Of course, Plácido can do no wrong, having actually turned up to perform in Salzburg, unlike certain other stars.
There are various reports (in German) of the zarzuela concert with Ana Maria Martinez:
Domingo eilt federnd aufs Podium, sät formvollendet Handküsse auf die bleichen Arme seiner schönen Partnerin Ana Maria Martinez mit der spitzen Stimme. Er selbst singt mit dem betörenden Schmelz eines jungen Mannes, die Phrasen subtil gestaltend mit der Weisheit eines alten, die Stimme sitzt allezeit perfekt im Fokus, sie ist glänzend und klug geführt. Offiziell ist Domingo sechsundsechzig Jahre alt, seit 1975 bei den Salzburger Festspielen, insgesamt neunundvierzig Auftritte hat er seither absolviert.
Und wie natives Olivenöl dazu Plácido Domingo! So viel Charme, Charisma, im entscheidenden Moment tenorales Strahlen und insgesamt eine Performance, die ihresgleichen sucht. Nach dem Konzert, als ihm, der seit 32 Jahren in Salzburg auftritt und am Sonntag mit dem gleichen Programm seinen 50. Festspieltermin absolvieren wird, das Goldene Ehrenzeichen des Landes überreicht wurde, hat Domingo genau diese unschätzbare Berufserfahrung angesprochen, die jene gar nicht sammeln können, die früh verheizt werden. Die Festspielpräsidentin sprach von einem "Fixstern an einem sternschnuppenreichen Himmel".
Caramba bei iberischen Gusto-Stückerln!. This mentions that the concert will be shown on ORF next Saturday, and also draws attention to an ORF documentary on Monday night.
Gert mutters Operashare and whistles trying not to draw attention to herself...
And he announces his intention to be playing football next year in Salzburg. I thought he was supposed to have given up.
A couple of bloggers were at Ravinia last weekend:
I am not able to express how I felt hearing a voice like this. I felt incredibly amazed that I was in the same room hearing it and, much like plane take offs, the intensity took away my ability to breath and sense of reason.
On another note, Domingo seemed completely charming. He looks rather fit these days, wore a great black suit and shirt. He kissed the hands of the head violinist and soprano Ana Maria Martinez and frequently clapped Chicago Symphony Orchestra conductor James Conlon on the back. I don't care if he is older than my mother, he's quite dreamy and I should have liked to receive a kiss on the hand and to have a bottle of wine with that man.
Dressed all in black, he was regal, charismatic and in fine voice. As my mom said "He's still got it!" and indeed, he has. At over 60 years of age, the man can still work a crowd and hit those beautiful, soaring high notes. I wish we had seen more of him
I'm not sure why both bloggers refer to Winterstürme as "Spring Song". It's Winterstürme. Presumably he sang it in German, so why give it an English name?
And he's due to give a concert in Guadalajara in September to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of first appearing there - as a pianist.
