Luxe-ghost ship luxury

The same Placido Domingo, whom the composer Vladimir Martynov (following Norman Lebrecht) accused of killing classical music spent a rich week at the Bolshoi Theater. The results of which allow Martynov and Lebrecht to disagree: Domingo not only did not kill the music, but rather, is one of the few who in our difficult times helps her to keep afloat.

For the first time, the famous tenor sang on this stage in 1974 - the Kavaradossi party in Tosk during the La Scala tour. Nowadays, he became a familiar guest in Mariinka. And the new meeting with a large one was planned only in May- June 2020 -Domingo, who switched to a baritone repertoire with age, was supposed to execute the Gesemon party in Travate. For obvious reasons, this did not happen then. Now they hope that it will happen in May 2021 , and in April, Rodrigo was also declared in the Don Carlos. Although, of course, we have already learned that planning is an almost meaningless activity.

So it remains only to bow in amazement before the luxurious fragment of the former “normal” life of the opera world, which suddenly sailed in the center of Moscow on the crest of the second wave of Pandemia. The most complete (as far as Rospotrebnadzor allows) the hall of the historical scene, the lodges shine, the masks were removed, the evening dresses are walking, excess tickets are swollen. At this visit, Maestro first was punished by the local performance “Manon Lesko”. And on the gala concert under the mysterious name “Big and Placido Domingo: Life in the Opera” invited a magnificent team of rising and rising stars, which, contrary to (and maybe thanks to), could be assembled by the coronavirus and suspension of the world opera factory.

And, of course, he sang on this gala concert himself. Quite a few. Placido Domingo is 79 years old. At this age they don’t sing like that! Sorry for my eijism. Noble warm timbre, thin nuance, even, unfortunate sound. Well, damn it, masculine charm, sorry my unspokenness. But not only Domingo is unique. There are more than 150 parties in his repertoire, and he is not too lazy to learn new ones (if only because he is now, rather, baritone), and from his beloved Verdi - to deviate towards Wagner or Handel. At the concert in the big one, it was not too lazy to show the thumb to the trumpeter, who perfectly seduced in the bead “Granade”, and instead of another bead, repeat and rewrite (the record made the “Russia” channel) a fragment of the duet from Don Carlos, which, as he believes, was a lining. And ask the conductor Tugan Sokhiev to explain what is happening to the public. Because opera is, in fact, not a festival of hits in the stadium, but a complex workflow.

And he is not too lazy to support the young. In Bolshaya Domingo, he brought three laureates of his Operalia contest. And with the most new one, the 25-year-old Spanish lyrical tenor Shabier Anduaga, even sang together, sincerely admiring it (the duet of Nadir and Zurgi from the “pearl seekers”). The Andaga with his implausible light and confident tops in the “ninth -upper arias” (Tonio from the “daughter of the regiment” of Donitsetti) by that time and already became a universal favorite. The other two discoveries of the Moscow public are the black South African, Prutti Jende, coquettishly juggling with colorators (Rosina from the “Seville Barber”, Violetta from “Traviata”), and the blond Swede Christine Nilsson with a voice shining like a sword of Siegfried. Aria of Elizabeth and the duo of the Sentean with the Dutchman, performed with the glorified Bariton Michael Fall, demonstrated that in the Wagnerian element she feels very comfortable.

Well, heavy artillery. The tenor landing was reliably supported by Peter Buchaly and Yusif Eyvazov. The pantheon of stars was headed by Anna Netrebko and Ildar Abdrazakov. She was the inimitable Aida, he was Prince Igor. With him, Domingo completed the first compartment (Simon and Fesco from Simon Bokkanegra), with her the second (Count Di Luna and Leonor from Trubadur). We float further.