Placido Domingo: Verdi

Placido Domingo can only be described as a musical phenomenon. Now in his 70s, after a half-century career in which he has probably sung more tenor roles than anyone else in history, Domingo now takes on some of the greatest Verdi baritone roles. The voice has tightened somewhat in recent years, but it is still an impressive instrument, and Domingo has the range and vocal heft to perform many of these baritone roles onstage. However, there must be some caveats about the performances on this disc. Domingo's voice lacks the dark colouring of a true baritone; this, coupled with a tentativeness at both ends of the baritone range, robs the interpretations of a good deal of power. Fascinating as this disc is, it is probably only suitable for devoted fans and the curious. sony.com