Placido Domingo's #metoo moment

[nanushka]

It took longer than I expected, but this big clomping shoe has finally dropped:

https://www.apnews.com/c2d51d690d004992b8cfba3bad827ae9

There are numerous specific stories told in vivid, excruciating detail.

[Helene]

He's amassed a lot of power, first as a superstar performer, then as the head of companies, and now as the head of Operalia.  He's held a lot of careers in his hands.

[Helene]

And he's just been booted from performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra:

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Philadelphia-Orchestra-Rescinds-Invite-for-Placido-Domingo-to-Perform-at-2019-Opening-Night-Concert-Amid-Sexual-Harassment-Claims-539844711.html

[canbelto]

And San Francisco: 

https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/music/sf-opera-cancels-domingo-appearance-after-sexual-harassment-allegations

[nanushka]

I wonder how long the Met will take this time.

I find this part of their statement baffling:

Quote

It should be noted that during his career at the Met as a guest artist, Mr. Domingo has never been in a position to influence casting decisions for anyone other than himself.

...the implication being that if he didn't do it in our house, it's not so much our concern?

Edited August 14, 2019 by nanushka

[Helene]

As if a superstar tenor wasn't in a position to influence casting decisions for anyone other than himself.

[Marta]

8 hours ago, nanushka said:

It took longer than I expected, but this big clomping shoe has finally dropped:

https://www.apnews.com/c2d51d690d004992b8cfba3bad827ae9

There are numerous specific stories told in vivid, excruciating detail.

The detail is  excruciating.  Painful to read, and difficult to imagine despite the detail. He always struck me as being very correct ... so much for impressions.   Does "longer than I expected" mean that Domingo's reputation has preceded him for decades?

[sandik]

Damn -- alongside all the misery he's spread throughout his community, he doesn't seem to realize the damage he does to the field.  Crap, crap, crap.

 

[Birdsall]

Sad so many men treat women like playthings.

I liked him as a tenor (in his prime he was magnificent like molten lava flowing out of his throat when you heard him live). By 2010 he was still impressive for his age and longevity, but really pushing it....a shadow of his former self. Then, when he switched to baritone roles he went from a magnificent tenor to a very mediocre baritone. I don't understand why he is tarnishing his artistry remaining on the stage. I feel like he was hogging and taking roles that would have been given to younger up-and-coming singers who can actually sing baritone roles impressively. 

Maybe this scandal will finally get him to retire. I think he should have retired around 2010 maybe even sooner. I used to be thrilled to hear him. Now when I find out he is in the cast for something I will fly up to see at the Met I cringe and hope he cancels. 

[Mashinka]

32 minutes ago, Birdsall said:

I don't understand why he is tarnishing his artistry remaining on the stage. I feel like he was hogging and taking roles that would have been given to younger up-and-coming singers who can actually sing baritone roles impressively. 

Were he still alive, Rudolf Nureyev would have answered that question.

[nanushka]

10 hours ago, Marta said:

The detail is  excruciating.  Painful to read, and difficult to imagine despite the detail. He always struck me as being very correct ... so much for impressions.   Does "longer than I expected" mean that Domingo's reputation has preceded him for decades?

Yes, as the article suggests, this has been an open secret in the opera world for decades. 

2 hours ago, Birdsall said:

Then, when he switched to baritone roles he went from a magnificent tenor to a very mediocre baritone. I don't understand why he is tarnishing his artistry remaining on the stage.

Not to mention in the orchestra pit, where he's a mediocre conductor as well. (I agree he was an excellent tenor, in his prime.)

[Roberta]

Not a surprise. Still, very sad, on so many levels.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49334226

The $64k question for me: How did (does) his wife of 50+ years, Marta, put up with this?  (Not an easy q to answer, I realise.)  I remember Marta as a very good production-director of some of our operas, during the mid-90s. We all felt sorry for her, in a way.

 

[Helene]

Please keep all personal "heards" or "buzz" off the board.  The posting policies are the same for the non-ballet forums as for the ballet forums.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

Domingo:

“Still, it is painful to hear that I may have upset anyone or made them feel uncomfortable — no matter how long ago and despite my best intentions. I believed that all of my interactions and relationships were always welcomed and consensual. People who know me or who have worked with me know that I am not someone who would intentionally harm, offend, or embarrass anyone.

“However, I recognize that the rules and standards by which we are — and should be — measured against today are very different than they were in the past. I am blessed and privileged to have had a more than 50-year career in opera and will hold myself to the highest standards.”

What is it with these people? The thinking must go something like this:

She didn't throw her drink in my face, so it must have been consensual! You can't judge me if she didn't protest. 

Back in the day you could put your hand on a woman's knee during a business lunch or plant a big kiss right on her lips and still be considered a gentleman, but gosh the rules are just different now. You can't judge me if I thought I was obeying the rules.

These lame protestations-cum-fauxpologies are driving me around the bend. Just own up to it, apologize, and tell your bretheren to cut it out too while you're at it.

[Mashinka]

I actually see his point to some extent, if these women were so offended at his alleged behaviour, why didn't they complain at the time?  Jumping on a bandwagon perhaps?

We've had a lot of these historical cases in Britain of late and they are failing spectacularly, what's more accusers are now likely to face counter prosecutions, one is likely to go to prison for a very, very long time.  What do they seek to gain?  Compensation is most likely as I imagine old Placido has a bob or two in the bank, or is it more insidious and they want to tarnish his career because they were failures in their own?

 

[dirac]

5 hours ago, Birdsall said:

I liked him as a tenor (in his prime he was magnificent like molten lava flowing out of his throat when you heard him live). By 2010 he was still impressive for his age and longevity, but really pushing it....a shadow of his former self.

Particularly impressive when you consider that many people were certain his voice would blow out early because he was singing too much.

The desire to stay in the game is not really surprising from an artist with a lifelong appetite to perform as much as possible, as Mashinka's Nureyev comparison suggests.

[canbelto]

13 minutes ago, Mashinka said:

I actually see his point to some extent, if these women were so offended at his alleged behaviour, why didn't they complain at the time?  Jumping on a bandwagon perhaps?

We've had a lot of these historical cases in Britain of late and they are failing spectacularly, what's more accusers are now likely to face counter prosecutions, one is likely to go to prison for a very, very long time.  What do they seek to gain?  Compensation is most likely as I imagine old Placido has a bob or two in the bank, or is it more insidious and they want to tarnish his career because they were failures in their own?

 

It’s very difficult for victims of sexual abuse to speak out. Society’s tendency to blame and harass them. I work with kids who were molested and they weren’t believed by their families even after kids were born.

i believe the women. People don’t lie about sexual harassment and abuse period. 

[nanushka]

24 minutes ago, Mashinka said:

I actually see his point to some extent, if these women were so offended at his alleged behaviour, why didn't they complain at the time?

...

What do they seek to gain?  Compensation is most likely as I imagine old Placido has a bob or two in the bank, or is it more insidious and they want to tarnish his career because they were failures in their own?

On the first point: The article makes it very clear why they didn’t speak up at the time.

On the second point: Does speaking the truth about crimes one has been a victim of (assuming the stories are true) really need to be explained by such grasping (in the first insinuation) or petty (in the second insinuation) motives?

Edited August 14, 2019 by nanushka

[nanushka]

3 minutes ago, canbelto said:

It’s very difficult for victims of sexual abuse to speak out. Society’s tendency to blame and harass them.

This is definitely one danger, but there were more immediate concerns for these women — i.e. loss of work and potential long term professional repercussions.

[Helene]

Domino had plenty of bob in the bank when the described behavior took place.  Three Tenors was where the big money was, and that ship has long sailed.

At this point, it's almost entirely the opera houses or boards of the companies he directs at this point who support what, in my opinion, is a diminished career, a far longer experiment than Michael Jordan's short foray into baseball.  His schedule doesn't leave that much time for self-produced recitals.

[abatt]

Domingo is still a tremendous draw at the Met Opera.  He is one of the very few artists whose name recognition  still sells huge numbers of tickets. 

Edited August 14, 2019 by abatt

[Josette]

Domingo is (or at least up till now) respected professionally here in L.A.  He is supposed to sing in Roberto Devereux in the coming season. I can imagine that the L.A. Opera Board is reeling from the news.  

[Helene]

At the Met, for Macbeth, he's currently scheduled for the first three performances, with Lucic assuming the last three.  For Butterfly, he is scheduled for all performances of Sharpless, including the Nov 9 Live in HD.  Macbeth is not in this year's series.

[Marta]

3 hours ago, Mashinka said:

I actually see his point to some extent, if these women were so offended at his alleged behaviour, why didn't they complain at the time?  Jumping on a bandwagon perhaps?

We've had a lot of these historical cases in Britain of late and they are failing spectacularly, what's more accusers are now likely to face counter prosecutions, one is likely to go to prison for a very, very long time.  What do they seek to gain?  Compensation is most likely as I imagine old Placido has a bob or two in the bank, or is it more insidious and they want to tarnish his career because they were failures in their own?

Nanushka said:

On the first point: The article makes it very clear why they didn’t speak up at the time.

On the second point: Does speaking the truth about crimes one has been a victim of (assuming the stories are true) really need to be explained by such grasping (in the first insinuation) or petty (in the second insinuation) motives?

I agree completely with Nanushka's points.  canbelto gave us the essence of why the women didn't complain:  Because people wouldn't have believed them, especially decades ago.  Just as people found it incredible that priests would sexually abuse children, "society", the opera world, or whatever body of people you want to name, would have been skeptical at best that the great Domingo could be a sexual aggressor.

[Kathleen O'Connell]

22 minutes ago, Marta said:

I agree completely with Nanushka's points.  canbelto gave us the essence of why the women didn't complain:  Because people wouldn't have believed them, especially decades ago.  Just as people found it incredible that priests would sexually abuse children, "society", the opera world, or whatever body of people you want to name, would have been skeptical at best that the great Domingo could be a sexual aggressor.

Oh it's worse than that. Any number of people would have happily believed that Domingo had gotten "handsy" (if not worse) with his accusers. They just wouldn't have cared very much, if at all. Back in the day I had more than one person explain to me that that kind of behavior should be taken as a compliment.