Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Three Tenors

Placido Domingo Turns 80

Today is the 80th birthday of Placido Domingo. Although his star may have lost some of its luster over the past 18 months or so, pocked by the brickbats of # metoo, enough of his colleagues have stepped up to attest to his character that, while he remains something of a political hot potato, especially in the United States, he is still performing, if perhaps under the cloud of greylisting.

All that has little bearing on the fact that, in his prime, he was one of the greatest tenors of his day, and an “Otello” for the ages. No less than Sir Laurence Olivier once remarked, “Domingo plays Othello as well as I do, AND he has that voice.” In 2009, he diversified, pivoting into baritone roles, even as new operas continued to be written for him. He also frequently appeared in the pit, as a conductor.

There are those who grouse about his refusal to retire, but Domingo owes nothing to anyone, at least as far as his art is concerned. He’s had an amazing career, with a heroic voice that outlasted those of almost any other in his profession. (Hugues Cuénod sang supporting roles until he was 90.)

In fact, until 2019, Domingo’s greatest sin seemed to be not having been born Luciano Pavarotti. But it was not for want of trying. Domingo turned up on variety shows, singing alongside John Denver, Julie Andrews, and Kermit the Frog. He appeared in magazine ads for Rolex. He conversed with Johnny Carson. He parodied himself on “The Simpsons.”

Eventually, he adopted a strategy of “if you can’t beat him, join him.” In 1990, on the eve of the FIFA World Cup Final in Rome, he joined Pavarotti and José Carreras for the first of the blockbuster “Three Tenors” concerts. A recording of the event rapidly became the bestselling classical record of all time.

The man clearly loves performing, and the adulation. While he’s stated that this month’s run of “Nabucco,” with the Vienna State Opera, will be his farewell with the company, as recently as August – having just beat Covid – he told the press that, while he may at some point have to retire from the stage, he will never retire from music.

Tomorrow, in compliance with the city’s coronavirus safety standards, Vienna’s “Nabucco” will be livestreamed from an empty house at 4:30 pm. Presumably, that’s Vienna time, or 10:30 am EST. You’ll find more information here:

https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/en/

It’s rather likely that Domingo will keep singing for as long as people will keep paying, or until he feels he can’t do it anymore. Some view this refusal to quit as a mar to his legacy. I say the man has had enough high points in a stunning career that he’ll always be remembered as one of the greats in his field.

Happy birthday, Placido Domingo.

With Raina Kabaivanska in “Tosca”

As “Otello” at the Met:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlvI8iEUr0g

His “Don Carlo” bromance with Sherill Milnes:

PHOTO: Opera’s answer to “The War of the Gargantuas”: Domingo (right) with Luciano Pavarotti

January 21, 2021
Herbert Chappell Three Tenors Dawn of the Dead

The composer and producer Herbert Chappell has died. Chappell had his fingers in a lot of pies. For television, he wrote music for “The Pallisers” and “Paddington Bear.” He also worked in feature films in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

He achieved a popular and critical success with his documentary “African Sanctus,” which follows composer David Fanshawe on his quest to write and record his most famous work. The piece juxtaposes the Latin Mass with traditional African music.

Without doubt, however, Chappell’s greatest coup was the deal he cut on behalf of Decca records for his production of the first “Three Tenors” telecast. No one, not even the tenors themselves, anticipated its staggering success. This led to some resentment on behalf of the artists, who had taken their cut upfront. (Luciano Pavarotti, a Decca artist, was able to renegotiate his contract for an additional $1.5 million.)

Let’s just say that Herbert Chappell was not your stereotypical starving artist.

To include in my “31 Days of Halloween” posts, I was hoping to locate an online audio file of Chappell’s “Boy Wizard,” an overture clearly inspired by Harry Potter. Instead, I came up with countless videos of “The Gonk,” which achieved cult status thanks to its use in George A. Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead.”

More recently the music has been used to sell Newcastle Brown Ale:

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/7I07/newcastle-brown-ale-great-times

Herbert Chappell was 85 years-old.

A more complete biography:

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/short-bio/herbert-chappell

“The Gonk:”

A little more substantial, Chappell’s “Caribbean Concerto” for guitar and orchestra:

PHOTOS: (counterclockwise from top) Chappell, the Three Tenors, and three zombies

November 8, 2019
Herbert Chappell Dawn of the Dead Composer Dies

The composer and producer Herbert Chappell has died. Chappell had his fingers in a lot of pies. For television, he wrote music for “The Pallisers” and “Paddington Bear.” He also worked in feature films in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

He achieved a popular and critical success with his documentary “African Sanctus,” which follows composer David Fanshawe on his quest to write and record his most famous work. The piece juxtaposes the Latin Mass with traditional African music.

Without doubt, however, Chappell’s greatest coup was the deal he cut on behalf of Decca records for his production of the first “Three Tenors” telecast. No one, not even the tenors themselves, anticipated its staggering success. This led to some resentment on behalf of the artists, who had taken their cut upfront. (Luciano Pavarotti, a Decca artist, was able to renegotiate his contract for an additional $1.5 million.)

Let’s just say that Herbert Chappell was not your stereotypical starving artist.

To include in my “31 Days of Halloween” posts, I was hoping to locate an online audio file of Chappell’s “Boy Wizard,” an overture clearly inspired by Harry Potter. Instead, I came up with countless videos of “The Gonk,” which achieved cult status thanks to its use in George A. Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead.”

More recently the music has been used to sell Newcastle Brown Ale:

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/7I07/newcastle-brown-ale-great-times

Herbert Chappell was 85 years-old.

A more complete biography:

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/short-bio/herbert-chappell

“The Gonk:”

A little more substantial, Chappell’s “Caribbean Concerto” for guitar and orchestra:

PHOTOS: (counterclockwise from top) Chappell, the Three Tenors, and three zombies

November 7, 2019
Herbert Chappell Dawn of the Dead Composer Dies

The composer and producer Herbert Chappell has died. Chappell had his fingers in a lot of pies. For television, he wrote music for “The Pallisers” and “Paddington Bear.” He also worked in feature films in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

He achieved a popular and critical success with his documentary “African Sanctus,” which follows composer David Fanshawe on his quest to write and record his most famous work. The piece juxtaposes the Latin Mass with traditional African music.

Without doubt, however, Chappell’s greatest coup was the deal he cut on behalf of Decca records for his production of the first “Three Tenors” telecast. No one, not even the tenors themselves, anticipated its staggering success. This led to some resentment on behalf of the artists, who had taken their cut upfront. (Luciano Pavarotti, a Decca artist, was able to renegotiate his contract for an additional $1.5 million.)

Let’s just say that Herbert Chappell was not your stereotypical starving artist.

To include in my “31 Days of Halloween” posts, I was hoping to locate an online audio file of Chappell’s “Boy Wizard,” an overture clearly inspired by Harry Potter. Instead, I came up with countless videos of “The Gonk,” which achieved cult status thanks to its use in George A. Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead.”

More recently the music has been used to sell Newcastle Brown Ale:

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/7I07/newcastle-brown-ale-great-times

Herbert Chappell was 85 years-old.

A more complete biography:

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/short-bio/herbert-chappell

“The Gonk:”

A little more substantial, Chappell’s “Caribbean Concerto” for guitar and orchestra:

PHOTOS: (counterclockwise from top) Chappell, the Three Tenors, and three zombies

November 7, 2019
Herbert Chappell TV Music Legend Dead at 85

The composer and producer Herbert Chappell has died. Chappell had his fingers in a lot of pies. For television, he wrote music for “The Pallisers” and “Paddington Bear.” He also worked in feature films in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

He achieved a popular and critical success with his documentary “African Sanctus,” which follows composer David Fanshawe on his quest to write and record his most famous work. The piece juxtaposes the Latin Mass with traditional African music.

Without doubt, however, Chappell’s greatest coup was the deal he cut on behalf of Decca records for his production of the first “Three Tenors” telecast. No one, not even the tenors themselves, anticipated its staggering success. This led to some resentment on behalf of the artists, who had taken their cut upfront. (Luciano Pavarotti, a Decca artist, was able to renegotiate his contract for an additional $1.5 million.)

Let’s just say that Herbert Chappell was not your stereotypical starving artist.

To include in my “31 Days of Halloween” posts, I was hoping to locate an online audio file of Chappell’s “Boy Wizard,” an overture clearly inspired by Harry Potter. Instead, I came up with countless videos of “The Gonk,” which achieved cult status thanks to its use in George A. Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead.”

More recently the music has been used to sell Newcastle Brown Ale:

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/7I07/newcastle-brown-ale-great-times

Herbert Chappell was 85 years-old.

A more complete biography:

http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/short-bio/herbert-chappell

“The Gonk:”

A little more substantial, Chappell’s “Caribbean Concerto” for guitar and orchestra:

PHOTOS: (counterclockwise from top) Chappell, the Three Tenors, and three zombies

November 7, 2019

Tag Cloud

RECENT POSTS