Arts & Events

The indefatigable Plácido Domingo returned to San Francisco Opera for a concert performance on Sunday, October 21 at 2:00. Joining him were tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz, soprano Ana Maria Martinez, mezzo-soprano Ashley Dixon, bass-baritone Bojan Kneževic, tenor Christopher Jackson, and conductor Jordi Bernàcer. The first half of the program offered the orchestral Prelude to Verdi’s La Traviata, followed by Act II, Scene 1 from La Traviata, and closing with Act II, Scenes 2,3, & 4 from Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra. The choice of these opera excerpts gave Plácido Domingo the opportunity to portray two great baritone roles – Germont père in La Traviata and the beleagured Doge of Genoa and father of Amelia in Simon Boccanegra. The opera excerpts were staged by director Morgan Robinson. 

To open the concert, conductor Jordi Bernàcer took the Prelude to La Traviata at a glacial tempo, though it perked up a bit as it developed. Then the curtain opened on a set borrowed from Act II of the current production of Tosca. I must say that, architecturally, this set, which I criticized for evoking little of the style of Rome’s Palazzo Farnese in Tosca, actually worked better as a posh country house in France in La Traviata.  

Enough said regarding sets and architecture. Let’s get to the singing. Tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz was in fine voice as Alfredo Germont, and his opening aria was beautifully sung as he expressed his joy at persuading Violetta to abandon her glittery, fast-paced life as a Paris courtesan to adopt instead the simple life in the country and the love he shares with her. When he learns from Annina, sung here by Ashley Dixon, that Violetta has been selling her jewels to finance their country idyll, Alfredo rushes off to Paris to repay Violetta. No sooner has he gone than his father, Giorgio Germont, pays a visit to Violetta. Germont père begs Violetta to renounce Alfredo, since the scandal of their love affair threatens the engagement of Alfredo’s younger sister. This is an emotionally charged scene, one in which Giorgio Germont, magisterially performed here by Plácido Domingo, seems initially quite insensitive about Violetta’s feelings, though he gradually realizes the depth and sincerity of her love for his son Alfredo. Violetta, beautifully sung here by soprano Ana Maria Martínez, at first refuses to renounce Alfredo. However, moved by the realization that Alfredo’s father is torn between his love for his two children and wishes only to save the family pride and his daughter’s impending marriage, Violetta eventually agrees to sacrifice her own happiness and leave Alfredo.  

When Alfredo returns to the country house, he receives a letter in which Violetta bids him farewell, and just as he reads this shattering news his father appears at his side and attempts to console him. This too is a very emotionally charged scene. Indeed, it is one of the many great father-scenes Verdi loved to write; and Plácido Domingo’s performance here was riveting. His aria “Di Provenza al mar” was heart-wrenchingly gorgeous, though it fails to dissuade Alfredo from misguidedly seeking revenge against Violetta. At the close of this gripping scene, the audience, ever appreciative of the artistry of Plácido Domingo, erupted in tumultuous applause. 

Following this excerpt from La Traviata was a lengthy excerpt from Simon Boccanegra. Here too was one of the great father scenes that Verdi loved to set to emotionally charged music. As Doge of Genoa, Simon Boccanegra seeks to counter the subversive plots of his enemies, while he also tries to protect Amelia, his daughter, by keeping their family relationship secret. Meanwhile, a young rebel, Gabriele Adorno, here sung by Arturo Chacón-Cruz, has fallen in love with Amelia, who returns his love. But Adorno does not know that Boccanegra is Amelia’s father, and, moreover, Adorno plots to kill Boccanegra. When these three characters get together, sparks fly. But all’s well that ends well, as Boccanegra pardons Adorno, blesses the marriage of Amelia and Adorno, and thereby brings peace to the feuding families of Genoa. In the role of Adorno, Arturo Chacón-Cruz was in splendid voice, as was Ana Maria Martínez in the role of Amelia. As Simon Boccanegra Plácido Domingo was nothing short of sensational. His baritone was fervent, brimming with intensity, and resplendent in tone. At the close of these excerpts from Simon Boccanegra, another tumultuous round of applause greeted all three principals. 

After intermission, Plácido Domingo & Friends returned to perform arias and duets from Spanish Zarzuelas. The Zarzuelas, of course, were the music of Plácido Domingo’s childhood, as his father and mother were regular performers in Zarzuelas. Domingo himself sang in Zarzuelas in Mexico early in his professional career. In this portion of Sunday’s concert, several numbers stood out. First was Plácido Domingo’s singing of “Quiero desterrar” from La del Soto del Parral by Reveriano Soutullo and Juan Vert. Next was Ana Maria Martínez’s account of “De España vengo” from El Niño Judio by Pablo Luna. Perhaps the highlight of the second half of the concert was a duet between Plácido Domingo and Ana Maria Martínez, “En mi tierra extremeña,” from Luisa Fernanda by Federico Moreno Torroba. Tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz provided another highlight with “De este apacible Rincón de Madrid” from Torroba’s Luisa Fernanda. When the scheduled portion of the concert was concluded, Plácido Domingo & Friends offered four encores, closing with all three principals singing “Besame mucho” by Consuela Velázquez.