I can't say I've ever seen that. Pavarotti's arms are usually by his side. If he ever does raise them, it's when he's really belting. And at the end, when it's as if he's embracing the whole audience
I've seen Pavarotti a lot, and his audiences are always quiet and well-behaved, not needing to be "quietened" down during soft passages. They're usually hanging on every note and every syllable.
Whenever they "go bananas," it's at the end of a song or aria.