Placido Domingo at the Met (3CD)

"There have been many legendary tenors who have performed at the Met over its 130-year history. From Jean de Reszke in the late 1800s to Enrico Caruso in the early 1900s, from Corelli, Vickers, and McCracken in the 1960s to Luciano Pavarotti, who rose to prominence in the 1970s, the Met has been home to a remarkable array of tenors. But no other tenor in Met history has enjoyed a career of such astounding breadth, longevity, and musical and dramatic excellence, as Plácido Domingo.

Forty-five years ago, Plácido appeared on the Met stage for the first time, stepping in to replace an ailing Franco Corelli as Maurizio in Adriana Lecouvreur and announcing his arrival as a major new talent. Today, he’s still performing on our stage, having triumphed last season in the baritone role of Germont in La Traviata, and this year reprising his acclaimed turn as Neptune in the Met’s Baroque pastiche The Enchanted Island—one of his astounding 143 roles, of which he’s sung 48 at the Met. I can’t think of any other artist in the history of opera who would be capable of accomplishing such a feat.

Somehow, in the midst of learning new operas and performing, Plácido also finds time to run the Los Angeles Opera and to conduct all over the world. For 45 years at the Met, Plácido has been one of opera’s greatest forces. We’re proud and thankful for all of the invaluable contributions he has made to the life of our company, and we congratulate him on this stunning new collection."

Peter Gelb