Placido Domingo biography

Art content

January 21, 1940
Born José Plácido Domingo Embil on January 21, 1940 in Madrid, son of singers, recites and sings (by himself) in the company of parents. After studying piano, conducting and composition in Mexico, between 1956 and 1959 sings and conducts "zarzuelas ' (the typical kind of Spanish theater, part Sung, part spoken, this akin to the German Singspiel and French comic opera, characterized by spontaneous and funny or amusing topics melodies), and operettas, playing both tenor roles that of baritone (such as Danilo and Coutançon in the" Merry Widow ").
Operatic debut took place at the real Monterrey as Alfredo in "La traviata" and in Dallas in 1961 with "Lucia di Lammermoor" by Donizetti, imposing summary as one of the finest lyric tenors of his time. Afterwards, he spent two years at the Israel national opera, where he had the opportunity to interpret twelve different roles in more than 280 operatic performances. But as his career took an increasingly important substance, is outlined as a consequence his Repertory, one of the most extensive and eclectic you were able to observe throughout the twentieth century, including in its core, all essential nineteenth-century masterpieces be it French, Italian and German.
The wide range of linguistic approaches involved didn't scare that much the great tenor, has indeed a pronunciation and a knowledge of the language, in all the languages listed above, no less than impressive (and would hear him sing Wagner or Gounod, Rossini for realizing it). Placido Domingo, in fact, is undoubtedly one of the most educated and aware of the tenor line, thanks to its wide preparation (not just music) and his phenomenal phenomenal learning abilities (to hear him speak Italian, just as an example, you will be astonished that it is from another country). He has always operated wise choices and high-level, even when it came to descend out of land more properly "popular". Next to the famous performances with the "Three Tenors" (the other two being José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti), which proposed a repertoire of catchy and easy to grip, don't forget that the Spanish tenor is also a great interpreter of Wagner ("Lohengrin" in Vienna and Hamburg, "Parsifal" at the MET in New York), of which he has recorded, among other things, a valuable Edition of "Tannhauser" under the direction of the late Giuseppe Sinopoli.
In 1959, in Mexico City, singing Alfredo ("Traviata") and Cavaradossi (Tosca) in 1961. Therefore, approaches to the roles of Rodolfo ("Bohème"), Edgardo ("Lucia di Lammermoor"). In Tel Aviv (between December 1962 and June 1965) plays very different roles, often in Hebrew, among them: by Samson (Saint-Saëns) to Nadir ("Pearl fishers" by Bizet). The New York City Opera in 1965, sings Pinkerton ("Madama Butterfly") and always in the same theatre, in 1966, he took part in the first performance in the USA "Don Rodrigo" by Ginastera. In 1968, at the Met. debut in Cilea's "Adriana Lecouvreur".
In Verona in 1969 plays Don Carlo. In 1969 at La Scala in Milan, singing in Ernani and La Scala sing regularly. Recapping the milestones of its activity, we find that in 1971 he sang at Covent Garden in London and then in all the major theatres in the world. In 1974 in Paris ("Vespri siciliani") in New York ("Roméo et Juliette"), in Turin ("Fanciulla del West"). In 1975 debuted in Salzburg (Don Carlo conducted by Karajan). Then, she made her debut in "Otello" in Hamburg. Is the first protagonist of two works dedicated to him: "El poeta" by Torroba (Madrid, 1980) and "Goya" by Menotti (Washington, 1986). Burnished voice, musicality aggueritissima, wonderful actor, he enjoys, thanks to a skilful hype, a vast popularity. He played in several films (including "Carmen" by Francis. Rosi and Franco Zeffirelli's "Traviata"). Since ' 73 has also begun an appreciable activity of a conductor, staging works such as Verdi's "Attila", "Clowns" (directed by Zeffirelli) and "Carmen" (directed by Francesco Rosi).
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.