?????????
Do not misunderstand me--I really enjoy this recording. But, I find that it leaves me in a dilemma.
Is this a Placido Domingo recording? It certainly displays his virtuosity and his versatility. Versatility in singing in a genre we are not accustomed to hearing from him, but one that is certainly engrained in his background. Versatility in vocal range; there are some beautiful low notes with a definite baritone timbre, which we do not usually hear from him. And, of course, who can not love the highs?
Or, is this an Ernesto Lecuona recording. Surely, the music is rich with his heritage. From the familiar "Siboney" and "Malaguena," to the other selections we would not likely have heard otherwise, the music is beautiful. The orchestrations are filled with the Latin beat. But, they have a tendency to dominate, rather than support the singer.
Do not misunderstand me--I really enjoy this recording. I just am not sure what it was intended to be.

Gran album y gran señor.
Un super album de Domingo, para los amantes de la musica de Ernesto Lecuaona con sus mejores temas un gran disco para el romance.

Domingo con Lecuona: Combinacion maravillosa!
Glorious combination: Ernesto Lecuona and Placido Domingo!
Ernesto Lecuona was a virtuoso pianist and a composer of both classical and popular music. He wrote compositions for piano, opera, zarzuela (Spanish light opera), movie scores, and popular songs. He incorporated the rhythms of Cuban popular song (including afro-cuban) into his music. Placido Domingo and the Royal Philharmonic Orquestra provide a wonderful introduction to Lecuona's music. Songs like "Siboney," and "Malaguena" are standards in the repertoire of opera singers and require great voices to do them justice. "Maria la O" is from Lecuona's zarzuela of the same name. The songs on this CD are gorgeous, Placido Domingo sings them beautifully, and the accompaniment is wonderful. The two songs with more pronounced afro-cuban rhythms--"Canto Karabali" and "La comparsa"--are less suited to this kind of production, but the other 9 songs are so wonderful, I can overlook this. A real bonus--this CD includes liner notes and complete lyrics in Spanish, with translations into English, French and German.