Intermezzo

Placimathematics

Alongside the Riemann hypothesis and the existence of God, one great question remains unanswered.

How old is Plácido Domingo?

Rumours have long circulated. Has the legendary baritenor, who claims, like Gheorghiu, to have started college at the age of 14, shaved a year or five off his age? His official birth date is 21 January 1941, making him 72. 

The equally legendary José van Dam is amongst the doubters.  He recently recalled how Plácido Domingo once told him he was proud to be a grandfather already at the age of 36. "At the time I was 31, and today Plácido is a year younger than me."

That seals it. Or does it?

Van Dam was born on 25 August 1940, so he would have been 31 in 1971. Yet Plácido's eldest grandchild, the actress and Playboy model Ivonne Armant wasn't born until 16 January 1974, when Van Dam was not 31 but 33. To complicate matters further, paternity wasn't initially acknowledged. Plácido's first 'official' grandchild arrived at a later date, when Van Dam was even older. No-one would question the veteran bass's honesty. But perhaps the passage of time has clouded his memory. It does seem unlikely that his conversation with Domingo could have taken place at the time he recalls, however old Domingo is.

So the mystery remains unsolved. As ever, it seems nothing short of cutting Plácido in half and counting the rings will provide an answer.

Placido Domingo's Nabucco debut

Nabucco - Royal Opera House, 15 April 2013

Poor Placido Domingo. What a way to make a role debut. On top of one of the ugliest and least comprehensible productions of all time, he had to contend with clouds of swirling sand and what looked like a bad case of backache. Being, legendarily, the type that puts up and shuts up, there were no pre-show excuses, no indulgences sought. Leave that sort of thing to Generation Pantywaist; Placido is a soldier.

Royal Opera House 2013- 2014 season revealed

The ROH officially revealed full details of their 2013-14 season this morning. As most had slipped out one way or the other already, there are only one or two surprises - not all of them welcome.

There are seven new productions, and in celebration of Richard Strauss's 150th birthday there are three of his operas.

The most exciting new production, long-known, is Stefan Herheim's Les Vepres Siciliennes, conducted by Antonio Pappano and featuring Marina Poplavskaya, Erwin Schrott, Michael Volle and the inevitable Bryan Hymel.

Claus Guth's Die Frau Ohne Schatten comes fresh(ish) from La Scala with Johan Botha, Emily Magee, Michaela Schuster and Johan Reuter, and is conducted by Semyon Bychkov.

A new (to Covent Garden) Robert Carsen Carmelites conducted by Simon Rattle features Magdalena Kozena and Anna Prohaska.

Star-wise,  Juan Diego Florez is back in La fille du régiment, this time with Patrizia Ciofi, Ewa Podles - and future Downton Abbey star Dame Kiri te Kanawa.

Manon Lescaut features Jonas Kaufmann, together with Kristine Opolais and Christopher Maltman. There's a Faust revival with Joseph Calleja, Anna Netrebko, Bryn Terfel and Simon Keenlyside. Joyce DiDonato reprises her Maria Stuarda  in a new Leiser/Caurier production, with Carmen Giannattasio and Charles Castronovo. Karita Mattila makes her return to Covent Garden in Keith Warner's splendid Wozzeck, also featuring Simon Keenlyside, and Christof Loy's Ariadne auf Naxos, with Jane Archibald and Ruxandra Donose.

To compensate for his multiple London no-shows perhaps, Jonas Kaufmann also gives a main stage recital on 6 April.

Conductor wise, the major shock is that baritenor Placido Domingo will be let loose on Tosca.

Full details:

Wrong baby news

When the rumour was aired that Plácido Domingo would sing the baritone role of Luna in Il Trovatore, at the 2013 Salzburg Festival, most of us  suspected the Austrian press of slipping too much schnapps into their coffee.

But it turns out you can't keep an old baritenor down. Only the timing and location were wrong.

Plácido will sing his first Luna at the Staatsoper Berlin this November, under the baton of Daniel Barenboim.

At his side will be another debutant - Anna Netrebko, more predictably cast as Leonora.

Domingo's Operalia on TV

Plácido Domingo's Operalia winners concert, seen at the Royal Opera House in July, is to be shown on BBC4 tomorrow night (Friday 21 December) at 7.30.

The 90 minute broadcast features Nina Stemme, Joyce Di Donato, Joseph Calleja, Rolando Villazon, Stefan Pop, Julia Novikova and Sonya Yoncheva alongside El Plácido.

If you can't wait:

Salzburg Festival 2013 - opera plans

The Salzburg Festival historically steered clear of Wagner under the dubious premise that it might steal away custom from many-times-oversubscribed Bayreuth.

But next year, in celebration of the bicentary of the composer's birth, there will be a fully staged Meistersinger, plus a concert version of Rienzi.

The Verdi bicentenary will be celebrated with three productions: Don Carlos with Jonas Kaufmann in the title role, Il Trovatore and a concert version of Nabucco. The Festival will open with Così fan tutte directed by Sven-Eric Bechtolf and conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, and La Cenerentola is also on the cards.

Local gossip is that Plácido Domingo will sing the baritone role of Luna in Il Trovatore. Intermezzo on the other hand suspects that if Plácido turns up it is more likely to be in the title role of Nabucco.

Operalia offspring

Plácido Domingo's Operalia Winners - Royal Opera House, 25 July 2012

Plácido Domingo's Operalia competition is the Olympic Games of opera, pitting young singers against each other in a battle for generous cash prizes and, more importantly, international recognition. Over its 20 years it has been the launchpad for many successful careers.

Bankrupt opera house blames Placido Domingo

The board president of San Antonio Opera has blamed the company's bankruptcy on poor revenues from a Plácido Domingo benefit concert.

The 2011 concert was supposed to raise funds to keep the struggling house afloat. But ticket revenues apparently fell $300,000 short of projections, leading the company to file for bankruptcy last month with debts of over $800,000.

Ironically, Domingo himself is listed as a creditor, owed $50,500. (His total fee must have been more, as a deposit was paid to secure the contract.) Other creditors include the orchestra's musicians.

Placido Domingo on the block

Los Angeles' major performing arts complex, the Music Center, is auctioning a range of items online to raise funds for its activities.

So far, the opportunity to meet Plácido Domingo (and watch his opening night in I due Foscari, with hotel, champagne, dinner etc all thrown in) has attracted only one bid, which at $2,000 is some way below the estimated value of the goodies on offer. So, with less than 24 hours until the virtual hammer descends, Plácido could be yours for a knockdown price.

And in case you're wondering, the photo shows him singing at the celebrations for Real Madrid's Spanish league title at the Bernabeu last weekend. No lip synching required.

Another day, another Doge

LA Opera have just announced their 2012-2013 season, of which the  highlight is their one new production, I Due Foscari.  Directed by Thaddeus Strassberger,  it stars Plácido Domingo in the increasingly familiar guise of an aging Doge.  Baritone of course.

The production comes to Covent Garden in October 2014, though whether Plácido will still be clinging on to his dogal robes by then is anyone's guess.

(With thanks to Martin H)

Domingo on a Sunday

Plácido Domingo Celebration - Royal Opera House, 30 October 2011

Plácido Domingo returned to the Royal Opera House on Sunday afternoon for another round of celebratory high jinks in front of a rather different audience - less stuffed shirts and more enthusiasm than Thursday night's gala gathering. One of the reasons ovations are often shorter at Covent Garden than elsewhere is the indecent haste with which the house lights are switched back up to full glare. But Sunday's audience ignored the hint and Plácido obliged by returning again and again to receive their applause.

Angela Gheorghiu, Supersub?

It appears the Karmic Wheel has turned full circle and slapped Angela Gheorghiu upside the face.

Plácido Domingo, long-announced as the main attraction in the Bolshoi's reopening gala, withdrew late on claiming a "scheduling conflict". (A wise if tardy precaution given his past form).

Fortunately the Bolshoi had found another big name to take his place a few days before the big night. Angela Gheorghiu, more experienced at pulling out than stepping in, used a score for her aria from The Queen of Spades and according to viewers sounded underprepared.

Placido Domingo - thrice

Plácido Domingo Celebration - Royal Opera House, 27 October 2011

This season is, almost unbelievably, Plácido Domingo's 40th at Covent Garden. He generously chose to mark the anniversary with a hot-ticket celebratory evening of three Verdi last acts, and was greeted by the packed audience with flowers, cheers and standing ovations.

I cannot lie, his voice is not untouched by time. But despite the years and the still-punishing workload (he's off to Moscow tomorrow, back in London the next day) he still sounded remarkably fresh, even if he did fumble the odd word.

Placido bites back

"All the performances were hampered, indeed sabotaged, by the conducting. Placido Domingo, appearing for the first time since stepping down as general director, is a wonderful singer. But rather than supporting the singers, his conducting either drowned them out or tripped them up. He got warm applause, but I’m not sure his presence sells enough tickets to make up for spoiling the evening. Surely there are other ways to include him in WNO’s future." Anne Midgette reviews WNO's Tosca for the Washington Post - then defends her opinion.

"In more than 50 years of my career as a singer and nearly 40 as a conductor, I have accepted critics’ reviews, positive or negative, for what they are: personal opinions and points of view. But for the first time in my life, I am sending a letter to the editor of a newspaper, because your music critic Anne Midgette has crossed the line between reasonably objective criticism and what appears to be open animosity. I believe that during my 15 years with Washington National Opera, my colleagues have been able to observe my integrity as an artist and my love of and consideration toward all of them. Midgette’s statement that my conducting actually “sabotaged” WNO’s recent performances of Puccini’s “Tosca” is offensive and defamatory [“A serviceable ‘Tosca’ signals business as usual” Style, Sept. 12]. An act of sabotage is a destructive act done on purpose. Her remark suggests not only that I “spoiled” the performances but that I did so intentionally. This is unconscionable." Placido Domingo in a letter to the Washington Post.

Flying Dutch Domingo?

 

'Reliable rumours' spread by the Italian journal Arena suggest Placido Domingo will celebrate the 2013 Wagnerversary by adding another baritone role to his repertoire.

It's claimed he'll make his role debut as the Flying Dutchman in Verona, with his old friend Daniel Barenboim conducting.

The story sounds unlikely for any number of reasons, but who knows?

Placido slags off Bayreuth and Salzburg directors

In common with a large chunk of their audiences, Placido Domingo didn't care much for Sebastian Baumgarten's Biogas Tannhäuser at Bayreuth or Christof Loy's recording-studio Die Frau ohne Schatten in Salzburg.  "I have a problem with it," says Domingo, "It's incomprehensible to me. As the director of an opera house I would never allow anything like that. In Germany and Austria, controversial productions have unfortunately become the norm."

But unlike most, Placido is in a position to do something about it.

"When I haven't agreed with a staging, I've had a word with the director. When that hasn't helped, I've had the production shut down."

The world's hardest-working baritenor isn't afraid to accept a gig in Salzburg though. He's confirmed his involvement in a forthcoming co-production between the Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg Festival, engineered by incoming artistic director and fellow conservative Alexander Pereira.

See Placi and Angie for £12 (plus binoculars)

 
Travelzoo have an excellent offer for Placido Domingo and Angela Gheorghiu at the O2 on 29 July. Tickets originally priced at £51.25 are reduced to £12.25, including booking fees. 

The offer seats are at the very rear, so you'll be effectively watching on screen with amplified sound. Still, with the discount it's no more than a West End cinema ticket.

For full details and to book, go to http://www.travelzoo.com/uk/l/86832491-1066885/

Placido Domingo, soccer star

Now we know why Placido Domingo had to give up his Washington Opera post. He'll be busy, er, advising world soccer governing body FIFA. 

FIFA boss Sepp Blatter wants the baritenor to sit on a "council of wisdom" alongside Henry Kissinger and Johan Cruyff and advise FIFA on cleaning up its act after the recent bribery scandals. Blatter said, "He is happy, he is proud that he is part (of it)."

I am not making this up.

Legal Aida

Supreme Court Justice - and rabid opera fan - Ruth Bader Ginsburg was doubly honoured at Harvard University yesterday when part of the citation for her honorary degree was sung by fellow recipient Placido Domingo, to the tune of Celeste Aida.

Transposed, natch.

Air Placido boosts fleet

Plácido Domingo already has one aircraft named after him, courtesy of frill-free Spanair.

Fasten your seatbelts - he's about to get a second - and it's an upgrade. Spanish airline Iberia have dedicated one of their transatlantic fleet to the local hero.

Plácido declared himself "flattered" and "very emotional" at the news.