Placido Domingo

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

This is by no means a biography of the great singer, as Schnauber (who is connected with the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, one of Domingo's many interests) is quick to point out. There is already a memoir by the singer and an authoritative life by Daniel Snowman. Rather, it is a detailed examination of Domingo's work in some of his key operatic roles, as revealed through currently available recordings, a largely hagiographic account of his personality and working methods and a sort of apologia for the less-than-top-light showbiz antics in which Domingo indulges (not only the Three Tenors extravaganzas but also some mushy pop albums). Whenever Schnauber feels a critical tone coming onas, for instance, in his account of the singer's shortcomings as a conductorhe backs swiftly away, leaving the impression that anything Domingo does, he does for very good reasons that perhaps we may not always understand. The end result is a book that is not too revealing and likely to be of interest mostly to those who want a sort of listener's guide (albeit one that is often couched in quite technical terms) to some of the star's best moments. Discography; illustrations not seen by PW. (June)

Library Journal

Plcido Domingo is one of the foremost singers of his generation, and there are many remarkable aspects to his career, from his early experiences as actor, accompanist, and arranger to his recent success as a conductor. A well-researched book dealing objectively with his life and career would be welcome indeed. Unfortunately, this translation of a 1994 German publication is not it. Schnauber, who teaches German literature at the University of Southern California and is a German diction coach for the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, does not claim to have written a biography but aims "to depict the artist and the man as a living and breathing individual active in today's cultural scene." He devotes most of the book to comparing Domingo's recordings to other Domingo performances rather than to those of other interpreters. Relying on a minimum of sources, he fails to create the excitement of the operatic world or to connect the singer to any of his famous colleagues. While it is always difficult to describe a voice, technical explanations here are especially confused and will leave most readers scratching their heads. Not recommended.Kate McCaffrey, Onondaga Cty. P.L., Syracuse, N.Y.

Booknews

Domingo's biography focuses on his accomplishments over the past ten years, offering a portrait of the artist against the backdrop of the contemporary music scene. Drawing on interviews with Domingo, his wife, Marta, colleagues, and music critics, the author depicts both the private and public man. He critically examines the many facets of Domingo's career, exploring the tenor's extraordinary work as a stage, film, and video performer, a recording artist, and a conductor. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Kirkus Reviews

A peculiar mix of biography and analysis, focusing more on the noted tenor's vocal abilities as evinced in performance and recordings than on his life or personality.

Schnauber is the German diction coach for the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, which may explain the disproportionate amount of space devoted to the German repertoire, hardly the singer's specialty. The author's involvement with the Music Center, for which Domingo has served as an artistic consultant since 1984, may also account for the emphasis on his work during the last decade. Though the late 1980s and '90s brought Domingo unparalleled commercial success and witnessed a number of superb performances, they also, as Schnauber notes, saw a slightly routine quality creep into some of Domingo's work, perhaps as a result of an increasingly crowded schedule. Despite his skewed perspective, the author makes some interesting points about the dark timbre of Domingo's voice, limited in range but warmly expressive thanks to finely honed technical skills. But this is discussed by Schnauber at a level of detail ("supraglottal cavities," etc.) that will make most readers' eyes glaze over. The author obviously admires Domingo's artistry, and he paints an appealing portrait of the 56-year-old Spanish-born tenor as a nice guy, but his nitpicking comparisons of various performances in the same role will interest only the truly obsessive. It would be unfair to blame translator Ray for the grindingly pedantic prose style, presumably a faithful equivalent of the German, but there's no excuse for such peculiar usages as "interpretorial" or "inobtrusive." The brief biographical sections add little to what the tenor himself wrote in his autobiography (My First Forty Years, 1983); chapters on Domingo's work in video, folk music, and pop are similarly perfunctory.

Definitely not for the casual fan, though serious opera lovers may be able to pluck some worthwhile insights from this plodding study.