Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | English | Plácido Domingo

Tragic love, deceit, retribution... and Plácido Domingo. Despite its darkness, the Wiener Staatsoper's revival of Simon Boccanegra makes for an enjoyable evening. 

At 78, Domingo rages against the ravages of time, and – certainly in this production – shows the next generation a thing or two about stagecraft.

Plácido Domingo makes a dramatic recovery for a spirited celebration of the composer's birthday in Prague.

All three operas in Puccini's triptych are strongly cast in this revival. 

Anna Netrebko shines opposite Plácido Domingo in Harry Kupfer's uncertain new production.

Bartlett Sher's production of Gounod's Romeo et Juliette returns to the Met. 

The role of Luisa, some of the daintier coloratura aside, fits Sonya Yoncheva like a glove. 

Monstyrska dominates as Abigaille, Domingo brings his unique baritenor style to the title role, Thaddeus Strassberger creates a riot of colour and antiquarian style.

The King of Opera leads an inspired performance commemorating the 230th anniversary of Don Giovanni.

The casting was something special. Each of the principals was fun to watch, magnificent to listen to, believable in every gesture, look and touch. 

Director Davide Livermore updates the plot to the period of the Russian Revolution, October 1917, a far echo of that turning point in 1403 when the Ottoman sultan Bajazet was defeated by the Tartar Timburlaine.

Los Angeles Opera's Tales of Hoffmann survives multiple cast changes to look and sound fabulous, but it drags dramatically.

Younger generations have still a lot to learn from the 76-year old singer

Elijah Moshinsky’s 15-year old production of Verdi’s Nabucco has returned to the Met, ostensibly as a vehicle for Placido Domingo.

On Saturday night, nine androgynous, saucy, rambunctious dancing witches with thick, three-foot tails and exuberant tassels, whose heritage included the Wizard of Oz and the Lion King, stole the show. 

Liudmyla Monstyrska and John Relyea turn in strong performances and Plácido Domingo confirms his hallowed status, but Daniele Abbado's direction remains unappealing in this first revival.

Furlanetto and Domingo give their all in leading a starry cast, but the stage direction fails to ignite.

The Met brought back a 20-year-old traditional production of Simon Boccanegra with a starry cast led by James Levine.

Zeffirelli excess and Woody Allen wit: Los Angeles Opera's season opens with a double bill of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.

Operalia is a curious beast among voice competitions. Step onto the stage, belt out your aria and, before you’ve barely had time to acknowledge the applause, the next contestant shuffles along the conveyor belt. A one-shot saloon. 

This revival of Peter Mussbach's production of Macbeth is devoid of props and places the focus squarely on singers and orchestra. This challenge was splendidly met by Plácido Domingo, making a role debut as Macbeth, and Liudmyla Monastyrska.

Matthew Richard Martinez reviews Los Angeles Opera's season-opening performance of Verdi's La traviata starring Plácido Domingo, Nino Machaidze, and Arturo Chacón-Cruz.

If you are going to see Verdi’s I due Foscari, this production is likely the way to do it. Although this production is by no means unflawed, there are several reasons that it is a must-see for opera fans in Vienna.

Of the “ABCs” of opera (Aida, Bohème, and Carmen), Bizet’s masterpiece is the one that has made the transition to pop culture ubiquity. Surely even the most oblivious of listeners are able to whistle along to the “Habanera” and “Toreador Song”. Furthermore, the melodramatic story of exoticism, lust and rejection is one of the most popular of operatic tales.

Almost any singer with Plácido Domingo’s résumé would be happily retired from the stage at age 71, but Domingo is obviously not any singer. With over 140 roles performed, the Spanish tenor’s legacy is unparalleled, and that legacy is still growing.

Read our review of Phelim McDermott's production of The Enchanted Island by Jeremy Sams in its 2008 broadcast from the Met Opera in New York.

In 1971, the thirty year-old Placido Domingo made his Covent Garden début as Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca and in the intervening forty years, he has given two hundred and thirty performances in more than twenty-five roles for Royal Opera House audiences.

Even though, unlike most American opera lovers, I am not a big fan of Puccini’s music, Tosca has a very special place in my heart. Set to the most heartbreaking and overwhelmingly beautiful music, this story of a classical love triangle ending in the three deaths never gets too old or too boring.

Having marked his 15th anniversary as the WNO’s artistic director earlier this month, Placido Domingo makes his final appearance as the company leader in the role of Oreste in Emilio Sagi’s production of Gluck’s Iphigenie en Tauride.The part is a fine choice for the artist.

If you believe that true happiness can be found in music, I have a recipe for you to follow. Take a funny story of disguise, sham and mock marriage and set it to great music. Add a quartet of bel canto stars (a lyric tenor, a coloratura soprano, a baritone and a bass) and dress them in spectacular 17th century costumes. Add pantomime artists, masked dancers and a chorus.

For over a century, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly has been one of the most famous and widely staged operas in the world. The secret of this undying popularity lies in the complex and contradictive nature of the main heroine. Audiences always look for new vocal and dramatic interpretations of the character and keep their expectations high for the leading soprano.

Read our review of Stephen Wadsworth’s production of Iphigénie en Tauride by Gluck, in its 2011 broadcast from the Met Opera in New York.

Read our review of Giancarlo del Monaco's production of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra in its 2010 broadcast from the Met Opera in New York.

Read our review of Guy Joosten's production of Gounod­'s Roméo et Juliette in its 2007 broadcast from the Met Opera in New York.

Read our review of Zhang Yimou's production of Tan Dun's The First Emperor in its 2007 broadcast from the Met Opera in New York.