Album review: Placido Domingo, Verdi (Sony)

Having performed all Verdi's great tenor arias, Placido Domingo has turned his attention to the baritone repertoire, usually reserved for the more villainous characters, to whom Domingo's access to a comfortable higher register brings a more powerful presence. The collection includes excerpts from Simon Boccanegra, the role that has most helped usher in this phase of the singer's career, along with strong performances revealing the dignity and self-knowledge of Macbeth in his final aria, "Perfidi! All'anglo contro me v'unite!", and negotiating Triboulet's shift from anger to supplication in "Cortigiani, vil razza dannata" from Rigoletto.

Download: Che parli tu di morte?; Cortigiani, vil razza dannata; Perfidi! All'anglo contro me v'unite!