"If I rest, I rust" *

Interesting article about Placido Domingo and his lengthy career in today's NY Times. I got to hear him sing the lead role in Tan Dun's The First Emperor in January 2007 and still remember how amazed I was that his voice was that strong so late into his singing career. Read the original NYT review for more details about the premiere of The First Emperor. You can also read my blog post about it here .

This is my favorite passage from the NYT article:

"Mr. Domingo attributes his longevity to his slow start. As a young man he thought he was a baritone. But teachers soon convinced him that he was a tenor. In those early days he worked tirelessly to build his upper range, he said, 'fighting for every semitone.'

'Some tenors are born with this tessitura,' he added, 'and have all the high notes from the day they open their mouths.' (Luciano Pavarotti for one, Mr. Domingo’s great colleague and lifelong rival.) 'But I had to work so hard.'

That early technical work served him well over the years. Young singers looking for a role model of healthy technique could do no better than to observe Mr. Domingo."

*tag line on Placido Domingo's website