What brought Placido Domingo of ‘The Three Tenors’ fame to Mumbai?

Any conversation with legendary Spanish tenor Placido Domingo has to include The Three Tenors, his project with Italian great Luciano Pavarotti and fellow Spaniard Jose Carreras. Their album Carreras Domingo Pavarotti In Concert, featuring Mumbai-born conductor Zubin Mehta, contained a recording of their live performance on the eve of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Rome. It became the largest-selling western classical album, with 10 million units sold by the Decca label. 

Though it is Placido’s best-known work, it is only one of a string of achievements by the maestro. He’s performed 151 different roles in opera, and from his generation is the best-known performer of the role of Otello in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera of the same name, inspired by William Shakespeare’s Othello. By singing popular English songs in an operatic style, he reached out to a new audience. His pet project, of course, is Operalia, an annual opera singing competition, he started in 1993. 

After making a name in the opera world, Placido tried to expand the genre’s following through classical crossover projects
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Placido was in Mumbai in mid-September for the final rounds of Operalia, held at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre of the National Centre For The Performing Arts (NCPA). It was the first time the event was held in South Asia, and in the grand finale, 12 singers contested for various prizes in operatic arias and zarzuela, a Spanish form of operetta. Lasting two hours, the finals featured the Symphony Orchestra of India conducted by Placido and Kamal Khan. 

It was Placido’s second performance in Mumbai. In 2008, he had come as a singer on the invitation of Zubin Mehta, for his father Mehli Mehta’s birth centenary celebrations. “That time, I sang with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. I still love singing, but these days, I am focusing more on conducting, and Operalia in Mumbai is another step in that journey,” he says. 

Born in Madrid, Spain, on January 21, 1941, Placido was exposed to zarzuela at an early age, as his parents practised that form. The family shifted to Mexico, where they started a zarzuela company. Besides singing, the young boy would go backstage and help in setting up shows. He learnt piano, singing and conducting, and initially took on several baritone roles. When the tenor of another company suddenly fell ill, he took up that role. This marked a switch, and at 20, he made his operatic debut in a leading role as tenor Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata. In fact, La Traviata was also the first opera he conducted in 1973 for the New York City Opera. 

The Symphony Orchestra of India conducted by Placido.
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After making a name in the opera world, Placido tried to expand the genre’s following through classical crossover projects. In 1981, he collaborated with country-pop star John Denver on the album Perhaps Love, doing opera-influenced versions of hit tunes like ‘Annie’s Song’, ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Time After Time’. Though purists didn’t welcome his experiment, the album made it to the top 20 of the U.S. and U.K. charts. He also experimented with Latin and Central American forms like tango and mariachi, expanding his repertoire. 

Placido says he didn’t imagine The Three Tenors would achieve such phenomenal success. He recalls, “I have known Zubin since 1962, and when Jose talked of three of us performing under Zubun’s baton, it seemed very exciting. We all did individual songs, but sang ‘O Sole Mio’ and ‘Nessun Dorma’ as a trio.” 

Following the success of the Rome recording of The Three Tenors, the trio got together at the next World Cup in Los Angeles on 1994. “We did around 40 concerts till 2003, and that encouraged a whole bunch of young opera singers,” he says. 

Considering they were all such big names, was there any rivalry? Placido laughs, “Our rivalry was in another field, not in music.” He elaborates, “We are all avid fans of football, but we support different clubs. I back Real Madrid, and Jose supports Barcelona. Luciano favours Juventus. So when it comes to maintaining our loyalty and beating the football competition, we are rivals.” 

According to Placido, The Three Tenors happened when they were all well-established. He says, “There was no competition as such. We all have our specialities. Luciano’s forte lies in Neapolitan songs, and I wouldn’t attempt them. Likewise, one of my specialities is zarzuela.” 

Why the priority to conducting at this stage? Placido replies, “I’m 83 now, and opera singing is strenuous. It requires eight hours of daily practice to keep the voice in shape. Singing is a very personal art, whereas conducting is more community-driven. In conducting, I have to concentrate a lot on what others are doing. It also requires fewer hours. Most important, I can share my knowledge and skills with others, like I did with members of SOI here.” 

Placido says he’s driven by the desire to impart knowledge of opera and spread its reach. He adds, “We will always face competition from the pop world, but within opera, the popularity is growing. At the Mumbai Operalia, I have heard some phenomenal singers, and the event helps such artistes to gain recognition and also win good prize money, besides getting a contract with a major opera house.” Even after 62 years of dedicated professional service, Placido is bursting with ideas and energy. 

Le Bu from China and American soprano Kathleen O’Mara, the winners of the Operalia 2024, with the legendary Placido Domingo.
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The winners

After a tough competition in the finals of Operalia 2024, bass-baritone Le Bu of China won the First Prize among male singers for his rendition of Richard Wagner’s ‘Die Frist Ist Um’ from the German opera Die Fliegende Hollander. The First Prize among female singers was bagged by American soprano Kathleen O’Mara, who presented ‘Depuis Le Jour’ from Gustave Charpentier’s French opera Louise.

Held at Mumbai’s packed Jamshed Bhabha Theatre on September 21, the finals featured 12 singers, who competed in two segments of arias and the Spanish form zarzuela. Audience members were also asked to vote their favourites. The Rolex Prize of the audience went to Elmina Hasan, mezzo-soprano from Azerbaijan, and Jack Lee, baritone from the UK. Elmina also won the Zarzuela Prize, along with American tenor Angel Romero. The CulturArte Prize was won by Eliza Boom, soprano from New Zealand.