Placido: A Year in the Life of Placido Domingo (1984)

This film spans a year in the life of Placido Domingo, following him across the world from Spain to New York. Placido sings La Fanciulla del West in Madrid and Tosca in Newcastle, plus those roles he has made his own, like Verdi's Otello and television shows with Carol Burnett in Los Angeles and Charles Aznavour in Paris. This self taught 'child of the theatre' is now at the zenith of his career. The film shows the creation and mastery of some of opera's most demanding roles, his rehearsals and performances at every major opera house in the world. Everywhere he charms and conquers. To spend a year with Placido is to observe a phenomenon of popularity. His schedule of constant travelling, rehearsing, performance, recording sessions and TV appearances, pushes him close to the limits of physical endurance. The greatest Verdi tenor of our time has recorded popular songs with John Denver, played football with Kevin Keegan and conducted Die Fledermaus at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. This film records a year of magnificent performances by this great actor-singer whose life is dedicated to bringing "the joy of music to as large an audience as I can".