The Three Tenors

The Three Tenors were a popular operatic singing group during the 1990s and early 2000s, consisting of Spaniards Plácido Domingo and José Carreras, and Italian Luciano Pavarotti. The trio began their collaboration with a performance at the ancient Baths of Caracalla in Rome, Italy, on 7 July 1990, the eve of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final, watched by a global television audience of around 800 million.[1] The image of three tenors in formal evening dress singing in a World Cup concert captivated the global audience.[2] The recording of this debut concert became the best-selling classical album of all time[3] and led to additional performances and live albums. They performed to a global television audience at three further World Cup Finals: 1994 in Los Angeles, 1998 in Paris, and 2002 in Yokohama.[2] They also toured other cities around the world, usually performing in stadiums or similar large arenas to huge audiences.[4][5] They last performed together at an arena in Columbus, Ohio, on 28 September 2003.

Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti

The Three Tenors repertoire ranged from opera to Broadway to Neapolitan songs and pop hits. The group's signature songs included "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's opera Turandot, usually sung by Pavarotti, and the ballad "O Sole Mio", which all three tenors typically sang together.[6]

History
Luciano is a born communicator, one of the most charismatic figures I have ever seen on stage. He only opens his mouth and with the first note, he gets the audience. It is something he was born with. Placido is the most complete artist I have ever seen on stage. There is the quality of his acting besides his great vocal skills and achievement. For me – a tenor lover – it is a great honor and privilege to sing with them. They are two great guys and very high humans.[7]

—José Carreras on his Three Tenor colleagues in a December 2000 interview

Italian producer Mario Dradi, along with German producer Elmar Kruse and British composer and producer Herbert Chappell,[8] conceived the idea of the first concert in 1990 in Rome. It was held to raise money for Carreras's foundation, the José Carreras International Leukemia Foundation. It was also a way for his friends Domingo and Pavarotti to welcome Carreras back into the world of opera after undergoing successful treatment for leukemia.[9] The Three Tenors first performed in a concert for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Zubin Mehta conducted the orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the orchestra of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma.[10] The performance captivated the global audience.[2][11] A filmed version of the concert was produced by Herbert Chappell and Gian Carlo Bertelli for Decca and became the highest-selling classical disc in history.[12]

The three subsequently sang together in concerts produced by Hungarian Tibor Rudas and other producers, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to coincide the final match of the 1994 FIFA World Cup,[13] at the Champ de Mars under the Eiffel Tower during the 1998 FIFA World Cup,[14] and in Yokohama for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[15][16] Nearly 50,000 people attended their 1994 concert at Dodger Stadium and Around 1.3 billion viewers worldwide watched it.[17]

Following the big success of the 1990 and 1994 concerts, The Three Tenors opened a world tour of concerts during 1996–1997.[18][19][20] In 1996 they performed at Kasumigaoka Stadium in Tokyo, at Wembley Stadium in London, at Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, at Giants Stadium outside of New York City, at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, at Olympic Stadium in Munich, at Rheinstadion in Düsseldorf and at BC Place in Vancouver on New Year's Eve.[21] In 1997 concerts followed at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, at Skydome in Toronto, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami and at Camp Nou in Barcelona. The tour was scheduled to end in Houston with a final concert which was eventually canceled due to very low ticket sales.[22][23] Outside of their 1996–1997 world tour, The Three Tenors also performed two benefit concerts – one in Pavarotti's hometown Modena in the summer of 1997 and one in Domingo's home town Madrid in the following winters – in order to raise money for the rebuilding of the Teatro La Fenice in Venice and the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and for the Queen Sofia Foundation.[24]

A second series of concerts outside of the FIFA World cup events held again in 1999 including cities like Tokyo, Pretoria and Detroit[25][26] followed by a Christmas concert in Vienna in December the same year. In 2000 the Three Tenors toured again performing live in San Jose, California, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Cleveland and São Paulo. However, the production had to cancel two planned concerts for this tour; one in Hamburg on 16 June due to difficulties in finding a suitable orchestra and conductor, and another one in Albany, New York on 22 July due to poor ticket sales. The later one was replaced by the Brazilian concert in São Paulo.[27][28][29] One more benefit concert was given by The Three Tenors in December 2000 in Chicago to donate the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.[30] In 2001 two more concerts were given in Asia: one in Seoul and one in Beijing inside the walls of the Forbidden City.[31] Finally in 2003 they performed in Bath at the Royal Crescent[32] and later in September the same year they gave their last Three Tenors' concert, which took place at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.[33] A Three Tenors reunion concert was scheduled to take place on 4 June 2005 at the Parque Fundidora in Monterrey, Mexico, but because of Pavarotti's health problems, he was replaced by Mexican pop singer Alejandro Fernández.[34]

Recordings

The concerts were a huge commercial success,[35] and were accompanied by a series of best-selling recordings, including the original Carreras-Domingo-Pavarotti in Concert, subsequently reissued as The Three Tenors In Concert (which holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling classical music album),[3] The Three Tenors in Concert 1994, The Three Tenors: Paris 1998, The Three Tenors Christmas, and The Best of The Three Tenors. Zubin Mehta conducted the performances in 1990 and 1994. The Paris concert was conducted by James Levine.[36]

Carreras and Domingo have appeared together on a number of other albums including Gala Lirica (with various other artists),[37] Christmas In Vienna (with Diana Ross),[38] and Christmas in Moscow (with Sissel Kyrkjebø).[39]

Controversies

Royalties

For their initial appearance together in Rome in 1990, Carreras, Domingo, and Pavarotti agreed to accept relatively small flat fees for the recording rights to their concert, which they then donated to charity. Their album unexpectedly reaped millions in profits for Decca Records, causing some resentment on the part of the tenors who officially received no royalty payments. As reported in the press, Domingo suspected that the record company paid Pavarotti on the side, in order to keep one of their top contracted artists content.[17][40] Pavarotti denied this, insisting: "We got nothing."[17] Years later his former agent and manager Herbert Breslin wrote that Pavarotti had indeed secretly received $1.5 million that the other two tenors, who were not under contract to Decca, did not receive.[41] For subsequent concerts and recordings, the singers were much more careful in assuring financially advantageous contractual terms for themselves.[42]

Criticism

The Three Tenors phenomenon was applauded by many for introducing opera to a wider audience, but some opera purists rebuked them. Domingo responded to critics in a 1998 interview: "The purists, they say this is not opera. Of course it's not opera, it doesn't pretend to be an opera. It's a concert in which we sing some opera, we sing some songs, we do some zarzuela, then we do a medley of songs... We respect very much when people criticise it. That's fine. They shouldn't come... But they should leave the people who are coming and are happy."[43]

Other critics such as Martin Bernheimer complained that the tenors performed for excessive financial remuneration, rather than art.[44] On their first worldwide tour, each tenor received around one million dollars per concert – unheard of for classical musicians.[17] In a joint interview with his colleagues, Pavarotti responded to complaints about their incomes: "We make the money we deserve. We're not forcing someone to pay us." Domingo added about the world of opera: "I am giving 17 performances in 25 days. Ask me how much I get for that... For 30 years we have given in blood the best of our lives and our careers. You think we don't deserve money?" Carreras, for his part, stressed how little they made compared to many athletes, pop singers, and movie stars.[7]

The success of the Three Tenors led to antitrust action by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission against Warner Bros. and Vivendi Universal. It found that they had conspired not to advertise or discount the albums of the Rome concert (released by PolyGram, later taken over by Vivendi) and of the Los Angeles concert (released by Warner Bros.) in order to protect sales of the jointly released album of the 1998 Paris concert.[45]

The Three Tenors also encountered trouble with the German government. In 1999, two of the three singers paid an undisclosed fine to the German government as part of an out-of-court settlement for tax evasion.[46] In addition, the German government accused the tenors of owing large back-taxes. Their concert organizer and promoter, Matthias Hoffmann, who was in charge of their taxes at the time, was sentenced to jail time for his role in the alleged tax evasion.[47]

List of concerts
List of The Three Tenors concerts
Nr. City, Country Venue Event Conductor Date
1 Rome, Italy Baths of Caracalla 1990 FIFA World Cup Zubin Mehta 7 July 1990
2 Monte Carlo, Monaco Opéra de Monte-Carlo Benefit concert 9 June 1994
3 Los Angeles, United States Dodger Stadium 1994 FIFA World Cup 16 July 1994
4 Tokyo, Japan National Stadium World Tour James Levine 29 June 1996
5 London, United Kingdom Wembley Stadium 6 July 1996
6 Vienna, Austria Ernst Happel Stadion 13 July 1996
7 East Rutherford, United States Giants Stadium 20 July 1996
8 Gothenburg, Sweden Ullevi Stadium 26 July 1996
9 Munich, Germany Olympiastadion 3 August 1996
10 Düsseldorf, Germany Rheinstadion 24 August 1996
11 Vancouver, Canada BC Place 31 December 1996
12 Toronto, Canada SkyDome 4 January 1997
13 Melbourne, Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground Marco Armiliato 1 March 1997
14 Miami, United States Pro Player Stadium James Levine 8 March 1997
15 Modena, Italy Stadio Alberto Braglia Benefit concert 17 June 1997
16 Barcelona, Spain Camp Nou World Tour 13 July 1997
17 Madrid, Spain Teatro Real Benefit concert Marco Armiliato 8 January 1998
18 Paris, France Champ de Mars 1998 FIFA World Cup James Levine 10 July 1998
19 Tokyo, Japan Tokyo Dome World Tour 9 January 1999
20 Pretoria, South Africa Union Buildings Marco Armiliato 18 April 1999
21 Detroit, United States Tiger Stadium James Levine 17 July 1999
22 Vienna, Austria Konzerthaus Christmas concert Steven Mercurio 23 December 1999
23 San Jose, United States San Jose Arena World Tour Marco Armiliato 29 December 1999
24 Las Vegas, United States Mandalay Bay Events Center 22 April 2000
25 Washington, D.C., United States MCI Center James Levine 7 May 2000
26 Cleveland, United States Browns Stadium Marco Armiliato 25 June 2000
27 São Paulo, Brazil Estádio do Morumbi 22 July 2000
28 Chicago, United States United Center Benefit concert János Ács 17 December 2000
29 Seoul, Korea Jamsil Olympic Stadium World Tour 22 June 2001
30 Beijing, China Forbidden City 23 June 2001
31 Yokohama, Japan Yokohama Arena 2002 FIFA World Cup 27 June 2002
32 Saint Paul, United States Xcel Energy Center World Tour 16 December 2002
33 Bath, United Kingdom Royal Crescent 7 August 2003
34 Columbus, United States Schottenstein Center 28 September 2003

Discography

Live concert albums
Title Album details Conductor,
Ensemble,
Performance information		 Certifications
Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert Zubin Mehta
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra
Orchestra del Teatro Municipal di Roma
(7 July 1990, Terme di Caracalla, Rome)		 US: 3× Platinum[55]
UK: 5× Platinum[56]
CAN: 3× Platinum[57]
GER: Platinum[58]
AUT: 2× Platinum[59]
MEX: Gold[60]
BRA: 2× Platinum[61]
The Three Tenors in Concert 1994 Zubin Mehta
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
(16 August 1994, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles)		 US: Platinum[55]
UK: 2× Platinum[56]
CAN: 2× Platinum[57]
GER: 3× Gold[58]
CHE: Platinum[62]
FRA: Platinum[63]
AUT: 2× Platinum[59]
The Three Tenors: Paris 1998
  • Released: 1998
  • Label: Atlantic / Wea
 James Levine
(10 July 1998, Eiffel Tower, Paris)		 US: Gold[55]
UK: Silver[56]
FRA: Gold[64]
AUT: Gold[59]
CHE: Gold[62]
The 3 Tenors Christmas
  • Released: 2000
  • Label: Sony (SK 89131)
 Steven Mercurio
Vienna Symphony Orchestra
(23 December 1999, Vienna)		 US: Gold[55]
UK: Silver[56]
GER: Gold[58]

Filmography
Title Album details Conductor,
Ensemble,
Performance information		 Certifications
Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert
  • Released: 1990
  • Format: VHS / DVD
 Zubin Mehta
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra
Orchestra del Teatro Municipal di Roma
(7 August 1990, Terme di Caracalla, Rome)		 US: 5× Platinum[55]
CAN: 4× Platinum[57]
GER: Platinum[58]
The Three Tenors in Concert 1994
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: Warner Music
  • Format: VHS / DVD
 Zubin Mehta
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
(16 August 1994, Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles)		 US: 5× Platinum[55]
UK: 2× Platinum[56]
The Vision: The Making of the 'Three Tenors in Concert'
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: Warner Music (VHS) / Kultur (DVD)
  • Format: VHS / DVD (as an extra feature)
The Three Tenors: Paris 1998
  • Released: 1998
  • Label: Universal Music / Decca
  • Format: VHS / DVD
 James Levine
(10 July 1998, Eiffel Tower, Paris)		 US: Gold[55]
UK: Gold[56]
FRA: Platinum[64]
The 3 Tenors Christmas
  • Released: 2000
  • Format: VHS / DVD
 Steven Mercurio
Vienna Symphony Orchestra
(23 December 1999, Vienna)

References
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  2. The Music Industry Handbook. Routledge. 2016. p. 219.
  3. Gareth Malone (2011). Music for the People: The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Classical Music. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 34–. ISBN 978-0-00-739618-4. Retrieved 30 July 2013. The association with football must have helped it, but achieving a Guinness world record for best-selling classical music with the Three Tenors in Concert CD shows that a great tune, well sung, has mass appeal even if it is classical.
  4. Noel Hynd (2009). The Prodigy: Author's Revised Edition. Damnation Books. pp. 244–. ISBN 978-1-61572-022-4. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  5. Orient-express Magazine. Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Limited. 1996. p. 32. Retrieved 30 July 2013. The Three Tenors' tour begins on June 29 at the Kasumigaoka National Stadium in Tokyo, then on July 6, it is Wembley Stadium in London, scene of Pavarotti's solo triumph a decade ago. Vienna Prater Stadium follows on July 1 3, the New ...
  6. Dan Fox (2002). Mandolin Gold: 100+ of the Most Popular Selections Arranged for Mandolin. Alfred Music Publishing. pp. 40–. ISBN 978-1-4574-1716-0. Retrieved 30 July 2013. No, the name of this piece is not "O Solo Mio."The correct title means "Oh, my sun." The Three Tenors always got ecstatic cheers when they sang this famous Italian song, and as "It's Now Or Never", the song was a hit for Elvis ...
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  9. Leon Żurawicki (2010). Neuromarketing: Exploring the Brain of the Consumer. Springer. pp. 209–. ISBN 978-3-540-77829-5. Retrieved 30 July 2013. Such was the case of the Three Tenors. When Luciano Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo thought of welcoming their leukemia surviving friend and operatic rival – José Carreras – they came up with the idea of a huge ...
  10. David B. Knight (2006). Landscapes in Music: Space, Place, And Time in the World's Great Music. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 193–. ISBN 978-0-7425-4116-0. Retrieved 30 July 2013. Luciano Pavorotti, Plácido Domingo, and José Carreras or, as they are popularly called, the "Three Tenors", attracted worldwide attention during the 1990 World Cup when six thousand people filled the Roman Baths of Caracalla ...
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  45. "Price-Fixing Charges Upheld". Los Angeles Times. 29 July 2003.
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