Plácido Domingo returns as Simon Boccanegra. It almost seems irrelevant to surf round the worldwide web looking for critiques of the performance in many languages. The most important thing that he is back.
The news broke on 22 February that he was withdrawing from Tamerlano in London in order to have abdominal surgery and would be out for six weeks, also cancelling performances of Simon Boccanegra in Berlin and Zurich. And immediately the speculation started.
I wasn't quite sure what to think of all the speculation. I suppose I am a natural optimist and have to recognise that other people's natural pessimism is no more inherently wrong than my approach. Nevertheless, I was upset and angry to overhear conversations at the ROH and to read them on the internet from people who seemed almost to take delight in writing him off and declaring that that was his singing career over. As I say, I think some were doing it merely because it's their nature to be prophets of doom, but I think there were others who were doing so out of malice, or because they are attention-seeking, and wanted to be 'FIRST' & 'I told you so'.
You read enough of the prophets of doom and you start thinking, what do I know, anyway, maybe they're right. You read stuff such as 'malignant polyp, caught early enough' and I think, 'euw, sounds nasty, glad it was caught early enough'. Then you read words like 'cancer' and 'tumour' and the thoughts turn to "OMG, that's just awful..!"
Of course I was desperately disappointed that he had to miss Tamerlano, but I am so pleased as well, for pretty obvious reasons. And I am delighted and proud that he is back so soon. I had toyed with the idea of booking to go to Milan for Simon Boccanegra, but knowing that it would coincide with the UK General Election and because of my large expenditure for his London performances, I decided against doing so. With the volcano ash, I am so glad that I didn't and I have every sympathy for anyone who did book to go but was/will be unable to get there.
But it has rather made me realise that there will come a time when he will retire.
His 131st role was something to sing about.
"It was a great evening," Domingo said backstage, after greeting the many friends who crowded to congratulate him. "It was very emotional. I was happy to be in front of an audience."
La Republicca Foto GalleryAs a PS, I refuse to link to any review that claims that Boccanegra was Doge of Venice!
