Placido Domingo

“When I was a young man, I was a baritone, very far from possessing the whole range of the tenor then.”

“We all have a destiny in accordance with the breadth of our shoulders. My shoulders are broad.”

“I then realized that I could never be satisfied again with the mere natural charm of my voice, that I had to constantly paint when singing, melting all the colors, expressing reds and blacks...”

“Between parts I was too old for and roles that were too overwhelming, out of reach then for my voice. I carved out a niche with the Wagnerian repertoire since I am attracted by its theatrica...”

“I will prove that a great conducting career is expecting me.”

“I attended less than two years of Conservatory in Mexico City.”

“But I won't deprive myself of singing opera as long as my voice follows.”

“The public made me and then encouraged me for many years, and my future even now depends upon it.”

“The high note is not the only thing.”

“With my personal preparation at the piano, I can afford to hum at half voice.”

“But enough joking. I am singing. This is all my life.”

“In the last century, everybody was singing lower.”

“When a young artist is ready, one has to bring him into the limelight.”

“I have always studied my parts with the orchestral score and not with the piano reduction.”

“I feel at home in an orchestral score.”

“The voice collects and translates your bad physical health, your emotional worries, your personal troubles.”

“This season, over eight productions, I am presenting four young tenors.”

“When working with an orchestra, you never spend more than 20 minutes per recording session.”

“On the other hand, I have devoted so much energy to reach the top that I accept the stress of being there.”

“Let us be clear: I take ten times more money for a concert than for an opera performance.”