Simon Boccanegra with Plácido Domingo, London, July 2, 2010, curtain call

What a performance! Did anyone say the title role was written for a baritone? Well, after this evening one could rather be convinced, it was just written for Plácido Domingo. His acting and singing were simply magic! Anger and love, passion and fear, life and death - this was all in his voice, in his face and in his entire appearance. When he fell to the ground dying, one held one's breathe for a moment. If he ever stops singing (at age 115, or hopefully later) he can start a second career as a stuntman! Incredible, that this lithe, lively man should be almost 70 years.
Joseph Calleja as Gabriele Adorno was quite good, Ferruccio Furlanetto as Fiesco, too. The soprano Marina Poplavskaya did not meet my expectations ... but well, after all the opera is called "Simon Boccanegra" and not Maria or Amelia Boccanegra, so what ... :-)
Antonio Pappano, the orchestra and the chorus of ROH London delivered an overall great performance. An evening to remember, and we are happy that we witnessed it.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Plácido Domingo
• Simon Boccanegra
• Royal Opera House London
• Covent Garden
• Ferruccio Furlanetto
• Joseph Calleja
• Marina Poplavskaya
• Antonio Pappano
• Verdi
• opera

[evietjoa]

Yes I was there last Friday. Anyone who at any age (let alone at 70) can sing like Domingo does, deserves to be called a superstar. And yes, his singing as well as his acting was impeccable. But contrary to what people might think (a tenor singing a baritone role) he still sounds like a tenor, although with a baritonal sound in the lower registers of his voice. But this was the Domingo who I'm a lifelong fan of.

With the exception of the soprano all other cast were excellent as well!

[Fehlzeiten]

Thanks a lot for posting this...people seem to go wild for it, GREAT!!!

[TheVaughan5]

@freemario777 Absolutely, the finest lyric tenor in a generation.

[millonety123]

WOw¡ Que forma de aplaudir¡ Se nota que gusto y mucho¡ Bravo Placido¡

[freemario777]

A new star in born guess who?, Joseph calleja

[operafan55]

Incredible!!! BRAVISSIMO MAESTRO! Thank you so much for sharing.

[1964stellina]

13 luglio 2010.

uno splendore gli interpreti, il direttore, su tutti la stella del Maestro!

grazie Placido!

[Placidani1]

Merci ,Merci Chère Gaby ........Bravo bravo bravo PLACIDO

☆.¸.☆´

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(¸.☆´ (¸.☆´ (¸.☆´¯`☆...☆-

[wansob]

Thank you for sending this!

[starry6365]

Thanks for sharing this video! If only we could all be there that night!!!