looks and dynamic personality of the GranTurismo S Automatic, it's clear that Maserati has mastered a virtuoso performance.
globeauto@globeandmail.com
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2009 MASERATI GRANTURISMO S AUTOMATIC
Type: Performance grand touring coupe
Base price: $169,900 (includes $1,500 destination and guzzler tax)
Engine: 4.7-litre V-8, DOHC
Horsepower/torque:
433 hp/361 lb-ft
Transmission: Six-speed paddle-shift automatic
Drive: Rear-wheel-drive
Fuel economy (litres/100 km):
23.2 city/10.5 highway (Euro cycle); premium required
Alternatives: Aston Martin DB9, Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz CL 600, Ferrari California, Porsche 911 S
Like
High Italian style that's more seductive than brash
Impressive handling that only slightly hampers overall comfort
Four real seats are a major plus in this class
Don't like
Not as comfortable or as powerful as its 12-cylinder competition
Suspension and tires offer more cornering fun than the comfort-oriented seats
Beautifully crafted interior, but less cosseting and technically advanced than some rivals
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