Plácido Domingo - Verdi ~ The Tenor Arias

There are also extended scenes with illustrious colleagues, including Leontyne Price, Katia Ricciarelli, Nicolai Ghiaurov, and Sergei Leiferkus, whose Iago is an exquisitely insidious villain. He is accompanied by the greatest orchestras and conductors. For the new recordings, his partners are Myung-Whun Chung and Valery Gergiev, whose Mariinsky Theater musicians contribute some beautiful string solos. The matchless beauty of Domingo's voice seems untouched by the years, and he can change and vary it to suit the musical and dramatic requirements. His top notes never lose their clarion ring, yet the final B-flat of "Celeste Aida" tapers off, as Verdi demands. Even more remarkable, he can create real characters. Even without the texts, the mood, emotion, and meaning always come through. In this incomparable treasure trove, all opera lovers will find their own favorites, and many new gems besides, all performed to utter perfection. --Edith Eisler