歌唱与指挥

Now as the football World Cup in Brazil reaches its climax next month, the festivities will include a concert featuring the celebrated Spanish tenor Placido Domingo. It'll be his sixth performance in the World Cup.

That's Placido Domingo singing the role of Cavaradossi in Puccini's fast-paced operatic thriller Tosca, set in 1800s' Rome. It's a part he's played many times. But this week in London, he won't be singing. He'll be conducting Tosca. As he told the BBC's John Wilson, the opera has been a constant in his career.

I'd made my debut in, in 71 with Tosca. Ten years later, I sang Tosca again. And ten years later, I conducted Tosca. So 20 years ago I was conducting Tosca.

So you're always bouncing between the twin roles. But as a singer, there must be certain demands or expectations that you have on the conductor in a particular performance. So does that give you, do you, does that lend you extra sympathy for the performers when you are there in the theatre? Are you giving them something special that other conductors maybe wouldn't be able to do?

I don't know. They have to say it. I just know that, with my experience, I really know how to treat singers and I know how to please them.