The Three Tenors
The Three Tenors were an
The Three Tenors repertoire ranged from opera to
History
Luciano is a born communicator, one of the most charismatic figures I have ever seen on stage. He only opens his mouth and with the first note, he gets the audience. It is something he was born with. Placido is the most complete artist I have ever seen on stage. There is the quality of his acting besides his great vocal skills and achievement. For me – a tenor lover – it is a great honor and privilege to sing with them. They are two great guys and very high humans.[8]
—José Carreras on his Three Tenor colleagues in a December 2000 interview
Italian producer Mario Dradi, along with German producer Elmar Kruse and British composer and producer Herbert Chappell,[9] conceived the idea of the first concert in 1990 in Rome. It was held to raise money for Carreras's foundation, the José Carreras International Leukemia Foundation. It was also a way for his friends Domingo and Pavarotti to welcome Carreras back into the world of opera after undergoing successful treatment for leukemia.[10] The Three Tenors first performed in a concert for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Zubin Mehta conducted the orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the orchestra of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.[11] The performance captivated the global audience.[3][12] A filmed version of the concert was produced by Herbert Chappell and Gian Carlo Bertelli for Decca and became the highest-selling classical disc in history.[13]
The three subsequently sang together in concerts produced by Hungarian
Following the big success of the 1990 and 1994 concerts, The Three Tenors opened a world tour of concerts during 1996–1997.
A second series of concerts outside of the
Recordings
The concerts were a huge commercial success,
Carreras and Domingo have appeared together on a number of other albums including Gala Lirica (with various other artists),[38] Christmas In Vienna (with Diana Ross),[39] and Christmas in Moscow (with Sissel Kyrkjebø).[40]
Royalties
For their initial appearance together in Rome in 1990, Carreras, Domingo, and Pavarotti agreed to accept relatively small flat fees for the recording rights to their concert, which they then donated to charity. Their album unexpectedly reaped millions in profits for Decca Records, causing some resentment on the part of the tenors, who officially received no royalty payments. As reported in the press, Domingo suspected that the record company paid Pavarotti on the side, in order to keep one of their top contracted artists content.[18][41] Pavarotti denied this, insisting: "We got nothing."[18] Years later his former agent and manager Herbert Breslin wrote that Pavarotti had indeed secretly received $1.5 million that the other two tenors, who were not under contract to Decca, did not receive.[42] For subsequent concerts and recordings, the singers were much more careful in assuring financially advantageous contractual terms for themselves.[43]
Criticism
While the Three Tenors were applauded by many for introducing opera to a wider audience, some opera purists criticised the group. Domingo responded to critics in a 1998 interview: "The purists, they say this is not opera. Of course it's not opera, it doesn't pretend to be an opera. It's a concert in which we sing some opera, we sing some songs, we do some zarzuela, then we do a medley of songs... We respect very much when people criticise it. That's fine. They shouldn't come... But they should leave the people who are coming and are happy."[44]
Other critics such as Martin Bernheimer complained that the tenors performed for excessive financial remuneration, rather than art.[45] On their first worldwide tour, each tenor received around one million dollars per concert – unheard of for classical musicians.[18] In a joint interview with his colleagues, Pavarotti responded to complaints about their incomes: "We make the money we deserve. We're not forcing someone to pay us." Domingo added about the world of opera: "I am giving 17 performances in 25 days. Ask me how much I get for that... For 30 years we have given in blood the best of our lives and our careers. You think we don't deserve money?" Carreras, for his part, stressed how little they made compared to many athletes, pop singers, and movie stars.[8]
Legal issues
The success of the Three Tenors led to
The Three Tenors also encountered trouble with the German government. In 1999, two of the three singers paid an undisclosed fine to the German government as part of an out-of-court settlement for tax evasion.[47] In addition, the German government accused the tenors of owing large back-taxes. Their concert organizer and promoter, Matthias Hoffmann, who was in charge of their taxes at the time, was sentenced to jail time for his role in the alleged tax evasion.[48]
In popular culture
- Throughout the Seinfeld episode "The Doll", José Carreras is repeatedly referred to as "the other guy", while the names of Domingo and Pavarotti are easily recalled.[49]
- The Animaniacs episode "Three Tenors and You're Out" featured the trio performing at Dodger Stadium.[50]
- The Canadian sketch comedy series Royal Canadian Air Farce parodied The Three Tenors in a sketch.[51]
- In Encore! Encore!, Nathan Lane plays an opera singer who was to become "the Fourth Tenor" before injuring his voice.[52]
- The trio was featured on the MTV animated show Celebrity Deathmatch, in a match against The Three Stooges.[53]
- In the Japanese version of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, The Three Emperors of Yliaster are named after the Three Tenors.
List of concerts
Nr. | City, Country | Venue | Event | Conductor | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rome, Italy | Baths of Caracalla | 1990 FIFA World Cup | Zubin Mehta | July 7, 1990 |
2 | Monte Carlo, Monaco | Opéra de Monte-Carlo | Benefit concert | June 9, 1994 | |
3 | Los Angeles, United States | Dodger Stadium | 1994 FIFA World Cup | July 16, 1994 | |
4 | Tokyo, Japan | National Stadium | World Tour | James Levine | June 29, 1996 |
5 | London, United Kingdom | Wembley Stadium | July 6, 1996 | ||
6 | Vienna, Austria | Ernst Happel Stadion | July 13, 1996 | ||
7 | East Rutherford, United States | Giants Stadium | July 20, 1996 | ||
8 | Gothenburg, Sweden | Ullevi Stadium | July 26, 1996 | ||
9 | Munich, Germany | Olympiastadion | August 3, 1996 | ||
10 | Düsseldorf, Germany | Rheinstadion | August 24, 1996 | ||
11 | Vancouver, Canada | BC Place | December 31, 1996 | ||
12 | Toronto, Canada | SkyDome | January 4, 1997 | ||
13 | Melbourne, Australia | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Marco Armiliato | March 1, 1997 | |
14 | Miami, United States | Pro Player Stadium | James Levine | March 8, 1997 | |
15 | Modena, Italy | Stadio Alberto Braglia | Benefit concert | June 17, 1997 | |
16 | Barcelona, Spain | Camp Nou | World Tour | July 13, 1997 | |
17 | Madrid, Spain | Teatro Real | Benefit concert | Marco Armiliato | January 8, 1998 |
18 | Paris, France | Champ de Mars | 1998 FIFA World Cup | James Levine | July 10, 1998 |
19 | Tokyo, Japan | Tokyo Dome | World Tour | January 9, 1999 | |
20 | Pretoria, South Africa | Union Buildings | Marco Armiliato | April 18, 1999 | |
21 | Detroit, United States | Tiger Stadium | James Levine | July 17, 1999 | |
22 | Vienna, Austria | Konzerthaus | Christmas concert | Steven Mercurio | December 23, 1999 |
23 | San Jose, United States | San Jose Arena | World Tour | Marco Armiliato | December 29, 1999 |
24 | Las Vegas, United States | Mandalay Bay Events Center | April 22, 2000 | ||
25 | Washington, D.C., United States | MCI Center | James Levine | May 7, 2000 | |
26 | Cleveland, United States | Browns Stadium
|
Marco Armiliato | June 25, 2000 | |
27 | São Paulo, Brazil | Estádio do Morumbi | July 22, 2000 | ||
28 | Chicago, United States | United Center | Benefit concert | János Ács | December 17, 2000 |
29 | Seoul, Korea | Jamsil Olympic Stadium | World Tour | June 22, 2001 | |
30 | Beijing, China | Forbidden City | June 23, 2001 | ||
31 | Yokohama, Japan | Yokohama Arena | 2002 FIFA World Cup | June 27, 2002 | |
32 | Saint Paul, United States | Xcel Energy Center | World Tour | December 16, 2002 | |
33 | Bath, United Kingdom | Royal Crescent | August 7, 2003 | ||
34 | Columbus, United States | Schottenstein Center | September 28, 2003 |
Discography
Live concert albums
Title | Album details | Conductor, Ensemble, Performance information |
Peak chart positions | Certifications
| ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ITA
[54] |
SPA [55] |
AUS [56] |
NLD
[57] |
SWE [58] |
UK [59] |
US [60] | ||||
Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert |
|
Zubin Mehta Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra Orchestra del Teatro Municipal di Roma (7 July 1990, Terme di Caracalla, Rome) |
1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 35 | AUS: 6× Platinum[61] US: 3× Platinum[62] UK: 5× Platinum[63] CAN: 3× Platinum[64] GER: Platinum[65] AUT: 2× Platinum[66] MEX: Gold[67] BRA: 2× Platinum[68] |
The Three Tenors in Concert 1994 |
|
Zubin Mehta Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (16 August 1994, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles) |
2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | US: Platinum[62] UK: 2× Platinum[63] CAN: 2× Platinum[64] GER: 3× Gold[65] CHE: Platinum[69] FRA: Platinum[70] AUT: 2× Platinum[66] AUS: Platinum[71] |
The Three Tenors: Paris 1998 |
|
James Levine (10 July 1998, Eiffel Tower, Paris) |
23 | – | 16 | 27 | 39 | 14 | 83 | US: Gold[62] UK: Silver[63] FRA: Gold[72] AUT: Gold[66] CHE: Gold[69] |
The 3 Tenors Christmas |
|
Steven Mercurio Vienna Symphony Orchestra (23 December 1999, Vienna) |
47 | – | 50 | 19 | 59 | 57 | 54 | US: Gold[62] UK: Silver[63] GER: Gold[65] |
Filmography
Title | Album details | Conductor, Ensemble, Performance information |
Certifications
|
---|---|---|---|
Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert | Zubin Mehta Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra Orchestra del Teatro Municipal di Roma (7 August 1990, Terme di Caracalla, Rome) |
US: 5× Platinum[62] CAN: 4× Platinum[64] GER: Platinum[65] | |
The Three Tenors in Concert 1994 |
|
Zubin Mehta Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (16 August 1994, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles) |
US: 5× Platinum[62] UK: 2× Platinum[63] |
The Vision: The Making of the 'Three Tenors in Concert' |
|
||
The Three Tenors: Paris 1998 |
|
James Levine (10 July 1998, Eiffel Tower, Paris) |
US: Gold[62] UK: Gold[63] FRA: Platinum[72] |
The 3 Tenors Christmas |
|
Steven Mercurio Vienna Symphony Orchestra (23 December 1999, Vienna) |
References
- ISBN 978-0-7172-0231-7.
- ^ "The Original Three Tenors in Concert". Classic FM.
- ^ a b c The Music Industry Handbook. Routledge. 2016. p. 219.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-00-739618-4. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
The association with football must have helped it, but achieving a Guinness world record for best-selling classical music with the Three Tenors in Concert CD shows that a great tune, well sung, has mass appeal even if it is classical.
- ISBN 978-1-61572-022-4. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- ^ Orient-express Magazine. Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Limited. 1996. p. 32. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
The Three Tenors' tour begins on June 29 at the Kasumigaoka National Stadium in Tokyo, then on July 6, it is Wembley Stadium in London, scene of Pavarotti's solo triumph a decade ago. Vienna Prater Stadium follows on July 1 3, the New ...
- ISBN 978-1-4574-1716-0. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
No, the name of this piece is not "O Solo Mio."The correct title means "Oh, my sun." The Three Tenors always got ecstatic cheers when they sang this famous Italian song, and as "It's Now Or Never", the song was a hit for Elvis ...
- ^ a b Lavin, Cheryl (10 December 2000). "Three Tenors And Grazie, Grazie, Grazie". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ The 3 Tenors - The Birth of a Legend
- ISBN 978-3-540-77829-5. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
Such was the case of the Three Tenors. When Luciano Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo thought of welcoming their leukemia surviving friend and operatic rival – José Carreras – they came up with the idea of a huge ...
- ISBN 978-0-7425-4116-0. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
Luciano Pavorotti, Plácido Domingo, and José Carreras or, as they are popularly called, the "Three Tenors", attracted worldwide attention during the 1990 World Cup when six thousand people filled the Roman Baths of Caracalla ...
- ^ "A riot of colour, emotion and memories: the World Cup stands alone in the field of sport". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ Ralph Blumenthal (24 March 1996). "The Three Tenors Juggernaut". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ISSN 0279-0483. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-7146-4887-3. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
Accompanied by the Orchestre de Paris, Carreras, Domingo and Pavarotti were heard by an estimated 150,000 ... music, synthetic image and laser concert on the Champs-de- Mars in front of a rather bigger audience than the three tenors had ...
- ISBN 978-0-9548110-1-3. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- ^ Three Tenors in Traditional World Cup Performance. 2002. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
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ignored (help) - ^ a b c d Blumenthal, Ralph (24 March 1996). "The Three Tenors Juggernaut". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ Tim Smith (February 1997). 3 Tenors Ticket Sales Not Bringing Down The House. SunSentinel. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ Sue Leeman (October 1995). Three Tenors return, Five-city tour includes stop in U.S. The Free Lance-Star. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ Ralph Blumenthal (1996). "The Three Tenors Juggernaut". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ Melinda bargreen (1996). Tenors of the Times – New Year's Eve Show in Vancouver Is More An Event Than A Concert. The Seattle Times. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ Three Tenors, video artist and Vienna in the news. Desert News. December 1996. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ "Astrodome owners are suing Three tenors promoters". Boca Raton News. 23 December 1997. p. 16. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ Three Tenors To Perform Benefit Concert For King Juan Carlos' 60th Birthday. PRNewswire. December 1997. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
- ^ Ford Motor Company Brings Three Tenors to Detroit in July. PRNewswire. January 1999. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ "How sweet the sound of three tenors". The Baltimore Sun. July 1999. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ Natasha Emmons (17 April 2000). Three Tenors on the Road Again; Trio To Make. Live Webcast Debut.(Brief Article). Amusement Business. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
- ^ The Three Tenors concert in Hamburg has been canceled. pollstar.com. 5 July 2000. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
- ^ Three Tenors To Perform South American Concert Debut. Brazilian show replaces Albany, N.Y., date that was canceled because of poor ticket sales. MTV News. June 2000. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ Mattalia Glendy (21 December 2000). Three Tenors Concert on Cold Night Helps Aids Foundation. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
- ^ The Three Tenors in Seoul. Meyer Sound. June 2001. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ Three Tenors take Bath. CNN.com. August 2003. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
- ^ "Three Tenors, Pavarotti, Carreras and Domingo postpone show". Ocala Star-Banner. 5 December 2002. p. 17. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ Tim Page (December 2005). "Domingo Sees Little Chance For a Three Tenors Reunion". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-13-029350-3. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
On occasion, each of the three would accompany a popular singing star on a CD, such as the collaboration of John Denver and Plácido Domingo. But these ... in front of a world-class orchestra led by a star conductor like James Levine or Zubin Mehta that "The Three Tenors" were born. ... Performances in Athens, Paris, and New York resulted in platinum CD sales, gold VHS sales, licensing fees for HBO ...
- ISBN 978-0-00-720532-5. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- ^ "Gala Lirica". Amazon.
- ^ "Christmas In Vienna". Amazon.
- ^ "Christmas In Moscow". Amazon. 2007.
- ISBN 0-385-50972-3.
- ^ Breslin 2004, p. 218.
- ^ Breslin 2004, pp. 218–22.
- ^ Sweeting, Adam (14 August 1998). "A crisp tenor". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 November 2005. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ Ng, David (16 July 2014). "A look back at the Three Tenors concert at Dodger Stadium". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
One of the most popular and lucrative franchises in classical-music history, the Three Tenors was a cultural phenomenon, inspiring adoration among fans and disdain from music purists who regarded the enterprise as a shameless money grab... In the article, [music critic Martin Bernheimer] criticized the promotional hype surrounding the event and accused the tenors of trivializing their art form.
- ^ "Price-Fixing Charges Upheld". Los Angeles Times. 29 July 2003.
- New York Times.
- ^ Breslin 2004, pp. 224s–25s
- ^ "The Doll". SeinfeldScripts.com.
- ^ "Steven Spielberg Presents: Animaniacs, Seasons 1–4, Episode 71". Google Play Movies.
- ^ "Royal Canadian Air Farce Season 2 Episode 4". TV.com.
- ^ James, Caryn (22 September 1998). "One Family's Regal Airs, Another's Upward Mobility". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
- ISBN 9781613740859.
- ^ Italian album chart positions for The Three Tenors:
- For Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert and The Three Tenors in Concert 1994: "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi(in Italian). Retrieved 14 June 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Carreras".
- For The Three Tenors: Paris 1998: "History" (in Italian). FIMI. Retrieved 14 June 2022. Set "Ricerca per" on "Titolo", then search "THE THREE TENORS PARIS 1998" and click "Classifiche".
- For The 3 Tenors Christmas: "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi(in Italian). Retrieved 14 June 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Tre Tonri".
- For Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert and The Three Tenors in Concert 1994: "Classifiche".
- ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Discography José Carreras". Australian Charts Portal. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
- ^ "Discografie José Carreras" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts Portal. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
- ^ "Discography José Carreras". Swedish Charts Portal. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
- ^ "Carreras/Domingo/Pavarotti". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
- ^ Billboard 200 positions for The Three Tenors:
- For Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert and The Three Tenors in Concert 1994: "Zubin Mehta Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
- For Paris 1998: "Billboard 200". Billboard. 12 September 1998. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
- For The 3 Tenors Christmas: "Vienna Symphony Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1992 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g "American certifications – "Three Tenors, The"". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "British certifications – Placido Domingo". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 8 July 2015. Type Placido Domingo in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ a b c "Canadian certifications – Three Tenors". Music Canada. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Pavarotti)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ a b c "Austrian certifications – Domingo" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved 8 July 2015. Type Domingo in the box under the ARTISTA column heading.
- ^ "Brazilian certifications – Tenores" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ a b "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ("3 tenors")". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
- Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1994 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
- ^ Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 8 July 2015.