Throughout his 50 year career, Plácido Domingo blended the high art of opera with popular music success. Turning 74 this year, he appeared in a London production of “La Traviata” before moving on to a summer production of “Ernani” at the Met in New York. This autumn, he’ll perform in the Woody Allen-produced “Gianni Schicchi” in Los Angeles – all while keeping opera vibrant and growing.
It will be another busy year of globetrotting for the world-renowned, Spanish-born and London-based Maestro. He blends live performances and conducting with a recording career, defying an age that would retire most singers. After starring in “La Traviata” this spring, he’ll play Don Carlo at the New York Metropolitan Opera, while next fall will find him in Los Angeles to collaborate with Woody Allen.
Crave Online: How do you keep opera growing in the 21st century?
Placido Domingo: It’s obvious that the only way to keep opera alive and healthy is to encourage young composers to compose new operas and to encourage young singers, conductors and pianists to sing, conduct and teach operas. I helped to create the Young Artist programs in LA, Washington and Valencia, Spain to encourage that. My annual Operalia competition for young singers will be taking place this summer for the 23rd year in a row. I also took part in the London Guest of Honor program to call attention to the Royal Opera House.
I have been lucky to have such a long career, but I don’t expect to be singing 400 years from now. But, opera is more than 400 years old now and still thriving, still developing. With luck, hard work and devotion from the generations to come, opera will still be thriving and developing in another 400 years. This is what we all work for when we teach.
Related: London Guest of Honor Takes to the Skies
How do you deal with getting older?
At my age, I am most proud of sharing the greatness of opera to so many millions of people.This is a great privilege that has been given to me. The fact that there are people in the world who can say that watching me perform in the theater, on television, on a DVD or as part of the Three Tenors is what brought them to opera — yes, it all makes me proud and very grateful to have the ability to achieve that.
But, as for my career these days, age is a very different situation in opera. Many “young” roles can only be sung by mature voices. In 19th century operas, the leading tenor roles often represents young men, But the baritone roles, which I’m singing now, are often fathers or “bad guys” — older than the tenors. Don Carlo in “Ernani” is also supposed to be young. But, he can be played as a more mature man. It is the tenor, Ernani – a role I used to sing — who should be younger.
How do you balance performing, recording and conducting?
I do manage to keep busy, but I’ve been doing it for nearly 50 years because it all involves making music. That is what I love most. But, most of the audio and video recordings of operas made today are taken from live performances. In the past, I would spend a lot more of my time in the studio.
I am also General Director of the Los Angeles Opera, and I was General Director of the Washington National Opera. These activities are very demanding, but I think that they are important because I want very much for opera to thrive in the future.
How is it working with Woody Allen?
I haven’t yet worked with him directly, so I’m very much looking forward to it. We will remount the production of “Gianni Schicchi” that Woody did for us at the LA Opera in 2008. It was his first experience staging an opera, and I wish he would do more because he has a real feeling for music. The production will be in Madrid in June, and then we will bring it back to Los Angeles with Woody doing the staging in both cities. I sincerely hope it will lead to more collaborations.
Why did you choose your home base of London?
I made my debut there in 1969 in a performance of the “Verdi Requiem.” Two years later, I gave my first performance at the Royal Opera House. I have many friends in London, and the theatre life there is probably the best in the world. Although the English are known for their restraint, I have always found English audiences warm-hearted and enthusiastic.
