Congratulations: Plácido Domingo!

Recently, there is big news that has spread out in the classical music world that Plácido Domingo (see the left), one of three greatest tenors (Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, and José Carreras) in the world, has won the Birgit Nilsson Prize, which only opera singers, opera conductors, or an outstanding production by an opera company may have chance to win. In fact, the Birgit Nilsson Prize itself is not really something special, because the purpose of setting this award by Birgit Nilssonis is to “honor one of the greatest opera singers of all time, whose contributions to the world of opera and concert are unrivaled,” suggested by Rutbert Reisch, the president of the Birgit Nilsson Foundation. However, there is a point of the Birgit Nilsson Prize that has remarkably drawn many people’s attention: the winner of this award will receive one million dollars. Thus, such big amount of money has brought an argument to some people that whether Domingo should receive this award, or not.

In fact, this argument came from Tom Service (a name of website), there was a article had mainly presented a concept that Domingo does not need this prize, because as what they have imaged that Domingo is rich enough since he is very famous tenor in the world, he can charge very high price of appearance fee for various performances around world, plus he is a successful conductor and impresario in both the Washington National Opera and Los Angeles Opera. If we judge a prize from this aspect, we have already made a big confusion between the values of the Prize and Money price of the award. I totally agree the fact which Tom service had mention about the Domingo’s current situation and position in the classical music world. However, if we just took a few second to review the purpose of the prize setting. It is very easy see a positive idea from this award, which is to encourage classical vocal musicians work hard on their works so that those musicians can really push the classical vocal music move forward and share the best value of classical vocal music with their audience through the entire world. If we go to Domingo’s website, it is very easy to find many events which Domingo will attend for classical music this year (2009). Is this truth convincing enough that Domingo is working very hard in his field of study? Comparing with some other musicians, who also won some big competition before, such as Tchaikovsky competition, has anyone heard those musicians’ name more than Domingo, or less? Even some of those winners disappeared in the classical music world after the competition. Only from this aspect, Domingo should be the right person for the Birgit Nilsson Prize, isn’t he?

In my view, to those who are thinking in a way that to win the Birgit Nilsson Prize is only for the one million dollar have mistakenly understood what Birgit Nilsson’s original purpose to set up this award. I do not want to repeat what I have mentioned about the purpose of setting this award, but I would like remind those who have such thought to the award that to play classical music or to become a high quality musician is not for money, even I really do not think that those greatest musicians in the world become well known are because of the thought that playing music can increase their bank accounts. If a musician’s purpose of making music is only for his/her desire of mammon, I do not think that this type of musician can make a good music, because it is very obvious to tell that the orientation of making music is changed. And I think that a reason when people get start to be interested to listen to music or playing music is that music has a special power that helps us to find ourselves, no matter what type of music we are listening to. For example, when some people listening to rock music, from their nature body motion, such as rhythmic nodding, hands gesture, or facial expressions, it is clearly to tell that he /she is in his /her free world. As the same principle, when a composer writes a song, the most time which he or she spends on is for thinking how to use the melody to describe his or her feeling of his/her life experiences. So by writing a song, the composer tries to find him/herself, to display him/herself. Obviously, from the procedure of composing music or listening to music, there is no any element of monetary profit be found. I think that when Domingo was in his youth, he never aim to become a good tenor because of the one million dollar of the Birgit Nilsson Prize.

Therefore, it is reasonable that Domingo got the Birgit Nilsson Prize, because a chance always comes to somebody who have well prepared for, because only someone who are well prepared be able to catch the chance. If we have a chance to take a glance of Domingo’s biography, we will find that the president of the Birgit Nilsson Foundation have made a right decision of choosing Domingo as the winner. From Domingo’s bio, it is clear to see that since he was twenty-four years old, he had begun his music career in those most significant public places, such as New York City Opera stage, Metropolitan Opera stage, Milan's La Scala, Vienna State Opera and London's Covent Garden,etc. During his vigorous period (from twenty to fifty years old), he has produced innumerous recordings and videos of opera singing.(Domingo as Otello,see the right) At the same time, he also mainly appeared as an opera conductor. From these true achievements which he had produce, it is obvious to tell that Domingo is very gifted classical singer, he has had a large amount of musical repertories of opera and various style songs, plus he well used his music talent to give his performances to all of the world. Why does The Birgit Nilsson Prize can not belong to Domingo? Domingo’s example of winning the Birgit Nilsson Prize truly tells us that when we have dream for a profession, we should fully use our talents with our solid efforts to approach this profession, because only we who are faithful to our talents and efforts on a profession which we are dreaming for can create something valuable to the world, and at the same time, we start to be valuable to the world too.