Domingo

…"Plácido Domingo is the finest Otello of our time, and Riccardo Muti is as good as any Verdi conductor around, so their partnership at La Scala, in a naturalistic production by Graham Vick, was guaranteed to be memorable…" The Guardian

Plácido Domingo‘s triumphant “return” to his baritone roots (his first debut with the Mexican National Opera, in 1959, was as a baritone), is captured in this stunning DVD of the Teatro alla Scala’s 2010 production of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra. Domingo is joined by Anja Harteros, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Fabio Sartori in this Daniel Barenboim conducted performance, directed by Federico Tiezzi.

No one in my opinion outdoes Samuel Ramey in sheer power and diabolical delight in singing Mefistofele. The same can be said for Placido Domingo as Faust and Eva Marton as Margarita. Although not well known outside of Hungary, the other women recorded here sing well and provide a good foil to Ramey and Domingo – who are by far the stars and, at times, scene stealers.

I am writing this review (with all due respect) to counter the review below that advises Placido Domingo to give up singing baritone roles. Domingo is a great artist whose longevity on the operatic scene is a source of admiration to me. While he is no longer a young singer, he has matured as an artist and as an actor. All this is evident from his performance here as Simon Boccanegra which is moving and heart-felt. I do not believe this is Mr. Domingo's attempt to have a second career as a baritone, it is simply that he CAN sing this role and he brings so much to it…
Pirooz Aghssa

Teatro Real's majestic production of Handel's vivid tragedy, Tamerlano, stars a Lear-like Plácido Domingo as the Turkish Sultan Bajazet, caught between pride, love and loyalty. Displaying the uniquely heroic quality of his voice, Domingo heads a superb cast, including Sara Mingardo, Monica Bacelli and Ingela Bohlin, all magnificently responsive to Paul McCreesh's authentic and luminous interpretation of the score…
‘Here Domingo, with his superb diction, his great declamatory power and eloquent phrasing…brings a towering presence and bags of vocal charisma to Bajazet. …This is surely one of Vick’s finest achievements in the opera house.’ The Sunday Times

Christmastime in Vienna is a Christmas music collaboration between vocalists Placido Domingo, Patricia Kaas, and Alejandro Fernandez. The incredible amount of vocal talent found on the disc can be a bit overwhelming, especially on the numbers sung by opera star Domingo. But what results is a decent album of holiday songs given the royal treatment by the three singers. Especially impressive is Kaas, who stands out as the most charismatic vocalist of the trio.

Teatro Real's majestic production of Handel's vivid tragedy, Tamerlano, stars a Lear-like Plácido Domingo as the Turkish Sultan Bajazet, caught between pride, love and loyalty. Displaying the uniquely heroic quality of his voice, Domingo heads a superb cast, including Sara Mingardo, Monica Bacelli and Ingela Bohlin, all magnificently responsive to Paul McCreesh's authentic and luminous interpretation of the score. The stunning theatrical staging by Graham Vick provides a splendid setting for the characters and for designer Richard Hudson's extravagant Baroque-Islamic costumes, emphasising the brilliance of one of Handel's finest dramatic achievements.

Andrea, Ana Maria and Plácido made really an excellent production. Some people said Bocelli wasn't an opera singer, but maestri like Metha, Mercurio, Maazel (R.I.P), Gergiev, Armilliato, Luisi, and now maestro Domingo tell us about the wonderful voice and the excellent operatic job of maestro Bocelli

A dream team had been assembled at London’s Royal Opera House for this 1992 performance of Verdi’s Otello. Placido Domingo, uninhibited in the use of his vast vocal power, was the commanding Otello; Kiri Te Kanawa a more sturdy Desdemona than the fragile female often portrayed, while Sergei Leiferkus’s Iago is totally convincing by avoiding those sneering gestures that are too often seen. In the pit was Georg Solti whipping the orchestra into a fury as the opening storm is unleashed, but later on can show some impatience in his choice of tempos. The production was, in the best use of the term, ‘traditional’ and came from Elijah Moshinsky, his set designer, Timothy O’Brian, creating a massive edifice that has to serve all of four acts, leaving the final bedroom scene working in an area that is too large.