Gertsamtkunstwerk

TV alert

I've just noticed that the Classical Brits will be broadcast on ITV1 on 7 May, repeated on 14 May. That will be when “The greatest operatic artist of modern times” will be "honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award."

Placido Domingo is described as the ‘Greatest Operatic Artist of Modern Times’. He has appeared in 122 different roles, more than any other tenor in the annals of music, in a repertoire spanning the centuries from Mozart to Verdi, Berlioz to Puccini and Wagner to Ginastera. He has sung at every important opera house in the world and made well over 100 acclaimed recordings, most of which are full-length operas, often recording the same role more than once. He has been seen in more than 50 opera videos and three feature opera films, and his telecast performance in Puccini’s Tosca, filmed at authentic Roman locations, was seen by more than a billion people in 117 countries.

A Cyrano blogpost

Cyrano Rules!

If I didn't have plans I think I'd try to go see it again

I am so looking forward to seeing Cyrano in May. Not that I have yet heard a note of the opera, so I shall go into it like it's something absolutely brand new.

Cyrano reviews

Let's be clear here, they're not really reviews of Cyrano. I'm sure neither the New York times nor the New York Post would normally bother sending staff along to a performance towards the end of a run.

That Big Nose Is Back, and So Is the Voice That Goes With It

Strong-Voiced Domingo Still Nose His Stuff

He's definitely back...

Placido Domingo Returns to the Stage

On Wednesday, after the longest absence from the opera stage in his career - three months - the superstar tenor donned the big beezer of his character, Cyrano de Bergerac, to perform at the Metropolitan Opera...Domingo won a standing ovation from an audience that had arrived wondering if he'd make it through the evening. Instead, he delivered with vocal and theatrical panache this fervent character whose foolish surface masks a tragic love...

...In his more than four-decade career, the most time the tenor took off from singing in public was about 10 days...Last Saturday, Domingo sang briefly at a New Orleans benefit, but that was hardly a test of endurance for a two-hour-plus work like "Cyrano."

Domingo had last appeared on the opera stage in December in Los Angeles, where tracheitis forced him to stop singing halfway through Wagner's "Parsifal."

Says the article from Associated Press. I am not convinced, certainly of the 'ten days' and if I had time to check, I'm sure I would find that the three months is not unprecedented.

Eight weeks today I see him. And eight weeks tomorrow. And eight weeks on Monday.

He's back...

Placido Domingo reopens New Orleans Arena

Domingo sang in public for the first time after taking nearly three months off with health problems...Saying his first New Orleans appearance 44 years ago was good luck for him early in his career, Domingo expressed the hope that this visit will be good luck as he resumes his extraordinarily long-lasting career.

And let's hope New Orleans is it on its way back, too

And a blog report - of sorts...

The Death of Fedora

La Cieca has uploaded to You Tube YouTube - The Death of Fedora

Renata Scotto and Placido Domingo in the final scene of Giordano's "Fedora." A performance from the Liceu in Barcelona, March 4, 1988.

- sung in Italian with Spanish subtitles.

I'm currently having problems streaming it, but it's there

Lifetime Achievement at Classical Brits

Classical Brits award for Domingo

I'll be there! I'll be there! Did I mention that I was going to be there?

Actually, my mother decided ten days ago it was going to be a Lifetime Achievement award.

But I have to say that I am slightly worried by this quote

British Phonographic Industry chairman Peter Jamieson said: "We are delighted that the great Placido Domingo, an artist who excels not just as a tenor but as a conductor, will be joining us."

He'll be conducting. Which is just fine. Honest. Really. I don't mind seeing my favourite singer conduct. Honest.

There again, the article also says

It will be the 65-year-old Spanish star's only UK performance this year.

to which I can only say Check Your Facts.

He is wonderful. And it's not just me that thinks that My All-Time Favorite Celebrity - that is definitely one of my "OMG, I'm so jealous" moments. But in a happy-for-someone-else jealous way, not a nasty jealous way.

Pláci in the headlines

Domingo's Contract Extended at Los Angeles Opera and Washington National Opera

Plácido Domingo's contract as general director of the Los Angeles Opera has been extended for five years through 2011, the company announced...According to the Washington Post, Domingo's tenure with the WNO will also be extended for five years, although the company has yet to make an official announcement.

Domingo Extends General Directorships at Los Angeles & Washington National Operas by Five Years

The Washington Post's headline is Domingo Re-Ups With Washington, L.A. Operas. Is that English? Re-ups? I have never encountered that phrase before, and, frankly, hope I never do again.

"Washington made a deal with the Los Angeles Opera that it would wait at least two days until after the announcement in California before making an announcement of its own," a WNO insider, who asked for anonymity because of the violation of that deal, said yesterday.

Press announcement on the LA Opera site, which, incidentally, has video clips from several recent productions, but none from Parsifal (the Sudoko-Toyota-Keiko Parsifal, as it was dubbed on mmofm)

Gert sulks...

There again, read the last few paragraphs in the LA Times

One less solid note in the opera's recent history has been the 65-year-old Domingo's health: The tenor suffered from tracheitis this winter and recently canceled European performances of Wagner's "The Valkyrie" in April, because of what he termed overcommitment. But Domingo insisted he is on the mend. "I can say that I feel much better," he said, adding that he was recently practicing for a March 8 performance of "Cyrano de Bergerac" at the Metropolitan Opera and sounded fine.

Now we have an explanation for Paris. I knew there was more to it.

He said he harmed his throat singing the title role in "Parsifal," which Los Angeles Opera mounted in a Robert Wilson production last fall. "I'm not used to singing without movement," he said of director Wilson's meditative, ritualistic production. "I need the movement."

Meanwhile, Norman Lebrecht writes How Domingo Killed the Three Tenors in La Scena. Meanwhile, the print ediiton of the Substandard (because London's 'newspaper' 's online presence is nowadays just advertising, has the headline on the same article "How Domingo saw off the Three Tenors"

Typically spiteful Lebrecht piece:

...the slinky Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and the Mexican tenor with the male-model (huh?) looks, Rolando Villazon...despite their inexperience, are being groomed as the new power couple to replace Angela Georghiu and Roberto Alagna, whose tiresome antics never matched their voltage...

then

Such is Domingo's magnetism that London tickets are virtually unobtainable and New York awaits his belated appearance – he missed the first run last month with a bad throat – with something resembling bated breath...Domingo, though he may have won the match, will sing unchallenged and send us to sleep. The Three Tenors lit up the world. One on his own is just another gig.

Such a shame the Letters' Editor of the Substandard has stopped pestering me for free copy. Ah well, I don't suppose "Lebrecht sucks" would be published anyway. And it's all been previously published on mmofm, anyway.

Photos photos photos

Looking for something completely different, I stumbled across the February Edition of Opera News

Opera News Awards for Distinguished Achievement

Lots of pictures from the awards ceremony held back in November in New York.

Reactions

Surfing round the underbelly of the blogosphere, I realise that opera affects people in strange ways

Phoebe Legere says

When the Duke of Mantua, tenor Rolando Villazon, sang his "Questa o Quella" I almost lost consciousness. A thrill went through my whole body - it must have been something like my pal Stafford experienced when she had her nipples pierced

Or, disappointed that Plácido had to withdraw from Tuesday's Cyrano, Rachel says

I did enjoy the woman who sat next to me though. Right before the curtain came up she took out her flask, took a few swigs of god only knows what was in there, took off her shoes, and put her jacket behind her head like a pillow and conked out. Why did she come?? She def came alone because she didn't know me or the people on the other side of her.

Whereasnkan02 hadn't even got there when she wrote

It is going to be Verdi's Rigoletto with Placido Domingo (I am going to pass out right here right now)

(And he was just conducting...!)

Italia, ti amo

Promotional video, featuring Catari', Catari' (Core 'ngrato) - 'a bittter-sweet song of a broken heart composed by Salvatore Cardillo'

Audio tracks, and track listing.

File under cheesy videos

Surfing around the blogosphere, I found The Top 5 Nicest Celebrities I've looked After

3: PLACIDO DOMINGO

More famous to the public at large as one of The Three Tenors, but a hero to me before then, Placido moves in a world full of divas, yet displayed none of those traits himself. Gracious, quiet and funny, he is a real old-world gentleman, courtly and dignified.

Domingo cancels eight performances at Met

Domingo to Miss a Month of Met Performances - and more to the point, two broadcasts. Oh no. (Let's hope the BBC Radio 3 is planning to broadcast one of the Covent Garden performances...)

Plácido Domingo will miss tonight's performance of Alfano's Cyrano de Bergerac and seven additional appearances at the Metropolitan Opera because he continues to suffer from tracheitis, the Met announced. In addition to tonight's performance, the tenor has withdrawn from a February 4 performance of Cyrano and performances of Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila on February 10, 14, 17, 22, and 25 and March 2...Tracheitis is a bacterial infection of the trachea that can follow a cold or other viral respiratory infection.

He's still scheduled to conduct Rigoletto, so at least he's not resting - because we know what happens when he rests...

You know, I was toying with the idea of popping over to New York to catch a performance of Samson, but ultimately decided against it, because I didn't fancy braving the capriciousness of US airport security. There are already tickets being sold on Opera-L...

Get well soon, Pláci - and certainly by May. Please.

Seems that liquorice is a good cure I do hope that Dr LittleBrother isn't reading this, else I shall probably get told off...

Update: One news source phrases it Wonky Windpipe Sidelines Domingo

More links...enough already

Playbill Arts reports from the birthday party last week in Washington

Slightly amusing blogpost I found on t'internet.

(Next time someone has one of one of those blogsoul-searching sessions about 'why blog' I'll never be able to comment "I pay no attention to my site stats")

But just remember, this is not the last birthday cake you'll see blogged 'ere in the next seven days

Various links

A Nose Job Only Roxanne Could Love

A street named Plácido Domingo in Washington

And a positive review of Rigoletto last night at the Met. Bit of a dream team...

Rubbish at memeing

See, I can't even do a meme right when I tagged myself.

There's another question that I failed to answer.

Four things I want to do before I die:

I'm sure there's  a really hilarious answer to this, but I can't for the life, or death, of me think what.

I suppose I could give a really impressive answer like pack up the pursuit of material pleasure and work among the destitute (hey, I do all already, have you seen our departmental pay-scale?)

And then,  perhaps, it's quite tragic to say that "I must do this before I die" because if I die with that done undone - Bugger, what a waste of a life.

So, I hand it to you, my faithful and, by-and-large non-commenting readers.

What should I do before I die?

Update: As I have disabled the capability of posting pictures in my comment box, I shall have to respond to the first comment in the post body...

Photo

Tenor Placido Domingo, Director of the Washington National Opera, celebrates his 65 birthday and his 10-year anniversary as director of the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center in Washington Jan. 27, 2006. Domingo was born on Jan. 21, 1941. (AP Photo/Washington National Opera, Karin Cooper)

Thanks to Raffe

BTW, examining my site stats I realise I have various repeat non-blogging visitors who come here for one reason and one reason only...

So hello to:

• Austria
• Belgium
• California
• Czechia
• Germany
• Hungary
• Israel
• Netherlands
• Russia
• Switzerland
• Thailand
• United Kingdom

And the not so silent in New Zealand and Norway.

And I'm sure I've missed others, for which I can only apologise. My stats counter is less than perfect, sometimes I don't know why repeat-visitors are coming back, and, contrary to popular belief I do not spend every waking hour at the pooter...!

Cyrano cancels

subtitle: I Should Pay More Attention to My Site Stats

I have mentioned before how frequently I first find out about things by someone coming - inaccurately - to my site from a search request.

Yesterday, someone arrived via "Domingo cancels Met Cyrano", or some such, but I couldn't find anything to support this.

I should of course have consulted my blogroll, because La Cieca had already posted on this late on Tuesday night New York time.

There's a few comments there including

The buzz backstage at the Met tonight was that Plácido will be a no-show for the opening night of Cyrano - for sure.
The buzz extended his absence to the first half of the run, meaning he would only appear starting March 8th. I am skeptical about that, because I doubt he would miss the broadcast...

The broadcast is 4th February, and he's in a Samson broadcast on 25 February

Reportedly he was at the Dress Rehearsal on Monday.

His site is still listing tonight's performance, and that was updated yesterday to add in the New Orleans Benefit Gala.

The Met has changed details for tonight but still lists him for next Tuesday, although I personally wouldn't draw conclusions from that. They've also still got him down to conduct Rigoletto this coming Saturday (evening - the Matinee/broadcast is Cosi, Mozza, of course)

More if and when I discover it...

Update: The Associated Press says

Placido Domingo canceled his Thursday night performance in the opener of the Metropolitan Opera's revival of Alfano's "Cyrano de Bergerac" because of tracheitis.

Domingo has been bothered by the windpipe inflammation since it caused him to cancel appearances in Wagner's "Parsifal" at the Los Angeles Opera on Dec. 14 and Dec. 17. The Met said he would be replaced Thursday by Antonio Barasorda, who was to sing opposite Sondra Radvanovsky's Roxane.

The 65-year-old tenor still hopes to sing at the performances on Jan. 31 and Feb. 4 and at the three performances in March. The production, with Domingo and Radvanovsky, is to travel to London's Royal Opera for six performances from May 8-27.

Domingo plans to conduct "Rigoletto" at the Met on Saturday.

Something I forgot to blog last July

It was one of those days.

I usually wake up to the Today Programme on Radio 4, but that day I had decided not to set the alarm, preferringa lie-in, in preparation for a special event that afternoon and evening - the Die Walküre Prom.

Before the Prom started I was chatting in the bar to a woman who had managed to secure herself a return by haranguing the Box Office all day until they got hold of one at 4pm - for a 5pm start...! She had not really been paying attention to what was on at the Proms, because she was moving house, and 'other things', so she only knew about Die Walküre when she was listening to Today that morning, and Plácido had been interviewed. I nodded and smiled, and the next day I downloaded the interview from 'Listen Again'. I also posted the permalink on rmo, and I have just remembered and found the link

I really am rubbish at blogging, aren't I?

Happy Birthday, Plácido!

Sixty five today!

   

 

photos stolen from all over the internet - copyright holders, if you object, please email, and of course I'll remove the pictures...

From Alfano to Zandonai

An interview with Pláci in PlaybillArts. Just reading it makes me feel tired

"I don't have the need to do any new roles," he says nonchalantly. "But there are several," he adds, with a sudden glimmer in his eye, "that I am contemplating, some that I will do: Handel's Oreste, and Bajazet, in his opera Tamerlano, and also there's a Hamlet, by an Italian composer contemporary to Verdi. For that one, right now I'm looking for a score."

He's 65 on Saturday. I don't think he has anything to prove now...!

Tristan und Isolde

Belated but very worthwhile review of the Pappano T&I Stereophile: Recording of January 2006: Wagner: Tristan und Isolde

Junk mail

I don't know if you're like me, signed up to numerous mailing lists. I keep receiving mail shots from left, right and centre. Not spam - these are from organisations I have done business with. Part of me thinks I should just unregister. Another part of me feels that I would regret it if I did.

At 1930 I got a Ticketmaster email and was about to delete it, then I saw something that said "Classical Brits". It didn't mean anything to me, so I clicked and realised that it is that ghastly award ceremony that Classic FM and ITV 2½ lay on every year to give Simon Bates the opportunity to sound smug and for Katherine "Warbling Barbie" Jenkins to display her decolletage. Shrug I thought.

Then two words leapt off the page at me. Within moments, I was clicking the 'Best seat send it to me, never mind the cost' button, praying they take 'Switch', cos Jimmy decided to leave his Visa card in India or on the plane, as one does...They do, it's the Albert Hall who don't online.

For one nano-second, I hesitated. It's the evening of the Local Elections. Vital Local Elections, essential to get the corrupt incompetent Lib-Dem Tories ousted from Lambeth.

But no more than a nano-second. Heck, elections are not won or lost on the Thursday evening.

Five times - yes, count them, five times - I'll be seeing him in May. Four times in Cyrano (don't ask me how, I just am!) and at the Classical Brits. I can always put my earplugs in where Simon Bates is being smug. And snigger at Warbling Barbie's decolletage

Plácido cancels Parsifal

Responsive as ever to my search requests, I have found a narrative on last night's LA Parsifal.

I think it's his first cancellation of 2005.

No Three Tenors Reunion

says Plácido, according to the Washington Post

But Domingo, speaking today, seemed uninterested in continuing the series. "I don't have any plans at all for this at the moment," he said. "I'm so involved with my theaters and opera companies, in Washington and Los Angeles. You can never tell what is going to happen, of course, but I don't see any possibility for the Three Tenors."

In other words, he has no desire whatsoever to sing with Pavarotti

Pavarotti's designated "farewell tour" has been getting mostly unfavorable reviews, probably the worst of his career.

Washington Opera's new season

I notice a Die Walküre in March 2007 - and here was me thinking I'd read somewhere he was thinking of retiring Siegmund - I don't know if he's scheduled to sing it in the ROH Ring Cycle in 2007.

Summary in Opera News and full Press Release "First-Ever Internet Press Conference in the Non-Profit Arts"

Notable new opera season

More Parsifal (but no pictures)

'Parsifal' Goes for a Symbolic High

Discussion of LA's Parsifal on hmcw,with some strong views, shall we say...

Also at Opera-L Los Angeles Parsifal do press 'next in topic' and Parsifal in Los Angeles.

Of the three substantive reviewers so far on Opera-L I trust Chris and Sergio and don't know Greg. Update Kirsten - another one I trust - has added her opinion, too.

For all the Placifal fans I will excerpt a few paras with thanks to the aforementioned posters.

Doing my head in

Raffe - who's in danger of taking the 'Most Commented' title from Adrain or Scary has 'helpfully' provided a link to a video which I hoped had disappeared into cyberspace with my old yet to be rescued hard disc.

Quireme Mucho

Why does this video do my head in?

If you can't provide an explanation, provide a letter from your Mum.

I'm going to bed now. I'll be up about midday GMT. I want 90 comments by then. Either an explanation of why this does my head in or a note from your Mum.

More on Parsifal in LA

From Playbill Arts

A Powerful ‘Parsifal’

And loads of pictures from the Vienna 50th Anniversary Gala.

Three Tenors to sing again

Hardly news, in that Plácido and Josep have already indicated this to be the case. But now Luciano has said so, too, it looks like all three Tenors are singing the same tune.

That having been said, I'd be happy with just one.

Parsifal in LA

A couple of reviews - Plácido's quest for the Grail and Domingo defies age in 'Parsifal'

One not great photo.

Update And another review Parsifal, Music Center, Los Angeles

And one in Spanish that explains a lot more clearly what the production is about (even though I don't actuallyunderstand Spanish...) - ‘Parsifal’ hipnotiza y trasciende