Any conversation with renowned Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo must include The Three Tenors, his project with Italian great Luciano Pavarotti and fellow Spaniard José Carreras. his album carreras domingo pavarotti in concertwhich featured Mumbai-born conductor Zubin Mehta, included a recording of his live performance on the eve of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Rome. It became the best-selling Western classical album by the Decca label with sales of 10 million units.
Although it is Placido’s most famous work, it is just one of a series of achievements by the maestro. He has played 151 different roles in opera, and is the most famous performer of the role of Otello in William Shakespeare’s Giuseppe Verdi’s opera of the same name. othelloBy singing popular English songs in an operatic style, he reached new audiences. Of course, his favorite project is Operalia, an annual opera singing competition, which he started in 1993.
After making a name for himself in the opera world, Placido attempted to expand the genre through classical crossover projects Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Placido was in Mumbai in mid-September for the final round of Operalia held at the Jamshed Bhabha Theater of the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA). It was the first time that the event was held in South Asia, and in the grand finale, 12 singers competed for various awards in opera arias and zarzuela, the Spanish form of operetta. The two-hour long final featured a performance by the Symphony Orchestra of India conducted by Placido and Kamal Khan.
This was Placido’s second performance in Mumbai. In 2008, he came as a singer on the invitation of Zubin Mehta for the birth centenary celebrations of his father Mehli Mehta. “At that time, I sang with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. I still love singing, but these days, I am more focused on conducting, and Operalia in Mumbai is another step in that journey,” he says.
Born in Madrid, Spain on January 21, 1941, Plácido was exposed to zarzuela at an early age, as his parents practiced the form. The family moved to Mexico, where he started a zarzuela company. In addition to singing, the young boy would go backstage and help set up shows. He learned piano, singing and conducting and initially played several baritone roles. When a tenor from another company suddenly fell ill, he took over that role. This marked a change, and at the age of 20, he made his opera debut in a leading role as Verdi’s tenor Alfredo. La Traviata. In fact, la traviata It was also the first opera he conducted for the New York City Opera in 1973.
Symphony Orchestra of India, conducted by Placido. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
After making a name for himself in the opera world, Placido attempted to expand the genre through classical crossover projects. In 1981, he collaborated with country-pop star John Denver on the album perhaps LovePerforming opera-influenced versions of hit tunes such as ‘Annie’s Song’, ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Time After Time’. Although purists did not welcome their experimentation, the album made the top 20 of the US and UK charts. He also experimented with Latin and Central American forms such as tango and mariachi, expanding his repertoire.
Placido says that he did not imagine that The Three Tenors would achieve such unprecedented success. He recalls, “I have known Zubun since 1962 and when Jose talked about the performance of the three of us under Zubun, it felt very exciting. We all sang separately, but ‘O Sole Mio’ and ‘Nessun Dorma’ as a trio.
Following the success of The Three Tenors’ Rome recordings, the trio came together at the next World Cup in Los Angeles in 1994. “We did about 40 concerts by 2003, and that encouraged a whole group of young opera singers,” he says. ,
Given that they were all such big names, was there any rivalry? “Our rivalry was in another field, not in music,” Placido says, laughing. He elaborates, “We are all avid football fans, but we support different clubs. I support Real Madrid, and Jose supports Barcelona. Luciano favors Juventus. So when it comes to maintaining our loyalty and defeating the football competition, we are rivals.
According to Placido, the Three Tenors occurred when they were all well established. “There was no competition as such,” he says. We all have our own specialties. Luciano’s specialty lies in Neapolitan songs, and I will not attempt them. Likewise, one of my specialties is zarzuela.”
Why prioritize operations at this level? Placido replies, “I’m 83 now, and opera singing is hard. To keep the voice in good shape, eight hours of practice is required daily. Singing is a very individual art, whereas conducting is more community-driven. In operations I have to pay a lot of attention to what others are doing. It also requires fewer hours. Most importantly, I can share my knowledge and skills with others, like I did with the members here at SOI.”
Placido says he is motivated by a desire to impart knowledge of opera and expand its reach. He adds, “We will always face competition from the pop world, but the popularity within opera is growing. At Mumbai Operalia, I have heard some phenomenal singers, and the program helps such artistes gain recognition and get a contract with a major opera house apart from winning good prize money. Even after 62 years of dedicated professional service, Placido is full of ideas and energy.
China’s Le Bu and American soprano Kathleen O’Mara, winner of Operalia 2024, with the renowned Plácido Domingo. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
winners
After tough competition in the final of Operalia 2024, China’s bass-baritone Le Bu won first prize among male singers for his rendition of Richard Wagner’s ‘Die Frist ist Um’ from the German opera Die Fliegende Holländer. The first prize among female singers went to American soprano Kathleen O’Mara, who performed ‘Depuis le Jour’ from Gustave Charpentier’s French opera Louise.
The finals, held at a packed Jamshed Bhabha Theater in Mumbai on 21 September, featured 12 singers who competed in two sections of arias and the Spanish form zarzuela. The audience was also asked to vote for their favourites. The Audience Rolex Award went to mezzo-soprano Elmina Hasan of Azerbaijan and baritone Jack Lee of the UK. Elmina also won a Zarzuela Award with American tenor Angel Romero. The KulturArte Award was won by New Zealand soprano Eliza Boom.
published – October 05, 2024 05:33 PM IST
