Opera legend Plácido Domingo returns to the spectacular Arena di Verona, where he more than 50 years ago made his debut. Plácido Domingo and Saioa Hernández perform a programme dedicated to the great Italian composers Giuseppe Verdi and Umberto Giordano. Jordi Bernàcer conducts the Orchestra of the Arena di Verona from the center of the Arena, which creates an incredible surround sound, embedded in a perfectly staged light show. It had been an extraordinary evening, where “the duets saw the artists perfectly in harmony” (OperaClick) and “Domingo performed with bravura, alternating with the spectacular Saioa Hernández” (operaactual.com).
Plácido Domingo Opera Gala – 50 Years at the Arena di Verona
What a pompous and exquisite gala to celebrate opera legend Plácido Domingo in the breathtaking Arena di Verona! 50 years ago the young Madrilenian singer Plácido Domingo gave his debut at the ancient open-air theatre: the beginning of a lasting and exceptional relationship. To mark the anniversary, Domingo presents a programme entirely dedicated to Verdi, performing three of his most complex and majestic baritone roles. No effort was spared to create an unforgettable evening in a unique atmosphere in the completely sold-out amphitheatre, which has been at the heart of Italian entertainment for almost 2,000 years. Whether as Babylonian king Nabucco, Scottish general Macbeth or as Doge Simon Boccanegra: Domingo’s versatility and aura is more than impressive, with “top phrasing and articulation, his baritone with full and sonorous intonation and a unique timbre – all this substantiates his exceptional position” (Das Opernglas). At the side of Domingo shines an excellent cast including Anna Pirozzi and Arturo Chacón-Cruz, supported by a perfectly rehearsed ballet under the baton of conductor Jordi Bernàcer who sovereignly leads the Orchestra of the Arena di Verona from scene to scene. A triumphal, almost historic moment for Domingo and the Arena di Verona!
I due Foscari
In his ‘new life’ as a baritone, Plácido Domingo has triumphed in the role of Francesco Foscari in Los Angeles, London and Vienna. Now he takes to the role to La Scala, Milan, the theatre that is the symbol of Italian opera. I due Foscari, premiered in 1844, famously one of Verdi’s darkest operas, is staged by Alvis Hermanis, who made such an impact at the Salzburg Festival with “Die Soldaten” and “Il trovatore”. Domingo is joined by two of Italy’s most exciting singers, the soprano Anna Pirozzi and the tenor Francesco Meli, and the acclaimed Italian conductor Michele Mariotti. The Financial Times was deeply moved by Domingo’s performance, calling his interpretation of the role “sublime”.
BONUS Ioan Holender interviews Plácido Domingo on the occasion of I Due Foscari at La Scala in Milan
Parsifal – Search for the Holy Grail
The Grail – the cup which Jesus Christ used at the Last Supper, and which subsequently collected His blood as He bled on the Cross – is one of the most powerful symbols in the last two thousand years of Western culture.
Parsifal, Wagner’ three-act opera, is the most famous work to celebrate the Search for the Grail. First performed in 1882, and written especially for the composer’s revolutionary theatre in Bayreuth, Parsifal has towered above twentieth-century culture, in so far as it became a principal source of inspiration for Hitler.
Tony Palmer’s film centres round a performance of Parsifal, with the unmistakable Placido Domingo in the title role, and conducted by the distinguished Valery Gergiev. The striking documentary, narrated by Domingo himself, offers a description of the plot and explores theories about Parsifal’s origins and considerable sphere of influence.
The music was recorded at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg and in the gardens of the Villa Rufolo in Ravello, Italy, which had been a principal source of inspiration for Wagner.
This powerful and controversial film provides an invaluable oppurtanity to explore Wagner and his most intense opera.
L’africaine
Plácido Domingo, as Vasco da Gama, and Shirley Verrett, as the African queen whom he has enslaved, star in Meyerbeer’s spectacular grand opera, in a colourfully exotic production by Lotfi Mansouri, under the sensitive musical direction of Maurizio Arena. The visual splendour of Wolfram Skalicki’s designs matches the vocal distinction of the cast: “Domingo was the honeyed, ringing Gama of everyone’s expectations, Verrett as lustrous and inward a Sélika as ever, Ruth Ann Swenson a gem-like Inès” (Opera Magazine).
Symphony for the Spire – A spectacle of music and theatre from the West Green, Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral’s West Green is the setting for Symphony for the Spire. Set against the magnificent backdrop of the cathedral, the evening is a mixture of spectacular special effects and pyrotechnics with a programme of unique stars, including Placido Domingo, Jessye Norman, and cellist Ofra Harnoy. The cathedral’s West Front also acts as an enormous projection screen for a series of dramatic images to support a special adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry V. Starring Kenneth Branagh in the role that made him internationally famous, and Charlton Heston, the action is backed by a special version of the acclaimed score by Scottish composer, Patrick Doyle.
Ernani
Ernani, Verdi’s fifth opera (1844) is melodic from beginning to end. Based on Victor Hugo’s play, whose tumultuous reception in 1830 marked a decisive turning point in the development of romantic drama, this violent and sombre story of frustrated passion, honour fatally impugned, and ambition thwarted and rewarded, is set by the young composer to a succession of irresistible tunes, unsurpassed even in his mature works. The opera’s dramatic impetus is unstoppable. For Luca Ronconi’s production, four of the world’s leading Verdi singers were engaged: Placido Domingo as the bandit, Ernani; Renato Bruson as the scheming, dangerously suave King Charles of Spain; Nicolai Ghiaurov as the proud Spanish Grandee whose implacable sense of honour propels the action to ist tragic conclusion; and Mirella Freni as the gentle heroine desired by these three rivals.
Tangos Among Friends – Presented by Daniel Barenboim
In this personal pilgrimage, world-renowned pianist and conductor, Daniel Barenboim, travels to Buenos Aires to rediscover his home town, the magic of tango and the legend of its greatest pioneer, Carlos Gardel. Interviews and fabulous archive footage evoke the glamorous and optimistic spirit of Buenos Aires in the early 20th century, and provide a framework for investigating the forces which brought such material and artistic wealth to its impoverished, immigrant communities. Barenboim demonstrates tango styles and techniques, and brings the music of Gardel, Salgán, Píazzolla and Ginastera to life in performances with Rodolfo Mederos and Hector Console, and in a thrilling partnership with Placido Domingo.
Cyrano de Bergerac
A coproduction of the New York, London and Valencia houses, Franco Alfano’s little-known 1936 opera ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ has been reawakened to life by the great Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo. Although Alfano (1875-1954) enjoyed a long and prolific career as an opera composer, he is known today above all for having completed Puccini’s ‘Turandot’. His earlier works not surprisingly reflect Puccini’s verismo style, but his later works – including ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ – are clearly inspired by Debussy, Ravel and Strauss. Opulent scoring and colorful orchestral effects elegantly underscore the tragic story based on Rostand’s famous drama of 1897, which achieved international celebrity in the Oscar-nominated 1990 film adaptation with Gérard Depardieu.
Also available: Making of Alfano’s ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ (18’ – A93500217)
Classical Summit 2006 – Three Superstars in Berlin
In the tradition of the original ‘The Three Tenors,’ world-class singers Plácido Domingo, Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón joined forces to entertain a live audience of 20,000 spectators on location and millions more around the world on TV. They sing the most famous arias and duets from the world of opera, accompanied by the orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and its conductor Marco Armiliato.