Plácido Domingo

Plácido Domingo (born January 21, 1941) is a famous Spanish opera singer. Though he started off his career as a baritone, he quickly retrained as a tenor and became well-known for a voice that was versatile, strong and possessed of a ringing and clear tone throughout its range; his repertoire includes roles in French (Faust, Werther), German (Lohengrin, Parsifal) and Italian (Il Trovatore, Don Carlo, Otello). In recent years, Domingo has also turned his hand to conducting opera. He also been appointed artistic director of two opera companies, first the Washington National Opera and later the Los Angeles Opera.

Related Topics:
January 21 - 1941 - Spanish - Opera - Baritone - Tenor - French - Faust - Werther - German - Lohengrin - Parsifal - Italian - Il Trovatore - Don Carlo - Otello - Conducting - Washington National Opera - Los Angeles Opera

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Domingo was born in Madrid, Spain, but moved to Mexico as a child with his family, who ran a zarzuela company . In Mexico City he studied music at the National Conservatory. He learned piano and conducting, but made his stage debut as a tenor in 1959 as Alfredo in La Traviata in Monterrey, México. In 1962 he joined the Israeli National Opera, and first performed at the Met in New York in 1968. He made his debut at La Scala in 1969 and at Covent Garden in 1971. He received Kennedy Center Honors in 2000.

Related Topics:
Madrid - Spain - Mexico - Zarzuela - Mexico City - Piano - Conducting - 1959 - La Traviata - Israel - Met - New York - La Scala - Covent Garden - Kennedy Center Honors - 2000

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In 1981 Domingo gained considerable recognition outside of the opera world when he recorded the song "Perhaps Love" as a duet with the late American country/folk music singer John Denver. He became a household name in 1990 when, with Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras, he participated in The Three Tenors concert at the opening of the 1990 World Cup in Rome. The event was originally conceived to raise money for Carreras's foundation and was later repeated a number of times to mixed critical response.

Related Topics:
American - Country - Folk - John Denver - 1990 - Luciano Pavarotti - José Carreras - The Three Tenors - 1990 World Cup - Rome

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On Thursday September 19th of 1985 at 07:17, the biggest Earthquake in Mexico?s history devestated the whole city. Plácido?s aunt, uncle, and his nephew plus his nephew?s little boy, were killed in the collapse of the Nuevo León apartment block in the Tlatelolco housing complex. { edited version from previous article on the great Mexico City Earthquake of 1985.} He later on did a benefit concert for the victims and released an album of the event.

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Domingo has appeared in at least three opera videos of note: Carmen, Otello, and "La Traviata". He has appeared on television, both in "Zarzuela" evenings, and "Live at the Met" broadcasts. Among his many recordings is a boxed set of every tenor aria Verdi wrote, including several rarely-performed versions, in different languages from the original operas, which Verdi wrote for specific performances.

Related Topics:
Carmen - La Traviata

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In August 2005 EMI Classics released a new recording

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http://www.emiclassics.de/xml/6/400046/5580062.html of

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Richard_Wagner's Tristan und Isolde in which Domingo sings

Related Topics:
Richard_Wagner - Tristan und Isolde

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the title role of Tristan.

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A review of this recording, headlined "Vocal perfections",

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that appeared in the 8 August 2005 issue of The Economist

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begins with the word "Monumental" and ends with the words, "a

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musical lyricism and a sexual passion that make the cost and

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the effort entirely worthwhile." According to this review,

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Domingo has sung at least 115 different operatic roles, and it characterized

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his July 2005 performance of Siegmund in Wagner's Die Walküre

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at Covent Garden as "unforgettable" and "luminous".

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This review also remarks on how Domingo is still, at the age of 64,

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taking on roles that he has not previously performed.

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