Volver (CD review)

Placido Domingo; Pablo Sainz-Villegas, guitar. Sony Classical 88985416852.

As one of the world's greatest tenors has aged (as of this writing, Placido Domingo was seventy-seven), he hasn't slowed down. True, he's now singing mostly popular rather than operatic material, and he's matured into more of a baritone range than tenor, but the voice is still rich and robust.

This time out, he's doing mainly famous Iberian and Latin America songs, accompanied by Spanish classical guitarist Pablo Sainz-Villegas, who also does three guitar solos during the program. This is Sainz-Vellegas's first album for Sony, by the way, and somewhere around the eight-hundred-and-first album for Domingo on a variety of labels.

Here's the track list:
  1. Carrillo: Sabor a mí
  2. Cardenas: Nunca
  3. Assad: Valeria's Bossa - guitar solo
  4. Ferrao: Coimbra
  5. Saavedera: Adiós Granada
  6. Mangore: Una limosna por el amor de Dios - guitar solo
  7. Larrea: Dos cruces
  8. Gomez: La morena de mi copla
  9. Diaz: Guantanamera - guitar solo
10. Almaran: Historia de un amor
11. Parra: Gracias a la vida
12. Gardel: Volver

Placido Domingo

If there is anything amiss with this roster of selections, it's its skimpy length. With only twelve selections and about forty-five minutes of total playing time, the album harkens to pop-music practice. I suppose it's enough to satisfy Domingo's fans, but it's hardly a good value for the dollar, given that a compact disc will hold almost eighty minutes of music. Well, OK, maybe I'm just used to classical music programs, which generally fill out a full disc of material.

Anyway, Domingo's legion of followers will find the album highly satisfying. Most of the songs are well known, and Domingo sings them in fine, full voice. More important, he sings them with characteristic emotion. These are heartfelt realizations, beautifully executed and both tenderly and passionately rendered. What's more, Sainz-Villegas's attendant guitar work is always an affectionate supplement to Domingo's voice, never an overshadowing factor. Plus, Sainz-Villegas's well-spaced solos add charming interludes to the program.

Producer and engineer Rafa Sardina recorded the album at AfterHours Studios and Watersound Studios, Los Angeles; Avatar Studios, New York; Wanna Music LLC, Miami; Metropolis Studios, London; 360 Global Media, Madrid; Ion Studios, Buenos Aires; and Villa Manipura Studios, Acapulco. Oddly, on most tracks the voice appears located well behind the guitar, which is quite close up, and additional instrumentation (violins, violas, cellos, flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, trumpets, horns, drums, and double bass, depending on the selection) is so soft as to be hardly noticeable. These inconsistencies aside, Domingo's voice and the guitar are very well defined, without being hard or shrill.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click below:

Placido Domingo: Sacred Songs (CD review)

Placido Domingo, tenor; Sissel, soprano; Marcello Viotti, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi. DG 289 471 575-2.

With the release of Sacred Songs in 2002, the Spanish singer and conductor Placido Domingo proved once again he was among the greatest singers in the world. Given the absence from the scene of his primary competition, Luciano Pavarotti, this was still the story at the time. Today, many years later, Domingo's voice may not be what it was, but his place in the pantheon of great tenors nevertheless seems secure.

In 2002 Domingo continued to have a good range and a smooth, expressive style, perhaps more so in his prime than Pavarotti. Not that I have anything against the latter singer, mind you; he was and always will be a towering figure in the world of opera, and I'm privileged to have been alive to hear him sing. But favorites remain favorites.

Anyway, in Sacred Songs, Domingo performs sixteen songs of a sacred or religious nature, some of them familiar and some of them not, with vocal contributions by Norwegian singer and actress Sissel Kyrkjebo and the accompaniment of Marcello Viotti and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi.

Placido Domingo

The first item, "Ave Maria," for instance, is the familiar Biblical "Hail Mary" set to the popular instrumental intermezzo by Pietro Mascagni from Cavalleria Rusticana. It's kind of odd at first hearing words to the tune we all know so well without the words, but it works well enough; as does his vocal partner in the song, Sissel Kyrkjebo. Her voice is not nearly so full and operatic as Domingo's, but the ethereal quality she projects nicely complements his more robust outpourings.

The listener will also no doubt recognize Cesar Franck's "Panis angelicus" and Charles Gounod's "Sanctus" and Handel's "Ombra mai fu." The listener might not recognize Fermin Alvarez's "Plegaria" ("Los Tres Amores"), however, or Placido Domingo, Jr.'s "Ave Maria," but that's neither here nor there. And so it goes.

Two minor quibbles: I probably could have done without Richard Rodgers's "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" from The Sound of Music, which seems more than a little out of place among the more exalted "sacred" melodies that surround it, and I missed Schubert's famous "Ave Maria," which I guess Domingo figured everybody already has in multiple copies. Still, it would have been helpful to have it along with these others, all in one place.

DG's sound caps the climax, so to speak, by being rich and smooth, with perhaps not the epitome of solid front-to-back imaging but well balanced and warmly ambient in any case. Domingo is clearly out in front of the orchestra but never too very close up, and his voice is never hard, harsh, or bright.

In short, Sacred Songs is an all-around lovely album and makes for an easy crossover selection.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click on the forward arrow:

Domingo: Encanto del Mar (CD review)

Mediterranean songs. Placido Domingo; small ensemble accompaniment. Sony 88875006852.

Over the last few years, I've heard any number of people complain about Placido Domingo not singing the strong, operatic tenor roles he used to entertain us with. Why, they ask, is he taking the easy road of now singing essentially pop songs for light tenor and baritone voice? If he can't sing big, bravura tenor parts anymore, they reason, he should just give it up, quit singing and fade off into the sunset rather than duping people out of their money for such flimsy fare as he's been serving up lately. Well, everyone is entitled to his and her own opinion, and to such folks I say, "Don't buy this album." For the rest of us, though, it's still a treat to hear Domingo's voice--light tenor, baritone, or whatever. And for Domingo, now in his seventies, who's been singing all his life, he obviously loves what he's doing. As long as he's in good voice, pop or not, he's a far sight better than many other such singers today.

Anyway, on the present album Domingo sings fifteen songs of Mediterranean origin, and if there's any concern I have with the program it's that like most pop albums it isn't very long; in this case, about fifty minutes.

The songs Domingo sings are Joan Manuel Serrat's "Mediterráneo," Bruno Martino's "Estate," Georges Moustaki's "En Méditerranée," Alfredo Garcia Segura's arrangement of Joaquin Rodrigo's Adagio from his Concierto de Aranjuez, Maxime Merlandi's "Anghjulina," Ernesto and Giambattista de Curtis's "Torna a Surriento," Guiseppe Rachel and Savatore Sini's "Non potho reposare," Robert Sadin's arrangement of "Lamma bada," traditional arrangements of "Adio kerida" and "To Yasemi," Gaetano Lama and Libero Bovio's "Reginella," Mordechai Zeira and Natan Alterman's "Layla, layla," a traditional arrangement of "El Cant dels ocells," Fernando Obradors's "Del cabello mas sutil," and Jean-Paul Edide Martini and Jean-Pierre Caris de Florian's "Plaisir d'amour."

Placido Domingo

Accompanying Mr. Domingo are between one and seven vocalists and instrumentalists, the number varying according to the selection. Mostly, it's guitar, violin, bass, cello, and sometimes harp, percussion, and vocals. One of the most moving items on the program, "Del cabello mas sutil," has Domingo accompanied by harp alone.

Before you ask, yes, Domingo remains in good, though not great, voice, even if in recent years he has undergone surgery for colon cancer and later suffered a pulmonary embolism. Today, the voice remains fairly strong and firm, continuing to display a lot of the power and flexibility for which we have always known it. The man still has a commendable range, too, and in these Mediterranean songs, which don't require the most from him, he shows a decent control of tone, inflection, color, and nuance. In other words, Domingo remains a singer you want to hear, even though he's lost a little something with the passing years.

Favorites? Of course, for what it's worth. While I liked everything I heard, I particularly liked "En Mediterranee" for its sweet, romantic inflections; "Anghjulina" for its lovely a cappella voices; "Turna a Surriento" for a sweeter, more-leisurely approach than one normally hears; "Lamma bada" and "To Yasemi" for their rhythmic, mid-Eastern flavor; "Plaisir d'amour" for its unabashed sentiment; and the aforementioned "Del cabello mas sutil" with its touching harp accompaniment.

Produced and arranged by Robert Sadin and engineered by Clark Germain at several different studios, the album runs a gamut of sounds with the various sized ensembles accompanying Domingo. The sonics are more typical of a pop album than a classical album, as probably should be the case: very clear, very dynamic, very close, the voice firmly centered. But like most pop albums, there is little dimensionality involved, little sense of place or venue, little actual realism. It all sounds well coordinated, well staged, but slightly artificial. The upper midrange also appears somewhat forward, making Domingo's voice seem unnecessarily shrill at times.

JJP

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click here:

Domingo: Verdi (CD review)

Placido Domingo, baritone; Pablo Heras-Casado, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana. Sony 88883733122.

For the past four or five decades, two tenors have dominated the operatic scene: the late Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. Pavarotti may have had the more thrilling voice, but Domingo had the richer, more versatile voice. It’s always a pleasure when the man releases a new album.

The back cover of Domingo’s latest CD (2013), titled simply Verdi, explains that “for the first time the world-renowned tenor has released an album of baritone arias--an exceptional document of Domingo’s discovery of opera character new to him, and a tribute to Verdi, who has played a crucial role in Domingo’s career. ‘Verdi is a wellspring of great music, and every lyric singer is grateful to him. So for me this recording is a special celebration and an act of thanksgiving and love toward Giuseppe Verdi.’” What goes without mention here is that doing an album of baritone arias is also a nod to Domingo’s age, since the man is as of this writing in his early seventies. Not that I believe he isn’t still fully capable of doing tenor arias; just saying. Besides, he has already recorded every major tenor aria there is, so perhaps it’s best to give him the benefit of doubt.

Anyway, Domingo provides well over an hour of music on the album, eighteen tracks from nine different Verdi operas, starting with “Perfidi! All’anglo contro me v’unite!” from Macbeth. No, these aren’t the most-common numbers for non-opera fans, and as I have less interest in opera than I should, I found most of them only vaguely familiar. Nevertheless, one cannot deny that Domingo has the talent for them.

As always, the voice is still strong and flexible. The intonation remains remarkably accurate, and the tone smooth, mellow, and mellifluous. What's more, although these are baritone arias, Domingo's natural tenor continually manifests itself. Some minor tremolo creeps in at times, whether intentional or not. It's not distracting, and many listeners will welcome it.

And so it goes through further selections from Rigoletto, Un ballo in maschera, La traviata, Simon Boccanegra, Ernani, Il Trovatore, Don Carlo, and La forza del destino. The voice remains relatively strong, and if anyone doubts the power, one has only to listen to "Si, la mia figlia!" to learn otherwise. The control is still there, the projection, the phrasing, the precise articulation and control, even at his age, if not always so exacting as in his prime.

As important, the poetic qualities of Domingo's voice continue to manifest themselves. Listen to the lyric flow of "Di Provenza il mar, il suol" or "Il balen del suo sorriso," and you'll see what I mean.

On several tracks other singers join Domingo: soprano Angel Joy Blue, tenor Aquiles Machado, baritone Fernando Piqueras, and basses Bonifaci Carrillo and Gianluca Buratto. Maestro Pablo Heras-Casado and the Orquestra de la Communitat Valenciana lend commendable, sympathetic accompaniment throughout.

The greatest tenor of all time? The greatest baritone of all time? Perhaps the greatest singer of all time, period? Who knows. I won’t take sides. But it is pleasurable listening to his voice again, even in its mature years.

Domingo made the recording in 2012-2013 at the Palau de les Arts “Reina Sofia” Auditori, Valencia, Spain and Angel Recording Studios, London, England. The sound displays an acceptable depth of field for a recording of this sort. There is good dynamic impact, too, making for a fairly realistic presentation. Clarity seems fine most of the time as well, although there are occasions when the orchestral accompaniment can be a touch bright. It's an overall welcome sound, in any case.

To listen to a brief excerpt from this album, click here:

JJP

Domingo: Songs (CD review)

Placido Domingo, chorus, orchestra, and friends. Sony Classical 88691934932.

Spanish tenor and conductor Placido Domingo (b. 1941) has been making beautiful music since his stage debut in 1959, undertaking over 140 operatic roles, leading any number of orchestras, and recording over 100 albums. The present disc, Songs, is his first pop album in over twenty years.

Looking more and more like “The Most Interesting Man in the World,” Domingo may well be the greatest singer in the world. Heck, he may be the greatest singer of all time; his fans will no doubt agree, and it’s hard to argue against the point. This time out he sings fourteen pop numbers, all favorites of his, on eight of them accompanied by other noteworthy artists: singers Josh Groban, Harry Connick Jr., Zaz, Katherine Jenkins, Susan Boyle, Placido Domingo Jr., actress and singer Megan Hilty, and trumpeter Chris Botti.

Domingo opens the show with “Cancion para una reina,” a love song of exquisite beauty, which the singer caresses with subtle care. Next, we hear “Sous le ciel de Paris” in a duet with Josh Grobin; it’s lighter and a tad more upbeat than the first tune, the two men’s voices blending wonderfully but Domingo’s clearly the more powerful.

“Time After Time” features Domingo with Harry Connick Jr., and it has a breezy Sinatra-like style to it. Although Domingo and Connick have about as different voices as you can imagine, they make it work by approaching it in a casual, easygoing manner.

And so it goes. Among my favorite songs are the aforementioned “Cancion”; then “Come What May,” a duet with Katherine Jenkins; a meltingly affecting “Parla piu piano” from The Godfather; “My Heart Will Go On,” from Titanic, with Megan Hilty; “Eternally,” Chaplin’s song from Limelight; “Jalaousie,” possibly the most famous tango ever written; and a touching duet with Domingo and his son on “What a Wonderful World.”

You can usually sense Domingo holding back somewhat in his duets so as not to steamroll his singing partner. Now in his seventies, he’s still got the strong, mellifluous voice; the impeccable inflections; the emotional range and power; and the pure communications skills of a great vocal artist. He may go on forever; one can only hope.

Sony recorded the songs in 2011 and 2012 at various locations including Avatar Studios, New York City, U.S.A.; Abbey Road Studio 1, London, England; Studio Millenia, Valencia, Spain; CATA Studios, Madrid, Spain; and 71 Recording Studios, Zurich, Switzerland. So, it’s an international project. The sonics are typical of most pop recordings: The vocals are front and center, the orchestra spread out behind very widely but without much depth, transparency, or air. Nevertheless, it’s the voices that count, and they are firm and forceful, with no audible imbalances in the response. There are, incidentally, some nice percussive sounds on “Come What May.”

JJP