Opera singer Placido Domingo denies abusing power, seeks to clear name
Opera legend Placido Domingo denied ever abusing his power during his management tenure at ii US opera houses in an interview with The Associated Press on Sun (Aug 23), equally he embarks on a full-throttle campaign to clear his name after 2 investigations found credible accusations he had engaged in ''inappropriate acquit'' with multiple women over a period of decades.
Domingo deflected direct questions well-nigh whether he ever sexually harassed women, accusations that were first reported by the AP last summer. The allegations take bedridden his career in the U.s.a., likewise as his native Spain.
''I never promised a part to a singer, or never accept a part from a vocaliser," he said. "I take spent my whole life helping, and yous know, encouraging and driving people."' He added that responsibilities inside opera companies are divided, meaning he never had sole sway over casting decisions.
''People that deserved to sing were singing,'' he said.
Multiple performers told the AP that Domingo harassed them and abused his power while he held management positions at Los Angeles Opera and Washington National Opera. Numerous women said Domingo had dangled career opportunities as he pursued sexual relationships with them and so withdrew the offers or stopped hiring them when they rejected his advances.
READ: Opera singer Placido Domingo vows to clear proper name of sexual assault allegations
Investigations by LA Opera and the American Gild of Musical Artists plant the sexual harassment allegations to be credible. LA Opera did non observe he had abused his ability, but AGMA plant a clear design of such abuse, co-ordinate to people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity considering they were not authorised to disclose the findings.
Ii of Domingo's managers and a spokesperson briefly cut off the interview when the singer was asked to respond to the fact that both investigations had plant the sexual harassment accusations credible and that one had institute a pattern of abuse.
AGMA has never released the full report of its findings, only Domingo'southward team referred to two written statements by the union – one for the public and one for members – neither of which mentioned abuse of power. They besides cited Washington Opera never launching an investigation every bit an indication that such allegations were baseless.
''Never, never, never,'' Domingo said, when asked once again if he had misused his power as a director.
Domingo put the focus on the corruption of power allegations during a wide-ranging interview in the library of his Naples hotel. It has emerged equally his master line of defence against the accusations that tarnished a year in which he historic his 50-year anniversaries at both Milan's La Scala theater and Loonshit di Verona.
The star tenor, who has moved into baritone roles, has emerged from a bout with coronavirus that put him in the hospital in United mexican states for 10 days in March with a mission to rehabilitate his opera career as he approaches his 80th birthday.
"It was really a large blow when we got – both my married woman and me – nosotros got the coronavirus. It was a terrible impression because for a vocaliser, ane's lungs are very important,'' he said, noting that his singing training might ultimately have made him resilient and helped him recover.
Recognising that the virus could lead to death, "y'all brand decisions that if everything goes well, nosotros need to fix many things in life,' he said.
In Domingo'south response to the accusations in AP's initial story, he had said he recognised ''the rules and standards past which we are – and should be – measured'' had changed over the decades. And before this year, he issued a statement after the union findings were leaked to the AP, saying of the women who defendant him that he was "truly sorry for the injure that I acquired them. I accept total responsibleness for my actions."
Merely after Spain, his native country, cancelled his engagements, he quickly walked back the apology, insisting in a new argument that "I have never behaved aggressively toward anyone."
Asked what he meant in his first statement near the rules changing, Domingo responded, ''The problem is that and then much time has passed. I must, what we are trying to practice, is clear my proper name, above all for my family.''
He said he hopes he tin smooth out what he sees as a misunderstanding with Spanish officials' responding to press reports without speaking directly to him so he can once again perform in the state where his parents once ran the Zarzuela lite opera house in Madrid.
Domingo said he sees his return to stages in the U.s. as less likely. He forfeited his AGMA membership, saying he realised he no longer would be welcome at New York'due south Metropolitan Opera or at LA Opera, which he helped found, and that he is probable to sing but through the 2022 and 2022 seasons.
"It'due south very sad for me not to be able to sing ... in the U.s.. I enjoy it so much,'' Domingo said. "For over a half-century ... the public has been really, really extraordinary."
In Europe, Domingo has a full singing and conducting schedule for the fall, generally concentrated in Italy, Germany and Republic of austria, that started with a Sat concert in nearby Caserta, where he demonstrated that his vocalism had not been harmed by the virus.
''A concert like yesterday, or like I am doing in Verona this week, is piece of cake. It is non a complete opera,'' Domingo said. ''I wonder how information technology will exist when I become to Vienna at the beginning of September to do a whole production. I don't know how we will do the staging, or how close the singers will be. We don't have masks on, and we are making a big endeavour. It is going to be very complicated.''
(Source: CNA/AP)
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/placido-domingo-opera-denies-abusing-power-seeks-to-clear-name-241096
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