Louise T. Guinther

The difference between a performer and an artist is that a performer merely acts out his role, while an artist lives it and feels it in the marrow of his bones. Today is the birthday of an artist, one whose love of and commitment to his art form led him into more roles, onstage and off, than any other figure in the history of opera.

During his seven decades in the theater, Plácido Domingo has been a pianist, accompanying performers onstage; a conductor, giving the whole operatic enterprise its heartbeat; an artistic director, calling the shots behind the scenes; an educator, leading master classes and establishing young-artist programs to discover and encourage the great voices of the future; and, most notably, one of the most mind-bogglingly versatile and heart-wrenchingly moving singing actors of all time.

Fortunately for posterity, Domingo’s peak years coincided with a golden age of operatic recordings, in both audio and video formats. Dozens of his sublime characterizations can be seen and heard on platforms such as YouTube or the Metropolitan Opera’s On Demand subscription. As a tenor, he sang everything from Handel (check out these two renditions of “Svegoliatevi nel cor,” recorded 22 years apart) to Wagner (no doubt who the master singer is here) to Cano.

vhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRVLJugcTns

The bulk of Domingo’s career was as a tenor. He sang all the iconic roles and a great many lesser known ones, often lending unfamiliar works unwonted brilliance through his golden sound and unshakable conviction. When his hard-won upper register grew less reliable, he gave memorable performances as a baritone, sometimes betraying his heroic characters by crossing over to the dark side to play their baritonal arch-enemies. One of his early forays into the lower echelons was a Vidal in Luisa Fernanda, one of many zarzuelas he has championed throughout his career, in which he had previously played the tenor, Javier. Domingo has sung in at least half a dozen languages, but he is particularly touching and persuasive in his native Spanish.

Whatever he sang, Domingo was never merely a performer: he was always an artist, putting his whole heart and soul into his portrayals and drawing audiences fully into the world of each opera. Thanks to his unique blend of talent, curiosity and passion, Domingo has drawn countless new converts into the wonderful world of opera. Happy birthday to a true ambassador for the art form!