Thursday, January 21, 2016
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Birthdays
Plácido Domingo
Happy 75th birthday Plácido Domingo! He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, German, Spanish, English and Russian in the most prestigious opera houses in the world. Although primarily a lirico-spinto tenor for most of his career, especially popular for his Cavaradossi, Hoffmann, Don José, and Canio, he quickly moved into more dramatic roles, becoming the most acclaimed Otello of his generation. In the early 2010s, he transitioned from the tenor repertory into almost exclusively baritone parts, most notably Simon Boccanegra. He has performed 147 different roles. Domingo has also achieved significant success as a crossover artist, especially in the genres of Latin and popular music. In addition to winning fourteen Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, several of his records have gone silver, gold, platinum and multi-platinum. His first pop album, Perhaps Love (1981), spread his fame beyond the opera world. The title song, performed as a duet with country and folk singer John Denver, has sold almost four million copies and helped lead to numerous television appearances for the tenor. He also starred in many cinematically released and televised opera movies, particularly under the direction of Franco Zeffirelli. In 1990, he began singing with fellow tenors Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras as part of The Three Tenors. The first Three Tenors recording became the best-selling classical album of all time. Growing up working in his parents’ zarzuela company in Mexico, Domingo has since regularly promoted this form of Spanish light opera. He also increasingly conducts operas and concerts and is currently the general director of the Los Angeles Opera in California. He was initially the artistic director and later general director of the Washington National Opera from 1996-2011. He has been involved in numerous humanitarian works, as well as efforts to help young opera singers, including starting and running the international singing competition, Operalia. 1
Premieres
In 1904 Leoš Janáček’s opera Jenůfa was premiered in Brno.
In 1930 Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 3 was premiered by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra and Academy Capella Choir.
In 1936 George Gershwin’s Catfish Row Suite (from the opera Porgy and Bess) was premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra with Alexander Smallens conducting.
In 1988 Christopher Rouse’s Symphony No. 1 was premiered by the Baltimore Symphony with David Zinman conducting.
On This Day in Classical Music
In 1575 Queen Elizabeth I granted the right to print music and music paper to Thomas Tallis and William Bryd.
In 1736 music historians hold that this is the day that the first classical music concert was held in New York, with a performance by C. T. Pachelbel, the son of the famous composer.
In 1751 Handel notes that he began work on his oratorio Jephtha. It would take him several months to complete (unusual for him) due to his failing eyesight.
In 1786 Prince Wilhelm of Prussia appoints Luigi Boccherini as his house composer.
In 1901 Giuseppe Verdi suffered a stroke from which he would die six days later.
- Wikipedia contributors, “Plácido Domingo,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pl%C3%A1cido_Domingo&oldid=697370582 (accessed January 18, 2016).
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