The world of Placido Domingo By Daniel Snowman
The World of Plácido Domingo (First Edition Collectible Copy)
The Definitive Contemporary Account of the Operatic Stage and Global Career of a Master Tenor
The Definitive Contemporary Account of the Operatic Stage and Global Career of a Master Tenor
Bibliographic Specifications
• Title: The World of Plácido Domingo
• Author: Daniel Snowman
• Publisher: The Bodley Head, London
• Publication Date: 1985
• ISBN-10: 0370305221
• ISBN-13: 9780370305226
• Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover Release.
• Binding: Original publisher's premium cloth boards featuring brilliant metallic foil-stamped lettering across the spine, structurally balanced by matching heavy-gauge contemporary endpapers.
• Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 302 pages. Enriched with central monochrome photographic sections containing rare performance stills, candid backstage portraits, and operational opera schedules.
• Language: English
• Title: The World of Plácido Domingo
• Author: Daniel Snowman
• Publisher: The Bodley Head, London
• Publication Date: 1985
• ISBN-10: 0370305221
• ISBN-13: 9780370305226
• Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover Release.
• Binding: Original publisher's premium cloth boards featuring brilliant metallic foil-stamped lettering across the spine, structurally balanced by matching heavy-gauge contemporary endpapers.
• Physical Format: Octavo (8vo), 302 pages. Enriched with central monochrome photographic sections containing rare performance stills, candid backstage portraits, and operational opera schedules.
• Language: English
Official Condition Report
• The Book: Used – Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Boards: The cloth-covered boards are exceptionally clean, flat, and structurally sound. The geometric corner tips and linear spine edges remain completely square and firm. The spine is perfectly straight, sturdy, uncreased, and undamaged, keeping its tight original retail structural integrity.
o Interior: The inner text block is tight, crisp, and flawlessly secured. All 302 interior pages and photographic layouts are intact, clean, and completely free of handwritten gift inscriptions, private owner names, text highlighting, or dog-ears. Consistent with the natural aging of the paper stocks utilized during this mid-1980s era, there is notable, uniform tanning/browning along the page margins.
o Protection: Professionally housed and safeguarded inside an archival-grade clear Cellophane sleeve to insulate the cloth finish from future handling friction or environmental dust.
• The Dust Jacket: Used – Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Condition: Fully present and enclosed within the protective Cellophane wrap. The jacket exhibits only very limited, minimal signs of minor shelf wear or light micro-creasing at the corners. The graphic cover features a beautiful performance layout, remaining bright, complete, unclipped, and highly presentable.
• The Book: Used – Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Exterior / Boards: The cloth-covered boards are exceptionally clean, flat, and structurally sound. The geometric corner tips and linear spine edges remain completely square and firm. The spine is perfectly straight, sturdy, uncreased, and undamaged, keeping its tight original retail structural integrity.
o Interior: The inner text block is tight, crisp, and flawlessly secured. All 302 interior pages and photographic layouts are intact, clean, and completely free of handwritten gift inscriptions, private owner names, text highlighting, or dog-ears. Consistent with the natural aging of the paper stocks utilized during this mid-1980s era, there is notable, uniform tanning/browning along the page margins.
o Protection: Professionally housed and safeguarded inside an archival-grade clear Cellophane sleeve to insulate the cloth finish from future handling friction or environmental dust.
• The Dust Jacket: Used – Very Good Plus (VG+)
o Condition: Fully present and enclosed within the protective Cellophane wrap. The jacket exhibits only very limited, minimal signs of minor shelf wear or light micro-creasing at the corners. The graphic cover features a beautiful performance layout, remaining bright, complete, unclipped, and highly presentable.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1985 by The Bodley Head, Daniel Snowman's The World of Plácido Domingo stands as a remarkably perceptive, deep-dive exploration into the exhausting realities of international opera stardom. Rather than a standard biographical summary, Snowman provides an all-access, fly-on-the-wall account of Domingo's life at the height of his vocal powers during the early 1980s. The text follows the legendary Spanish tenor across the globe, examining the complex logistics behind major productions at the world's premier opera houses—including Covent Garden, La Scala, and the Metropolitan Opera. Snowman expertly details the intersection of high art, commercial media recording contracts, and intense psychological pressure, documenting how Domingo successfully managed his roles as singer, conductor, and cultural icon. This true first edition serves as an essential historical record for classical music lovers and opera scholars alike.
Published in 1985 by The Bodley Head, Daniel Snowman's The World of Plácido Domingo stands as a remarkably perceptive, deep-dive exploration into the exhausting realities of international opera stardom. Rather than a standard biographical summary, Snowman provides an all-access, fly-on-the-wall account of Domingo's life at the height of his vocal powers during the early 1980s. The text follows the legendary Spanish tenor across the globe, examining the complex logistics behind major productions at the world's premier opera houses—including Covent Garden, La Scala, and the Metropolitan Opera. Snowman expertly details the intersection of high art, commercial media recording contracts, and intense psychological pressure, documenting how Domingo successfully managed his roles as singer, conductor, and cultural icon. This true first edition serves as an essential historical record for classical music lovers and opera scholars alike.
Author Profile: Daniel Snowman
Daniel Snowman (born 1938) is a highly distinguished British social historian, author, and radio producer celebrated for his analytical books on cultural history and musicology. Educated at Cambridge and Cornell Universities, Snowman spent over two decades as a senior producer for BBC Radio, creating deep features on arts and politics. He has written extensively on the cultural impact of classical music, including his critically acclaimed global study The Gilded Stage: A Social History of Opera. His scholarly framework ensures this volume avoids superficial celebrity gossip, offering instead a deeply technical and authentic look into the opera ecosystem.
Daniel Snowman (born 1938) is a highly distinguished British social historian, author, and radio producer celebrated for his analytical books on cultural history and musicology. Educated at Cambridge and Cornell Universities, Snowman spent over two decades as a senior producer for BBC Radio, creating deep features on arts and politics. He has written extensively on the cultural impact of classical music, including his critically acclaimed global study The Gilded Stage: A Social History of Opera. His scholarly framework ensures this volume avoids superficial celebrity gossip, offering instead a deeply technical and authentic look into the opera ecosystem.
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