October 11, 1995
Web posted at: 10:55 p.m. EDT
CNN Interview Transcript
Opera stars Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras announced a worldwide tour Wednesday. The three tenors, who in recent years have gained international acclaim for their television special, will fashion their repertoire to their audiences.
The text of their interview with CNN anchors Joie Chen and Leon Harris follows.
JOIE CHEN, anchor: Well, if you enjoy opera - and I know
somewhere my mother is listening to this now, so she should
be very excited about this -- we have something of a treat
for my mother and other opera fans this morning.
HARRIS, anchor: That's right. This is more than just a treat. This is really something special. Three of the worlds most renowned tenors joining us now from Munich, Germany.
CHEN: And that is where they have just announced the "Three Tenors World Tour," scheduled for next year and into 1997. Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti plan a tour for just five cities in the world.
(All reply "Good morning" in unison) PLACIDO DOMINGO: I'm fine, thank you. LUCIANO PAVAROTTI: Very well, thank you. CHEN: They are in harmony already. HARRIS: Already. I tell you, now, for the benefit of our
audience, who is not there in Munich this morning as are you,
give us the tour that you announced this morning. Which
cities are you going to be going to? CARRERAS: Well, we are going to Tokyo. We are going to
London. We are going to New York, Munich and Melbourne, in
Australia. CHEN: Now, let me go to Mr. Domingo. You know, to go to New
York -- you are going to Giants Stadium, a big sporting
arena. Is there any relationship using this kind of an arena
for an event of this nature? DOMINGO: We have been lately doing big concerts and, you
know, and of course the '94 concert was at Dodger Stadium, so
we really enjoyed very much singing to the big crowds. The
reaction was extraordinary and the sound was really arriving
to everybody and they really feel like they were in the
intimacy of, you know, your living room. That was the
reaction of the public. So, this time we are ready to go also
in the big stadiums and I am hoping that the three together
will have as much enjoyment in this occasion with Maestro
Levine, which is, of course, the music director of the
Metropolitan Opera and we're looking forward tremendously. HARRIS: Now, many people have seen the re-broadcast of that
particular concert. They think more than one billion people
have seen that show. Luciano, I have to ask you, did you
really imagine that you would have -- that you three -- would
enjoy this much success from this venture? HARRIS: Really? PAVAROTTI: -- big different for the other places. In New
York, myself, I have sung for a million people in the park I
am sure. Everybody did hear very well, so we are confident. CHEN: That's a good thing to hear. Mr. Carreras, I want to
ask you, is it possible that when you come to America, when
you use a very large venue like this, that you're trying to
appeal to Americans who might not understand or appreciate
opera as much as you might like them to, or do you think you
might need to approach them with more popular type of music? CARRERAS: Well, Americans, they have an incredible operatic
tradition, the Metropolitan Opera House is -- if not the most
prestigious -- one of the most prestigious opera houses in
the world for over 100 years. All the greatest artists have
been performing there in the last 100 years. But I think
these type of concerts, they are addressed to much general
type of audience. We are probably reaching a different type
of social issue and people -- CHEN: Now, some people would be concerned about that. Some
people would say that perhaps you're appealing to the wrong
sort of audience. Maybe you're "selling out," as they say? HARRIS: All right. Then, tell us then, Placido, which kind of
choices are we going to have? What -- give us an idea of the
selection of music that you are going to be performing? DOMINGO: Well, we are here exactly today to decide those
things. We are really trying, of course, we are opera singers
and there's no doubt that we are going to be singing opera
but we have to -- first of all, our selections will be the
most popular arias and also what the public really loves to
hear is the three together. You know, we spent our years, you
know, I mean, doing performances at the Metropolitan Opera. I
mean, I'm singing this week there Othello, am in, you know,
(unintelligible) in Vienna, in Convent Garden. In all the
opera houses we have enough time, enough performances to give
to the public, you know, the most -- even the most demanding
public -- all the kind of repertoire. And in this occasion,
we will be singing, of course, songs. We will be singing
medleys where the public can hear the three together, which
that's the -- CHEN: Speaking of hearing the three together, we cannot miss
out on this opportunity to have the three great tenors
together. Perhaps you would honor us with a little bit of a
melody together? HARRIS: Just a little? Just a little, please? PAVAROTTI: Pardon me? HARRIS: Would you favor us with just a little piece you may
be performing? Can we hear some of the three tenors this
morning? (318K AIFF sound or 318K WAV sound) DOMINGO: Can we sing a little of what we will do when we'll
be performing? PAVAROTTI: Are you joking? CARRERAS: Are you joking? PAVAROTTI: No. No. It's a secret until tomorrow. DOMINGO: I have to sing Othello Friday in New York, you know?
So, I have to keep my voice. HARRIS: All right. We'll let you off the hook this time. CHEN: Well, gentlemen, thank you very much. We're greatly
honored. HARRIS: Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras,
best of luck to you. Thank you very much. PAVAROTTI: Thank you, bye-bye. CARRERAS: Thank you. DOMINGO: Thank you. PAVAROTTI: Bye bye bye bye bye. CHEN: Well, we did try to get them to sing. HARRIS: I know. We tried, we tried. CHEN: Maybe you would honor us with a song? HARRIS: Are you kidding? How about this? We'll take a break.
Back in a moment. CHEN: Not much of a melody. HARRIS: Best I can do.
Copyright © 1995 Cable News Network, Inc.
PAVAROTTI: Not when we begin in 1990 for the first concert on
Rome. But I did have a very clear impression that we were
going in the right side and in America, in Los Angeles, I
think it was a kind of feeling that we were reaching some
people. (418K AIFF sound or 418K WAV sound) Of course, the full house there for 40 and 55,000
people, but more than everything the billion and a half on
the television. That was, for me, a little unexpected. Even
if I did have experience in China for 300,000 -- for 300
million people, but China is one billion and 500 people
alone. So, we were a little surprised, but I am sure I am
talking for them too, but not so much. To sing in the arena
is not such a big difference to singing in New York -- 
CARRERAS: Yeah. But the problem is that opera has been often
accused of being elitist and the same people that accuse
opera of being elitist are the ones that complain what we do
that in a very social, large social scale. So, I think what
is important is that this type of music reaches as much
people as possible and the audience has the possibility to
choose today to want to go on hearing and enjoying this type
of music. (298K AIFF sound or 298K WAV sound)
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