When @PlacidoDomingo played Verdi's Simon Boccanegra 17 years ago today he thought it would be a one-off performance. Instead, his magnificent portrayal of the pirate turned doge became a milestone in his glorious career as the first of a long line of baritone roles on which he put his special stamp. Vocal distinction apart, his deeply human interpretation of Boccanegra both as an anguished father searching for his lost daughter and a statesman troubled by political strife earned him rave reviews after his debut at Staatsoper Berlin on 24th October 2009. Incidentally, the evening's conductor was Daniel Barenboim, who had first suggested playing Boccanegra to his friend Domingo. And he was absolutely right: there is only one Boccanegra and it's Plácido Domingo. Check him out reading the riot act to his fellow citizens in Genoa. youtu.be/x9yEC6xVPd0?is=XEYi…

A plea for divine mercy transformed into a moment of pure vocal beauty by @PlacidoDomingo : the "Ingemisco" tenor solo from Verdi's "Messa da Requiem" in a recording from 1981 with Zubin Mehta conducting the New York Philharmonic. Sublime! youtu.be/tfYNyAG6d1g?is=o2a1…