Placido Domingo - Pagliacci - Vesti la giubba

Bravo...

i agree with you, vocally i think it may have to do with the fact that this role is for more of a dramatic tenor, which Domingo is, rather than a lyric tenor such as Pavarotti.

I heard a joke once: Man goes to doctor.
Says he's depressed.
Says life is harsh and cruel.
Says he feels all alone in a threatening world.
Doctor says, "Treatment is simple.
The great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight.
Go see him.
That should pick you up."
Man bursts into tears.
Says, "But doctor... I am Pagliacci."
Good joke. Everybody laugh. Roll on snare drum. Curtains.

LOL. I never heard that one! Thanks.
Just a quibble: the name should be Paglicco (singular: "Clown". "I Pagliacci" the title of the opera, means "the Clowns," plural. That's about all the Italian I know.

On the other hand, the joke would probably fall flat if you corrected it.

Guess now we know who watches the Watchmen...
:)

@ikkf1976 I always knew doctors don't know nothing, just like me.

Yes, there's a great deal of realism. But then, the 'bad lady' is a stock character so common that portrayal can almost be stylized, and an artist has to elimate the appearance of insensibility from his performance.

Really, have you ever seen Franco Corelli's version?

Yeah, I have. I have about 9 different Corelli versions, a number of them on video, pretty much everything Corelli ever officially released and plenty he didn't (live bootlegs) including hours of interview. I'm one of the biggest Corelli fans on the planet, especially his (*and del Monaco's) lowered larynx technique.

And even CORELLI would tell you Caruso's unapproachable performances of I Pagliacci OWNED and DEFINED the role AND verismo opera singing as a whole.

Questions?

I'm not disputing Caruso's approach as I am of the same opinion, I was referring more to the comment of Placido Domingo's acting surpassing that of any other tenor. Now it's not that I believe that Domingo's a bad actor, I'm just saying that is strictly your opinion. (Personally I believe Franco put a better performance, but again, that is opinion, not fact). Sorry for any confusion. Let's get back to enjoying the performance, shall we?