# Placido Domingo, One Of The Greatest Tenors Of All Time



## Truvianni (Apr 21, 2011)

This is an article about Placido Domingo, my favorite all time singer.

I, in all truth must say that I rarely have a favorite in anything. As I tend to for the most part admire many people in certain fields; as is the case when the subject is composers of opera and classical music. This holding specially true in this area as I am equally a fan of Wagner, Verdi, Puccini, Beethoven and Mozart along with several others yet if it concerns opera tenors; I must declare that my favorite of all time is Placido Domingo. This being without any room for doubt as it is his strong tenor voice along with its harmonies and melodies that my ear seeks out whenever listening to the many roles he has performed through out the years.

As for my relationship with opera, it in all truth started back in 1980 when I heard Pavarotti sing for the first time and was truly impressed not only with his voice but that of the opera tenor. It being tenors who lent so much drama and passion to those roles they performed such as Othello or Mario Cavaradossi or Siegfried which truly required a voice of their not only strength but depth. Regarding Placido Domingo however it was not till 1986 that I would be fortunate enough to hear him sing live; this being when he performed the opera “Tosca” in a free concert in Central Park. 

It was not that I had not heard this opera before yet there was something new (at least for me) in Domingo’s performance and voice that almost immediately caught my attention as being superb. As his voice more than had the power required to rank him among such opera greats as Pavarotti, Caruso, Di Stefano and several others; yet there was something else in his voice which my ear distinguished from any other singer. This “something” being that which at the time I could not classify in words yet could definitely feel, as he performed arias such as “E Lucevan Le Stelle” and “Reondita Armonia” in a way that almost made them his; it being the same as what Pavarotti had done with “Nessun Dorma”. As for this distinction in Domingo’s voice, it was not till much later that I noticed what it was that separated his singing in my ear and that being how his voice is one which I would describe as honey coming out of a jar; thick while not streaking like other tenors tend to. 

On that night in Central Park I would also be dazzled by Domingo’s acting ability which seemed to give so much life to the character of Mario Caravadossi; as if the role were being performed by an actor of the quality of John Gielgud. Domingo being one who did more than merely sing the notes required of the part but made one feel as if one were observing a true drama on stage. For me it was this performance back in 86 that led me to become a fan of Domingo; after which I started closely following his career. This being not only of the singer who has performed more roles than any other in the history of opera, ranging from Wagner to Verdi to Richard Strauss to Rossini but as an interpreter of other kinds of music that include Latin American songs along with Mexican rancheras; as well as Zarzuela. I was even once surprised at how Domingo, being a tenor took the baritone role of “Figaro” in Rossini’s “The Barber Of Seville”. It being his versatility that allows him to go beyond one realm of music in to so many other kinds which in my opinion along with that of many others make him the great performer he is. 

I, however despite being a huge opera fan and author of a book which mentions Placido Domingo have yet to meet the great maestro in person, though it was in 2006 while on a visit to Warsaw that he and I found ourselves at the same opera house (Teatr Wielki) for a performance of Puccini’s “La Boheme”. It being with great enthusiasm that he was announced as a guest though unfortunately not a performer. As for myself however I would refrain from introducing myself; not wishing to distract Domingo from “La Boheme” yet I am hopeful that one day ours might be to converse.

In conclusion I would say that though I enjoy many opera singers such as Pavarotti, Carreras, Jerusalem and some of today’s newer talents that include Rolando Villazon and Roberto Alagna; it is my ear that favors Domingo’s particular voice over the rest. This of course being a preference of mine, for I feel that on a certain level it is not so much a matter of who be better but who one prefers; this also being the case when deciding between Verdi and Wagner or Beethoven and Mozart.


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