A first-hand account by one of the great artists of operatic history of his view of every one of the 120 roles in his vast and varied repertoire. Placido Domingo analyzes each part both vocally and dramatically, tracing his journey from the first time he tackled it to the present, describing his emotions while performing it and explaining how he conquers or circumvents any vocal pitfalls. He also reveals one of the secrets of longevity which enables him, at the age of 59, not only to undertake mammoth new roles, but to often sound younger and fresher than many of his more youthful colleagues in the same performance.
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Placido Domingo: My Operatic Roles is unique among music books; a vocal and dramatic analysis of 62 major stage roles by one of the century^Rs greatest tenors. Domingo has the largest and most versatile repertoire of any tenor in operatic history. This book is testament to his artistic ability, as well as providing an invaluable yet easy to read guide of the tenor repertoire for both opera fans and other tenors.
Friends for over twenty years, Domingo and Helena Matheopoulos - the Philharmonic Orchestra's special consultant for vocal projects - provide informative introductions to each role. Through her questions about operatic characters, Domingo the man emerges alongside Domingo the singer. In his discussion of Wagner's PARSIFAL for instance, he reveals for the first time the depth of his own religious faith; in his analysis of the title role in LE CID he lets slip his patriotism and intense pride in being Spanish; while his feelings about Pinkerton in MADAMA BUTTERFLY and DON GIOVANNI are refreshingly politically incorrect!
Helena Matheopoulos - a former journalist, first as fashion editor on Tatler and travel writer on the Daily Express, later a regular columnist on the arts pages of The Evening News, Opera Now and The Times - has carved a unique niche for herself with a series of highly informative books on today's musical and operatic personalities. Her books are based on perceptive interviews enriched with her own and other musicians' commentaries. "I like people to learn while being entertained and stimulated - without even necessarily realising they're learning. I think it's this feature which, along with my passion for preserving each subject's speech pattern, makes my books special."
Her first book, Maestro: Encounters with Conductors of Today was named Music Book of the Year by Stereo Review in 1993, while her second, Bravo: Today's Tenors, Baritones and Basses Discuss Their Art, was chosen for the book prize for the Metropolitan Opera Quiz. Diva: Today's Great Sopranos and Mezzos Discuss Their Roles and the Art of Singing had three hardback and two paperback editions, while Diva: The New Generation is still going strong. She is also the author of a biography of King Juan of Spain.
About the Author
Helena Matheopoulos is Director of Vocal Projects at the Athens Concert Hall and of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, responsible for casting all concert performances of opera, requiems and celebrity recitals.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Anyone acquainted with Matheopoulos' previous books or "My First Forty Years" by Domingo will recognise the style, serious discussion but easy to read and not lacking in warmth and humour. Each character is given a separate chapter with an introduction to the opera and Domingo's performances followed by a discussion of the role by the singer. He describes both the musical and dramatic demands of roles ranging from Count Danilo to Sigmund.
The musical discussion is not terriby technical but there is comment on special difficulties as well as general advice on singing Verdi, Puccini, in the French style and in verismo. The way that Mr. Domingo describes his feelings about each character gives us an insight not only into the role but into the man himself.
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I highly recommend this book to any opera and Plácido Domingo fan, I have enjoyed immensely reading this wonderful book
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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5.0 out of 5 stars
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book for Domingo Fans
10 Jun 2007
By Elisa 20
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I hesitated to pay $35 for this book, but finally decided to buy it new anyway. I'm glad that I did.
Matheopoulous has done a great service for Domingo and opera fans--covering all of his major roles (up to the year 2000, at least) and getting several pages of his comments about each of them. His is a stunning body of work (he's mastered 124 parts) and this book makes it clear why Newsweek dubbed Domingo, "The King of the Opera".
Domingo's insights into both the opera and his performances are intended for a general audience and add to one's understanding and appreciation of his art. He brings a complex understanding to each role, and his career covers a breathtaking body of work, in 6 languages. (It is typical of Domingo that, already well into his 50's, he learned "The Queen of Spades" in Russian--a language he does not know--"note by note, word by word".)
There is no tenor, living or passed, who has the depth and breadth of work that Domingo does. That he has performed these roles onstage for audiences all over the world--as well as preserving many on CD and in full operatic productions on DVD--only adds to the towering impact he has made, and continues to make, on his art.
Each chapter gives an introduction followed by Domingo's own words about a particular character and (at usually 2-3 pages) one often wishes it were longer. Still, this is intended for a general audience, interested in, but not necessarily familiar with, all of the works discussed. What makes this book so special is that it is a document of a great artist's thoughts about his work, and reads as if it were one complete interview, lovingly and clearly focusing on one role at a time. This is the perfect organization for anyone curious about a particular opera/Domingo role.
"Placido Domingo: My Operatic Roles" is a wonderful book, a thought-provoking reference, and an invaluable documentation of what a great and unique artist Domingo is.
Matheopoulous has done a great service for Domingo and opera fans--covering all of his major roles (up to the year 2000, at least) and getting several pages of his comments about each of them. His is a stunning body of work (he's mastered 124 parts) and this book makes it clear why Newsweek dubbed Domingo, "The King of the Opera".
Domingo's insights into both the opera and his performances are intended for a general audience and add to one's understanding and appreciation of his art. He brings a complex understanding to each role, and his career covers a breathtaking body of work, in 6 languages. (It is typical of Domingo that, already well into his 50's, he learned "The Queen of Spades" in Russian--a language he does not know--"note by note, word by word".)
There is no tenor, living or passed, who has the depth and breadth of work that Domingo does. That he has performed these roles onstage for audiences all over the world--as well as preserving many on CD and in full operatic productions on DVD--only adds to the towering impact he has made, and continues to make, on his art.
Each chapter gives an introduction followed by Domingo's own words about a particular character and (at usually 2-3 pages) one often wishes it were longer. Still, this is intended for a general audience, interested in, but not necessarily familiar with, all of the works discussed. What makes this book so special is that it is a document of a great artist's thoughts about his work, and reads as if it were one complete interview, lovingly and clearly focusing on one role at a time. This is the perfect organization for anyone curious about a particular opera/Domingo role.
"Placido Domingo: My Operatic Roles" is a wonderful book, a thought-provoking reference, and an invaluable documentation of what a great and unique artist Domingo is.
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