Placido Domingo: My Operatic Roles (Great Voices 6) [Hardcover]

Helena Matheopoulos (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003 | Series: Great Voices (Book 6)

Biography with reminiscence and analysis in the tenor's own words. The result of the collaboration between an acclaimed journalist, who is passionate about opera, and the great tenor, who is passionate about his art, has produced a book that instructs while it entertains.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The book is valuable not only for today's opera lovers but also for future generations... -- from the preface by Beverly Sills

About the Author

Author of Maestro: Encounters with Conductors of Today which was named Music Book of the Year by Stereo Review. A journalist for ten years and Artistic Consultant to the Athens Megaraon from 1991 to 1996 she is currently Director of Vocal Projects for the Philharmonia Orchestra in London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 319 pages
• Publisher: Baskerville Publishers Inc. (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880909618
• ISBN-13: 978-1880909614
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,548,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for Domingo Fans, June 10, 2007

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Elisa 20 - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Placido Domingo: My Operatic Roles (Great Voices 6) (Hardcover)

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.