The Broadway I Love - Placido Domingo

Placido Domingo's blazing tenor enriches these traditional Broadway show stoppers, supported by mammoth orchestrations in perfect balance and enhanced by his trademark musicianship and intelligence. In "All I Ask Of You," he excitingly explodes like a bursting water balloon. His duet with Carly Simon ("Last Night of the World") works in an intergalactic way--music makers from separate planets can successfully collaborate. In "Send In the Clowns," we are reminded of the tune's prettiness; while others find a poignantly delicate moment, Domingo's personal revelation is the size of Mt. Olympus. And why not? He is a god of song. An exception is made for "Our Love is Here to Stay," winner of the most-likely-to-appear-in-an-elevator award. Overall, a dazzling music experience. --Barbara Eisner Bayer Amazon.com

An unforgettable voice

Hearing Placido Domingo sing some of my favorite songs is a wonderful experience. I listen to this CD over and over November 10, 2008

Some hits, some misses

Most of Domingo's renditions of these songs are gorgeous. "You'll never walk alone" sounds as though it was written for him. Ditto for "so in love." On the cut with Carly Simon and and "over there" his accent negatively affects the phrasing. It's not a compilation I listen to every day, but it never fails to satisy. There's no substitute for rare talented molded by top-notch vocal training. He's my favorite of the operatic tenors. November 1, 2007

Generally, a pleasant surprise

This is a compilation of lovely Broadway songs, beautifully sung. I liked most of the selections in every way--singing, orchestration, etc. I found the piece from "Miss Saigon" ("The Last Night in the World"), with a moving duet with Domingo and Carly Simon, to be astonishingly beautiful. I was surprised that these two could collaborate so well reminiscent of Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza), I have enjoyed repetitive listening of this track. The only downer, in my view, was "Over There." Sad to say, Placido does not do justice to George M. Cohan. For reasons I don't completely understand, he substitutes "The boys are coming" for the very triumphant "The Yanks are coming" line, which is the heart of the song. Toss this ridiculous mistake out, maybe a fifth star. January 19, 2003

Very pretty!

I found this one in my library system and checked it out because of "So In Love" -- and quickly fell in love with the rest of it! There are classically trained opera singers who cannot pull off singing Broadway, but Domingo is not one of them. Granted, the idea of hearing "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" sung with an Italian accent seems a little strange, since everyone knows that a cowboy is supposed to be singing it, but I think Domingo's accent adds to the charm of the songs.

I only gave this album four stars because I didn't care for the arrangements of the songs from "West Side Story" and also because the combination of Domingo and Carly Simon seemed mismatched. The duet with Rebecca Luker, however, in "All I Ask Of You," is what I would consider the highlight of the CD. Their voices blend so well and they have the same classic style. Ted Huffman's boy soprano adds a lot to "Try To Remember," enhancing the soaring prettiness of the melody. The arrangement of "Send In The Clowns" is a masterpiece, while Domingo sings it with convincing sadness. Also his portrayal of "Our Love Is Here To Stay" has the gentle simplicity that I believe the Gershwins meant for it.

As for the rest of the songs, they are just plain GOOD! All in all this is a very enjoyable recording and it goes to the top of my wish list. January 14, 2001

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