The king of opera, Placido Domingo successfully held the "Opera the Great" recital in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Tuesday, exhilarating an audience of some 5000.
The world's top tenor has just finished his 3000th recital in Tokyo and is now invited by the Chinese Ministry of Culture to take part in the "Meet in Beijing" Arts Festival.
Accompanied by the China Philharmonic Orchestra, Domingo presented pieces from "Otello" and "La Forza del Destino" by G. Verdi, "Don Giovanni" by Mozart and songs from other great operas and musicals this evening.
His beautiful voice and passionate acting carried away the audience in the hall, who applauded for an encore at the end of the recital.
Meanwhile, thousands of Chinese watched the great concert live on China Central Television.
Domingo said at a conference before the recital that he hopes to make China one of his stops every year. "If I can't make it every year, then at least every three years," said the tenor, who made his debut in Beijing in 1988.
The 60-year-old Spanish opera master said that both Spain and China are rich in culture and they should have more art exchanges.
During his stay in Beijing, he received the title of honorary professor granted by the China Central Conservatory of Music.
He praised young singers from China who have won his competitions over the years and performed with him in Shanghai last year. "I wish to discover more talented singers in China," he said.
On June 23, Domingo along with Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras, his "Three Tenors" team-mates, will perform in the Chinese Forbidden City to support Beijing's bid for hosting the 2008 Olympics.
(People’s Daily 05/30/2001)
