The Domingo Dilemma

[Master Jacques]

Most of them arise from the very unequal power balances , the huge power of big stars and hiring directors , the absence of HR structures until recently

There lies the quandary. You cannot have art without an unequal power balance - the whole concept of "balances" is irrelevant, of course, for work relying on competitive sale of individual talents, and complete freedom of individual expression.

The performing arts (at least in the so-called "First World") are now completely bogged down in managerial and planning layers which take increasing slices of the fiscal pie, at the expense of middle-range performers and musicians. Royal Opera productions are now regularly planned seven years in advance - yet it is obvious that no vibrant arts company can thrive shackled by such stupid lead times.

Strange to say, these managerial posts multiply with time, and when cut backs are made, they affect the front-line arts workers actually putting the stuff on stage, rather than the suited girls and boys in the back office. "HR structures" are another example of an administrative layer set up to benefit the managerial side, not the performers - very many of whom (across the performing arts generally) are self-employed rather than employees with HR rights.

Rather than helping spread unproven sexual allegations, we'd surely be better off spending our time and effort lobbying to get more money and more work for performers, instead of collaborating with the admin hangers-on, by suggesting that we should add more check-and-balance "suits" (with attendant performance bonuses, overtime, HR support and severance money when the roof comes crashing down under the weight of admin snow) to make matters worse. These "great cultural organisations" are leeching the arts dry, and taking bread out of the mouths of artists. Away with them!

[Conchis]

This is surmise - it may or may not be the case.

I'm just wondering what more there is to be said on this thread. There are two strands, as has been observed - failing powers, and the allegations - views have been expressed, we're at the limits of what can be said, is there really anything more to say? Is there a chance we could just leave it here?

Have you read it? ". . . I strongly dispute recent allegations made about me . . . " seems pretty unequivocal, to me, and a good many of his female operatic partners have sprung to his defence.

Most of his defenders seem to be women, including one who claimed that Domingo was more likely being harassed by his accusers.

[Darkbloom]

What is most worrying about the way these allegations are handled is the way that a neutral attitude can be interpreted as siding against the 'victim'. People who are accused have the right to due process but it seems that many people think an accusation is all it takes to end a career. Suspending judgement until you can establish the facts doesn't mean you are calling anyone a liar.

[Conchis]

I’ve just been listening to the Levine recording of Cavalleria Rusticana, featuring Domingo. I would say this is the finest recording of this opera ever made (and I’ve heard a lot of them — it beats Karajan into second place, I’d say, hard though that is to believe). But now a shadow hangs over this recording...

Sidebar to the above.....though I wasn’t around at the time, Fischer-Dieskau’s attempts to branch out into Italian opera back in the 60s were loudly derided by critics, who told him he had no business singing the likes of Rigoletto or Falstaff. Yet Domingo’s excursions into German opera were generally acclaimed and this led to the construction of his legend as ‘the most versatile tenor who had ever lived’. But do his attempts at Parsifal and Tristan (on record only) now sound that great? His German in the Joachim version of Meistersinger....is comedic, but his pronunciation improved later on. He doesn’t sound at all idiomatic, though, does he?

[Stanfordian]

I’ve just been listening to the Levine recording of Cavalleria Rusticana, featuring Domingo. I would say this is the finest recording of this opera ever made (and I’ve heard a lot of them — it beats Karajan into second place, I’d say, hard though that is to believe). But now a shadow hangs over this recording...

Sidebar to the above.....though I wasn’t around at the time, Fischer-Dieskau’s attempts to branch out into Italian opera back in the 60s were loudly derided by critics, who told him he had no business singing the likes of Rigoletto or Falstaff. Yet Domingo’s excursions into German opera were generally acclaimed and this led to the construction of his legend as ‘the most versatile tenor who had ever lived’. But do his attempts at Parsifal and Tristan (on record only) now sound that great? His German in the Joachim version of Meistersinger....is comedic, but his pronunciation improved later on. He doesn’t sound at all idiomatic, though, does he?

I know several people who have mentioned concerns about listening to Domingo and Levine recordings now.

[Constantbee]

I
Really - fans of opera are no more mature or discerning than fans of boy bands. They just have more money! I’m reminded of the ridiculous woman from Middlesbrough in that (revolting) Jonas Kauffman infomercial (sorry, ‘documentary’).

I don't know what you're talking about, O Esteemed Fellow Forumite, but as there are so few opera fans on Teesside I'd probably know her personally, and I don't think she'd like it very much if you called her ridiculous It could mean handbags at forty paces, so in the interests of public order, please, do be careful

What Jonas Kaufmann infomercial, anyway?

[Master Jacques]

I know several people who have mentioned concerns about listening to Domingo and Levine recordings now.

Their loss. This seems to have become another of those tiresome "witch-hunting" threads, unfortunately. Can't folk allow the law to take its course, without all these gossip columns? I for one find it distressing. Surely neutrality and fairness are best?

[Richard Barrett]

Their loss. This seems to have become another of those tiresome "witch-hunting" threads, unfortunately. Can't folk allow the law to take its course, without all these gossip columns? I for one find it distressing. Surely neutrality and fairness are best?

It is distressing indeed, but can anyone think of an example of this kind of accusation which has turned out to be absolutely baseless? I can't.

Otherwise I can't say I have any opinion on Domingo - I don't listen to Italian opera, and his German pronunciation is embarrassingly bad so I can't listen to him singing in that language.

The performing arts (at least in the so-called "First World") are now completely bogged down in managerial and planning layers which take increasing slices of the fiscal pie ... Strange to say, these managerial posts multiply with time, and when cut backs are made, they affect the front-line arts workers actually putting the stuff on stage, rather than the suited girls and boys in the back office. "HR structures" are another example of an administrative layer set up to benefit the managerial side, not the performers

Now this issue is something that's not discussed often enough if you ask me. Needless to say it's composers as well as performers who fall foul of the cash-sucking layers of management that choke up the performing arts world (and higher education too, and no doubt other areas also). It's a huge dead hand on vitality and innovation. Of course Domingo has never had the slightest interest in any kind of innovation. (As you were! )

[LHC]

I’ve just been listening to the Levine recording of Cavalleria Rusticana, featuring Domingo. I would say this is the finest recording of this opera ever made (and I’ve heard a lot of them — it beats Karajan into second place, I’d say, hard though that is to believe). But now a shadow hangs over this recording...

Sidebar to the above.....though I wasn’t around at the time, Fischer-Dieskau’s attempts to branch out into Italian opera back in the 60s were loudly derided by critics, who told him he had no business singing the likes of Rigoletto or Falstaff. Yet Domingo’s excursions into German opera were generally acclaimed and this led to the construction of his legend as ‘the most versatile tenor who had ever lived’. But do his attempts at Parsifal and Tristan (on record only) now sound that great? His German in the Joachim version of Meistersinger....is comedic, but his pronunciation improved later on. He doesn’t sound at all idiomatic, though, does he?

Point of order, Domingo sang Parsifal on stage as well as on record. I saw him sing it in concert at RFH, and he also sang performances at the Met and elsewhere.

[Stanfordian]

Their loss. This seems to have become another of those tiresome "witch-hunting" threads, unfortunately. Can't folk allow the law to take its course, without all these gossip columns? I for one find it distressing. Surely neutrality and fairness are best?

Hiya Master Jacques,

I couldn't agree more with your viewpoint that "Surely neutrality and fairness are best." But I have to admit that I was surprised by the number of people who didn't share that ideal and were clearly uncertain how to react to the Domingo allegations. I planned some time ago to include a Domingo recording in my forthcoming Recorded Music Society presentation and I certainly intend to leave it in my programme.

In early June I was due to interview Domingo during his Dresden performances but he withdrew from his production of Nabucco at Semperoper through illness and the interview couldn't go ahead. During my Dresden trip I managed to interviewed Angela Gheorghiu instead; which was quite an experience.

[Conchis]

Point of order, Domingo sang Parsifal on stage as well as on record. I saw him sing it in concert at RFH, and he also sang performances at the Met and elsewhere.

I know he sang Parsifal on stage. But he only recorded Tristan (once on an excerpts disc, then in a complete recording with Stemme).

I recall some talk in the 90s that he was considering an offer to do Tristan at Covent Garden under Solti, but it never came to pass.

[Conchis]

I don't know what you're talking about, O Esteemed Fellow Forumite, but as there are so few opera fans on Teesside I'd probably know her personally, and I don't think she'd like it very much if you called her ridiculous It could mean handbags at forty paces, so in the interests of public order, please, do be careful

What Jonas Kaufmann infomercial, anyway?

It shown on television either last Christmas or the Christmas before last. A ridiculous ‘puff job’ almost certainly funded by his record company, which still failed to completely disguise what a divo he’s become.

[Conchis]

Of course Domingo has never had the slightest interest in any kind of innovation. (As you were! )

One of his earliest recordings was of a Ginastera opera.

But, by and large, no he hasn’t. In his administrative capacity at Los Angeles (or was it Washington?), he was behind some ‘new’ opera commissions but they were largely quickly-forgotten works in a ‘conservative’ style.

It’s hard to see how he could have associated himself with innovation, though. He’s basically just a singer (he only gets conducting gigs on the back of his celebrity - his only point of similarity with the late Edward Heath) who was best suited to the ‘bread and butter’ Italian repertoire.

[Conchis]

Their loss. This seems to have become another of those tiresome "witch-hunting" threads, unfortunately. Can't folk allow the law to take its course, without all these gossip columns? I for one find it distressing. Surely neutrality and fairness are best?

Stories of this kind have such currency and traction that they can end careers in a matter of weeks, if not months.

Domingo is a case in point: his career is now effectively over. His website continues to advertise upcoming appearances, but it’s basically all over, whatever the verdict.

In fact, I’m not sure there will ever be such a thing as a ‘verdict’. The gun has been fired and the smoke will not clear.

Levine was never formally charged with anything, but he was forced out of the Met, Boston and all his other appointments in disgrace. The Met has shown incredible (but, perhaps, predictable) sang-froid in just pretending that he ‘never happened.’ They are quite capable doing the same for Domingo.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I very much hope that Domingo's career is not ended by malicious tittle-tattle. If the allegations are found to be true, that's a different matter, but as things stand, idle gossip promoted in this thread could be very damaging to a potentially innocent person.

Why don't we just leave it there?