@scalparm By whom? Well, by my and by the BBC Music magazine critics, who said so. elnortedecastilla . es / 20080313 / mas-actualidad / cultura / placido-domingo-grande-tenor-200803131154 . html - If only u had done a bit of research... Next time, before u talk, make sure u know what you're talking about
Reading these comments, I have to ask anyone who feels that this is good singing- Are you insane? Now, admittedly, I've studied to such an extent it's hard to remove the "training" from my ear but I would imagine even to an untrained ear you could detect the strain and shrill nature of his top. I love the man and his instrument, and perhaps it's an issue of simply not having the notes. But his approach to the top is just wrong! My GOD! Listen to his final "Pensier."
@scalparm I thought his final note was beautiful, actually, and I've studied quite a bit myself in this area. I don't think it's his technique, I think it's just you. I DON'T MEAN THAT AS AN INSULT! But everywhere hears things differently, and one person's delight in someone else's nightmare, know what I mean? I can't blame you for not liking this, just as you can't blame me for liking it :) On a side note, if you don't mind me asking, are you still studying in this field?
@xxryroluvxx Sure, it could be an issue of taste. Clearly he's had a huge career and people love him all over the world. But to anyone working in the field it's a minor miracle that he has lasted so long with the way he sings. And yes, I am a professional opera singer.
Wow amazing!!!!, he is a true master of voice and technique!!!!, been ussed to hear him in heroic or spinto roles, this is a true great surprise to hear him so well in this terrible aria. My friend Omar Ottomani, suggested me to see and learn from him...he was rigth . Bravooo!!!!!
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Anyone who says Domingo is the greatest of all time doesn't know shit. This is garbage! How the hell does singing like this merit such a huge career! There is much injustice in the world.
I'm not a tenor, so no i wouldn't. However, the point I'm making is that there are many better singers who have far less of a career, and that's just a shame. Also, I have no interest in hearing Domingo sing this or many other roles and it amazes that people are so wowed by him-his technique is crap!
I agree totaly with that sir. Domingo is a wonderful tenor for spinto roles; he does "fairly good" all the rest of the tenor roles (the high C is a consecuence of the "tessitura dell aria"; he can have an easier approach when on his "own ground"). But must agree that in here, he sounds great!!! (Kraus is the best in this repertoire, for sure). Bravo Domingo!!!
Perhaps Domingo's natural range is baritone or baritenor. But his with a reliable training and a very good tecnique he can sing all leading tenor characters (from Otello to Nadir). In the lirico-leggero roles he is not perfect and he is no capable of a HighC. But few tenors can to play so many roles.
As the Duke, however, Domingo is good but Alfredo Kraus is much better
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Domingo is not technically capable of a High C. It's a trick prevalent among Tenors who have difficulty in the upper register (Like Domingo) to emit the note in a falsetto and bounce it off their palate to make it sound like chest voice instead of head voice, which is what it actually is. A Tenor without the F and the High C is not a real Tenor. In other words, the only real Tenor was Luciano Pavarotti.
a REAL tenor can get thru HIGH tessitura roles like duca, nemorino, faust, romeo etc....the list goes on and on. when domingo sang this role he was singing bigger roles such as otello, calaf, radames which changes the way your voice works on any particular night. as a fan of pavarotti and domingo i find your comment rather amusing. keep learning the art and try not to sound so ignorant. domingo IS a TENOR.
He is 36 here and solid but Pavarotti at 36 would blow him away as Duca. I like Domingo in some other roles but if you want to sing this role and to be remembered your singing has to be stratospheric and Domingo lacks that.
I saw this when it was originally telecast on PBS in November 1977. Domingo, approaching his prime or just into it (he's 36 here), is terrific. No, the top B isn't perfect, but not awful, either. His highest comfortable note has always been B flat. I don't think his relatively short effective range makes him any less important as an artist.
his range is not "short". He can go lower than most tenors. I like how there are people who only seem to have any respect for high notes and ignore everything else.
Well thank you for such a nice response. I personally love darker voices and I've only recently noticed just how low some notes go in what are otherwise tenor arias (most obvious example is aria "Di tu se fedele"). This made me notice the other 'end' of the range spectrum which I think I never noticed due to how ignored it tends to be.
You're right about those low notes for tenor. I'm thinking in particular about the one near the end of "Invano, Alvaro." I forget offhand, but think it's a B natural. Probably the only note in the piece that Richard Tucker ever had trouble with, at least in the versions I've heard. Just out of curiosity, what's the lowest note you've heard Domingo sing?
...good question, I honestly don't know, which I think ties in with the fact that I haven't paid much attention to low notes until recently. I know he recorded a Figaro, but I haven't heard that either. I'm giving the "Invano Alvaro" that you mentioned a listen now.
I recall reading some early reviews of Domingo's records -- well, RELATIVELY early, circa 1971 -- which suggested he had little low-range volume. All these years later, I'd predict that his low notes gradually grew stronger as he assumed more and more dramatic roles. Interesting to follow and explore a major singer's development:) --
i liked it, good articulation and colour in the notes, last b wasn't perfect, but overall very enjoyable, i personally that the best version of this aria is by mario lanza, check it out peeps, :)
I agree, it isn't a perfect performance. Perhaps he shouldn't have ventured to these lyrical roles and kept the heavy sound and proper technique he demonstrates during the 'Manon lescaut with Caballe in 1972'.
i find this to be evidence that placi WASN'T EVER a baritone. this is one of the highest written roles that verdi composed for tenor! NOT only wouldn't pd be able to get thru this role but he also wouldn't be able to make such beautiful music. phrasing is so elegant and perfect for the character. many people who dont know about the voice blah blah all the time about himbeing a bari/tenor but really!! and what a bout singing edgardo in lucia at 19??no pushed up baritone would even attempt it!
It's true, I don't think he was ever a baritone. His timbre is higher than many other tenors, and his trouble with high notes does not mean he used to be a baritone. Many baritones can sing B4s easily, but it does not make them tenors.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
I have to agree with you, although he did start as a baritone. His voice is not even close to what Pavarotti was during the same years. Go and watch this: Luciano Pavarotti "Ella mi fu rapita" Rigoletto, with those you're going to find La donna e mobile as well, check it out! Peace.
He didn't start as a baritone. He thought he was a baritone while studying and tried some roles but he was told quickly he was a tenore. As a professional singer he never sang as a baritone.
Just a thought to add to the controversy. .. instead of being a "pushed up baritone" could he have been a "pushed down" tenor? Many a tenor has sacrificed an easy top to create a more dramatic and "baritonal" (if you will) middle register depending on the rep they "chose" to sing, which in my experience has had little to do with the natural voice that God gave them in many cases
there is a video on youtube where pd did an interview on american tv and he was asked about being a baritone and going to tenor. He said that a baritone in zarzuela sings much higher then opera closer to tenor. when people hear baritone they think opera baritone which pd certainly isn't. He said he was really a tenor from the beginning of his career he was just a "lazy tenor" (his words, not mine)
He started as a baritone, I listened to him say it himself from his own mouth in an interview. But, as you can see, he discovered over time he was definitely a tenor.
Much obliged for posting this video - and the quator tomorrow - Ursey! Placido Domingo was in his vocal prime at the time and,despite the high tessitura of the Duke's part,one which he despises owing to the blatant cynicism of the character,he fared quite well in this production.
Indeed he was at his prime back then. Although vocally he is very good in the role of the Duke you would know that he isn't completely comfortable playing the part of such a superficial and shallow character. Personally I think his best aria in this production is "Parmi veder le lagrime" because it's the one instance where the Duke shows genuine emotion for a woman.
no entiendo un carajo pero me gusta.
SuperJorgeelmejor 1 month ago
@SuperJorgeelmejor jejeje
BERNARDOANUK 1 week ago
@scalparm did u know that he is regarded to be the best tenor currently, and of all times?
theoqsoftware 9 months ago
@theoqsoftware By whom is he regarded to be the best of all time? The audiences? No working opera singer would agree with you.
scalparm 2 months ago
@scalparm By whom? Well, by my and by the BBC Music magazine critics, who said so. elnortedecastilla . es / 20080313 / mas-actualidad / cultura / placido-domingo-grande-tenor-200803131154 . html - If only u had done a bit of research... Next time, before u talk, make sure u know what you're talking about
theoqsoftware 2 months ago
Placido Domingo is my favorite tenor. That was an amazing performance :)
JAyala7293 1 year ago
Reading these comments, I have to ask anyone who feels that this is good singing- Are you insane? Now, admittedly, I've studied to such an extent it's hard to remove the "training" from my ear but I would imagine even to an untrained ear you could detect the strain and shrill nature of his top. I love the man and his instrument, and perhaps it's an issue of simply not having the notes. But his approach to the top is just wrong! My GOD! Listen to his final "Pensier."
scalparm 1 year ago
@scalparm I thought his final note was beautiful, actually, and I've studied quite a bit myself in this area. I don't think it's his technique, I think it's just you. I DON'T MEAN THAT AS AN INSULT! But everywhere hears things differently, and one person's delight in someone else's nightmare, know what I mean? I can't blame you for not liking this, just as you can't blame me for liking it :) On a side note, if you don't mind me asking, are you still studying in this field?
xxryroluvxx 2 months ago
@xxryroluvxx Sure, it could be an issue of taste. Clearly he's had a huge career and people love him all over the world. But to anyone working in the field it's a minor miracle that he has lasted so long with the way he sings. And yes, I am a professional opera singer.
scalparm 2 months ago
muy buenoooo..placidoo
elyavet666 1 year ago
Awesome. What a legend =D
proudtobeasarahfan 1 year ago
The Golden Age of the Golden Voice!!
Bsonnete 1 year ago
I love his voice. <3
EscapeToNowhere11 1 year ago
Wow amazing!!!!, he is a true master of voice and technique!!!!, been ussed to hear him in heroic or spinto roles, this is a true great surprise to hear him so well in this terrible aria. My friend Omar Ottomani, suggested me to see and learn from him...he was rigth . Bravooo!!!!!
tenorschofield 1 year ago
I'd like to know how to sing this... :D
ucemujeproblem 1 year ago
placido podría cantar cualquier cosa y sería oro!!!!!
ezev8logos 2 years ago 3
Love him... BRAVISSIMO!
ezayi 2 years ago 2
not the best perfomance from him of this aria, but quite nice to hear
stybboon 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Anyone who says Domingo is the greatest of all time doesn't know shit. This is garbage! How the hell does singing like this merit such a huge career! There is much injustice in the world.
scalparm 2 years ago
And you would sing it hands down, wouldn't you, whan you're so clever??
myval007 2 years ago
I'm not a tenor, so no i wouldn't. However, the point I'm making is that there are many better singers who have far less of a career, and that's just a shame. Also, I have no interest in hearing Domingo sing this or many other roles and it amazes that people are so wowed by him-his technique is crap!
scalparm 2 years ago
AMAZING
sabina27xx 2 years ago
I agree totaly with that sir. Domingo is a wonderful tenor for spinto roles; he does "fairly good" all the rest of the tenor roles (the high C is a consecuence of the "tessitura dell aria"; he can have an easier approach when on his "own ground"). But must agree that in here, he sounds great!!! (Kraus is the best in this repertoire, for sure). Bravo Domingo!!!
juancristobal60 3 years ago
Perhaps Domingo's natural range is baritone or baritenor. But his with a reliable training and a very good tecnique he can sing all leading tenor characters (from Otello to Nadir). In the lirico-leggero roles he is not perfect and he is no capable of a HighC. But few tenors can to play so many roles.
As the Duke, however, Domingo is good but Alfredo Kraus is much better
LordoftheTrapdoors 3 years ago
suck my balls operabuff23 he´s the best tenor of all times
pizzasandcoke 3 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Not even of the the 100 best of all time.
Try Caruso, Fleta, Lauri-Volpi, Björling, Thill...
revivaljesus 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Domingo is not technically capable of a High C. It's a trick prevalent among Tenors who have difficulty in the upper register (Like Domingo) to emit the note in a falsetto and bounce it off their palate to make it sound like chest voice instead of head voice, which is what it actually is. A Tenor without the F and the High C is not a real Tenor. In other words, the only real Tenor was Luciano Pavarotti.
operabuff23 3 years ago
a REAL tenor can get thru HIGH tessitura roles like duca, nemorino, faust, romeo etc....the list goes on and on. when domingo sang this role he was singing bigger roles such as otello, calaf, radames which changes the way your voice works on any particular night. as a fan of pavarotti and domingo i find your comment rather amusing. keep learning the art and try not to sound so ignorant. domingo IS a TENOR.
operabitch77 3 years ago 2
agreed
OettingerCroat 3 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I`m sorry but Domingo is a baritone
UnTicPiticMic 3 years ago
stfu
FrankieGrasshoppa 3 years ago 2
He is 36 here and solid but Pavarotti at 36 would blow him away as Duca. I like Domingo in some other roles but if you want to sing this role and to be remembered your singing has to be stratospheric and Domingo lacks that.
castorp1981 3 years ago
I saw this when it was originally telecast on PBS in November 1977. Domingo, approaching his prime or just into it (he's 36 here), is terrific. No, the top B isn't perfect, but not awful, either. His highest comfortable note has always been B flat. I don't think his relatively short effective range makes him any less important as an artist.
stevevandien 3 years ago 2
his range is not "short". He can go lower than most tenors. I like how there are people who only seem to have any respect for high notes and ignore everything else.
Tralfamadoro 2 years ago
Granted, I should have said "relatively short HIGH range." Thank you for making me rethink my use of the English language to be more precise.
stevevandien 2 years ago
Well thank you for such a nice response. I personally love darker voices and I've only recently noticed just how low some notes go in what are otherwise tenor arias (most obvious example is aria "Di tu se fedele"). This made me notice the other 'end' of the range spectrum which I think I never noticed due to how ignored it tends to be.
Tralfamadoro 2 years ago
You're right about those low notes for tenor. I'm thinking in particular about the one near the end of "Invano, Alvaro." I forget offhand, but think it's a B natural. Probably the only note in the piece that Richard Tucker ever had trouble with, at least in the versions I've heard. Just out of curiosity, what's the lowest note you've heard Domingo sing?
stevevandien 2 years ago
: |
...good question, I honestly don't know, which I think ties in with the fact that I haven't paid much attention to low notes until recently. I know he recorded a Figaro, but I haven't heard that either. I'm giving the "Invano Alvaro" that you mentioned a listen now.
Tralfamadoro 2 years ago
It's actually a low B-flat.
cer1n 2 years ago
Thanks much for the info:)!
stevevandien 2 years ago
I mean his lower note was a low B-flat he sang it in the duet with Amneris .If my memory serves me well the low note in the Foza duet is a low B.
cer1n 2 years ago
I recall reading some early reviews of Domingo's records -- well, RELATIVELY early, circa 1971 -- which suggested he had little low-range volume. All these years later, I'd predict that his low notes gradually grew stronger as he assumed more and more dramatic roles. Interesting to follow and explore a major singer's development:) --
stevevandien 2 years ago
In 1976 he sang the Pagliacci prologo because the baritone was ill and his low notes were more powerfull than many baritones.
cer1n 2 years ago
The guy started his career as a baritone Im sure he can hit low notes!!!! :D
Y2H 2 years ago
No, it's a B.
fiercejarret 2 years ago
It is actually a B....checked it with a tuner.
robcaper 1 year ago
bien en lo que cabe pero... mida señor Domingo!!
luciano1935 3 years ago
i liked it, good articulation and colour in the notes, last b wasn't perfect, but overall very enjoyable, i personally that the best version of this aria is by mario lanza, check it out peeps, :)
liveandletdie2k7 3 years ago
i love Lanza the most by far with this aria, too, but Domingo really impressed me here! Never really liked him in this role... but this was great!
OettingerCroat 3 years ago 5
I agree, it isn't a perfect performance. Perhaps he shouldn't have ventured to these lyrical roles and kept the heavy sound and proper technique he demonstrates during the 'Manon lescaut with Caballe in 1972'.
Mooorhe 3 years ago
His acting was very good, his singing wasn't bad either, his last B wasn't great though.
Mooorhe 3 years ago
i find this to be evidence that placi WASN'T EVER a baritone. this is one of the highest written roles that verdi composed for tenor! NOT only wouldn't pd be able to get thru this role but he also wouldn't be able to make such beautiful music. phrasing is so elegant and perfect for the character. many people who dont know about the voice blah blah all the time about himbeing a bari/tenor but really!! and what a bout singing edgardo in lucia at 19??no pushed up baritone would even attempt it!
operabitch77 3 years ago
It's true, I don't think he was ever a baritone. His timbre is higher than many other tenors, and his trouble with high notes does not mean he used to be a baritone. Many baritones can sing B4s easily, but it does not make them tenors.
GermanOperaSinger 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I have to agree with you, although he did start as a baritone. His voice is not even close to what Pavarotti was during the same years. Go and watch this: Luciano Pavarotti "Ella mi fu rapita" Rigoletto, with those you're going to find La donna e mobile as well, check it out! Peace.
cubanoRN 3 years ago
He didn't start as a baritone. He thought he was a baritone while studying and tried some roles but he was told quickly he was a tenore. As a professional singer he never sang as a baritone.
tehen162 3 years ago
It is the timbre of a heroic tenor, different than that of a dramatic tenor which is more baritonal.
agnellodei 3 years ago 3
Just a thought to add to the controversy. .. instead of being a "pushed up baritone" could he have been a "pushed down" tenor? Many a tenor has sacrificed an easy top to create a more dramatic and "baritonal" (if you will) middle register depending on the rep they "chose" to sing, which in my experience has had little to do with the natural voice that God gave them in many cases
2ManyHighCs 3 years ago
there is a video on youtube where pd did an interview on american tv and he was asked about being a baritone and going to tenor. He said that a baritone in zarzuela sings much higher then opera closer to tenor. when people hear baritone they think opera baritone which pd certainly isn't. He said he was really a tenor from the beginning of his career he was just a "lazy tenor" (his words, not mine)
pechorin1841 3 years ago 2
He started as a baritone, I listened to him say it himself from his own mouth in an interview. But, as you can see, he discovered over time he was definitely a tenor.
Jaydoggy531 3 years ago
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santo dios.. pura perfeccion del semidios domingo.
eltenor1 3 years ago 2
Thank you, ursey39!
julia59 3 years ago
You are very welcome. Nice to hear from you again Julia59!
ursey39 3 years ago
Much obliged for posting this video - and the quator tomorrow - Ursey! Placido Domingo was in his vocal prime at the time and,despite the high tessitura of the Duke's part,one which he despises owing to the blatant cynicism of the character,he fared quite well in this production.
MetropeJocelyn 3 years ago
Indeed he was at his prime back then. Although vocally he is very good in the role of the Duke you would know that he isn't completely comfortable playing the part of such a superficial and shallow character. Personally I think his best aria in this production is "Parmi veder le lagrime" because it's the one instance where the Duke shows genuine emotion for a woman.
ursey39 3 years ago