1983 MET100 GALA:Otello. Gia nella notte densa / Verdi

[gonzofaeton]

neither Del Monaco nor Domingo can thrill me the way Vinay does

[Huaimek861]

One of my favourite operatic scenes . Domingo may not be quite as exciting and mad as del Monaco , but his acting is very consistent and he really give a musical performance . I have a Gala video with Mirella Freni and a complete opera performance with Barbara Fritoli . Graham Vick's direction of this love scene is superb . Mirella Freni performs and sings so well in so many roles . Lovely !!! Thank You .

[millonety123]

A perfect pair¡¡¡

[MrAndredekock]

I still think Domingo made the greatest Moor to listen to and to watch his acting skills and Freni is the most sublime Desdemona! Bravissimi!

[amarantaviera]

Two people "disliked" this? Are you kidding me? They don't have ears OR hearts.

[garfreed]

One of the most inspired things Verdi wrote!

[camtep2you]

ESOS SON COJONES! VIVA OTELLO DIGO DOMINGO!

[AlberichNibelungo]

Domingo ha sido uno de los grandes Otellos del siglo XX, eso no puede dudarse, pese a las limitaciones de su voz. ¿Por qué? ¿Falta de voces más adecuadas? Quizá, pero ello no minimiza el valor de la aportación que el madrileño ha hecho al gran rol verdiano. Claro que si se le compara con un torbellino vocal como del Monaco, siempre saldrá perdiendo. Domingo ha aportado al papel su lado más romántico y elegíaco (es extraordinario en este dúo, por ejemplo), pero pierde en los momentos más épicos.

[cristinatormo]

@AlberichNibelungo

Estimado: eso que tu llamas lado romántico y elegíaco se consigue con técnica, talento y estudio: las que le faltan a otros. Respecto de la voz....hay gustos para todo pero Domingo es desde el punto de vista de la belleza del timbre absolutamente maravilloso.

[AlberichNibelungo]

@cristinatormo

PARTE 4ª: Por último, no sé si con la expresión “las que les faltan a otros” quieres decir que Mario del Monaco carecía de técnica, talento y estudio. En cuanto a la belleza del timbre de Domingo estoy absolutamente de acuerdo: de los más hermosos en la cuerda tenoril (sobre todo en el registro medio).

[AlberichNibelungo]

@cristinatormo

PARTE 3ª: Vamos, que no sólo de “técnica, talento y estudio” vive el cantante, ya que sus cualidades vocales naturales le condicionan fuertemente a lo largo de su carrera, permitiéndole sobresalir en un repertorio u otro, o limitándole al respecto (lo que se llama mayor adecuación al rol, vamos).

[AlberichNibelungo]

@cristinatormo

PARTE 2ª: Precisamente por todo lo contrario –gran caudal sonoro, timbre broncíneo, agudos refulgentes-, podría decir que del Monaco sale perdiendo, frente al madrileño, en los momentos más íntimos y líricos, merced a la dificultad de “recoger” su enorme vozarrón.

[AlberichNibelungo]

@cristinatormo

PARTE 1ª: Bueno, por lo que veo creo que no se ha entendido bien mi comentario (o se ha malinterpretado, tomando sólo una parte del mismo): se defiende a Domingo como si yo le hubiera atacado, y no era esa mi intención. Simplemente me limité a opinar en qué pasajes de la particella del celoso moro resulta más efectiva y ajustada su voz a lo pedido por Verdi.

[pieritlyon]

E 'molto difficile capire chi è il migliore per Domenica, non certo, ha alcune buone prestazioni e anche la voce sia ascoltata, quando era giovane ma non in questo todas.pero non sta bene. In queste pagine è questo duetto con il M Grand, Corelli, è veramente molto più alti, il soprano è molto buono, come Frenni, ammiro molto, lei lo interpreta in duetto con J. Vickers, è grande, ascolta, è sublime

[hkk321]

Thanks for posting all these! I love the gala performances.

[jsmoir1]

Look how YOUNG they are! I just heard PD doing Simon Boccanegra on the Saturday Met broadcast?! A baritone role? Oh, Placi, just retire, and let a BARITONE sing this wonderful role. You made your debut at this house in 1968; You'd think forty years would be enough for ANYONE. And I agree Freni is astounding for longevity, care of the voice,and musicianship.

[jocmuc1]

you all love domingo soooo much. it´s ok.

i love freni. she´s a real primadonna, doing all technical things, that are possible.

sorry my english is not so good.

but she is really great and for sure the best mimi

of all the times

[pieritlyon]

Es muy dificil entender a quienes encuentra lo mejor a Domingo, Ciertamente no lo es, Tiene unas buenas interpretaciones y la voz se escucha bién, de cuando era joven pero no son todas.pero en ésta no está bién . En estas páginas está éste dueto con el Gran M, Corelli, verdaderamente es muy superior,la soprano es muy buena,lo mismo que Frenni,que la admiro mucho; ella interpreta este dueto con J. Vickers,es magnifico,escuchénlo, es sublime.

[stevevandien]

I love this duet and these singers. Domingo does go a little flat on the last note, but is otherwise in fine shape His voice is approaching its very peak, with a wonderful combination of ample power and lustrous beauty. I have long been a Freni fan, for both her beautiful voice and lovely stage presence:) --

[pieritlyon]

"55patri""dice "Ha habido grandesOtelos pero ninguno como Placido, es¿por lo mediocre o mejor?.En esta misma página esta la interpretación de Ramón Vinay, el mejor "Otello" de la historia operática mundial. Es bueno escuchar, también el de Del Monaco, Gicomini, y de esta misma aria esta la de Franco Corelli. Naturalmente en gustos no hay nada escrito pero en opera sí Cordialmente..pieri

[bigjake8188]

Can anyone else hear the prompter at 8:12? Or am I just crazy?

[martello79]

No you are not crazy that's the prompter. For him it was GALA too you know :)

[nclysander]

Great. Just great. To attempt to describe it any further would be to do it a disservice.

[stevevandien]

Thanks so much for responding!

[55patri]

Ha habido grandes Otelos pero ninguno como Placido. Mirella es una Desdémona sensacional. Que lujazo de artistas en el centenario del Met

[TheAleph74]

Placido looks so handsome on this video. The singing was superb, regardless the fact that Placido was a little flat on his last note.

[stevevandien]

Domingo has a magnificent voice and is a very fine artist. AND strikingly handsome, no? Being so can only benefit a tenor:). PD wasn't so startlingly attractive as Corelli. (Good grief, between his looks and voice, Corelli was in another dimension:)). Even so, Domingo remains rather handsome at nearly 70 years old:).

[TheAleph74]

Placido looks so handsome on this video. The singing was superb, regardless the fact that Placido was a little flat on his last note.

[operadoc]

what a glorious event this was. I was at both the afternoon and evening portions of this gala. One of the greatest days at the MET

[stevevandien]

Tell me about Domingo's voice. I've never heard him in person, but have heard 1) that his voice isn't all that big, though it is so vibrant thatt carries well; 2) that his voice is QUITE large, though not enormous --

[operadoc]

Domingo did not have a HUGE voice but it was large enough and did resonate well. Freni had a huge voice for such a tiny woman. They were both tremendous artists

[Etnalleb]

I've heard Domingo live several times and his voice wasn't that big comparing to other Dramatic Tenors ala Mario Del Monaco, Tucker ,Franco Bonisolli and James McCracken their voices dwarfed Domingo's. Placido is more of a spinto than a Dramatic and he always struggled with the High C... almost always having the C transposed down to a B or even Bb. A beautiful voice though no doubt.

[stevevandien]

Thanks so much for your information. It jibes pretty well with what I've heard from other veterans of live PD performances. Did PD's voice carry well, despite its limited size? Would love to know your thoughts about this. Please understand that I'm not arguing one way or the other, because I never heard PD in person. I just want to learn from those who did:). Thanks and best wishes, Steve

[Labienus]

I heard Domingo many times over the years it was always a good sized voice even in his younger more lyrical days, and later when I heard him as Siegmund Parsifal, it was even larger and more dramatic obviously it was a big sound to do Otello so often so I have no idea where you get limited size

It was volume wise on the Tucker/Corelli level probably a bit smaller but later darker bigger than Bergonzi

It was not on the scale of MDM or a true dramatic like Vickers and never had a free top

[stevevandien]

Oh, I derived that from the comments of others on this thread who've also heard him live. And when I said "limited," didn't mean insubstantial, just not as big as those of Corelli, McCracken, Vickers, other true dramatics. Thanks for your information -- just curious, where did you hear Domingo singing his Wagner roles? At the Met? Best, Steve

[Labienus]

Yes, at the Met and it's big space to fill over a W orchestra His voice would sound quite large compared to tenors today I found it a large voice even yrs ago

There is a lot of misuse of these terms most were spintos Vickers was a true dramatic a heldentenor the rest mentioned were big voiced spintos-there is certainly some over lapping

or MDM somewhat freakish but limited

the best term for Corelli was tenore robusto

IMO McCracken does not belong in this group

[stevevandien]

Thanks much for this information and your opinions thereof.  They further the discussion, which for me is the most important thing:). . But I'm curious -- why do you believe McCracken "does not belong in the group?" Where in your judgment does he belong? Best, Steve

[Labienus]

You can read my reactions to McCracken on Youtube selections of him

The irony is that in other settings I defend him but I reacted to the silly hyperbole I've seen particulary about the size of voice but now only recordings count

Some of the names above are titans of tenordom others historic but debated by some-MDM, Domingo

I saw McC many times a fine Otello maybe even historic but IMO not in the same category beyond that

earnest gave his all but who listens to him in spinto roles?