Goya: A Life in Song

Goya: A Life in Song
Studio album by Plácido Domingo and others
Released March 1989
Genre Classical, Operatic pop
Length 54:04
Label CBS / Sony
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Goya: A Life in Song is a musical theatre work with music and lyrics by American composer Maury Yeston originally released in 1989 as a concept album.

Tenor Plácido Domingo was interested in starring in a stage musical about Spanish painter Francisco de Goya and suggested to producer Alan Carr that Yeston would be the right person to create the vehicle, since Domingo had admired Yeston's work on the musical Nine. Because of Domingo's time commitments, however, the musical was made as a concept album.[2]

Domingo sang the role of Goya, with supporting roles sung by Dionne Warwick, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Rush (who sang Dionne's Parts in the British Release of this Album), Joseph Cerisano aka Joe Cerisano, Richie Havens and Seiko Matsuda (who sang Dionne's Parts in the Japan-only Release Version of this album).[3] The recording was released by CBS/Sony. The score featured one break-out song, "Till I Loved You", which was re-recorded by Domingo with singer Jennifer Rush and became a hit in Europe. The Brazilian edition of the album included a Portuguese version of "Till I Loved You" (Apaixonou) by Domingo and Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira. It was subsequently a US Top 40 hit by Barbra Streisand and Don Johnson. The album itself reached No.36 in the UK albums chart in June 1989.[4] In spite of that commercial success, the musical has not received a major staging.

Not available for 20 years, Masterworks Broadway released a digitally remastered version of the album on September 28, 2010.

Track listing

All titles composed by Maury Yeston

  1. "Overture/Espana" (performed by Paul Hoffert and Plácido Domingo) 4:22
  2. "The Astounding Romantic Adventures of Goya/In the Middle of the 18th Century" (performed by Domingo) 5:34
  3. "Girl With a Smile" (performed by Domingo) 2:05
  4. "Till I Loved You" (performed by Domingo and Dionne Warwick/Seiko Matsuda) 4:52
  5. "Picture It" ([performed by Gloria Estefan and Joseph Cerisano) 4:34
  6. "I Will Paint Sounds" (performed by Domingo) 4:48
  7. "Viva Espana" (performed by The Tsunami Orchestra) 5:35
  8. "Once a Time (I Loved You)" (performed by Warwick) 3:43
  9. "I Stand Alone" (performed by Domingo) 3:34
  10. "Dog in the Quicksand" (performed by Richie Havens) 3:41
  11. "Moving On" (performed by Matsuda) 2:38
  12. "Bon Soir" (performed by Domingo) 2:39
  13. "Finale" (performed by Domingo) 1:42
  14. "Hasta Amarte (Till I Loved You)" (performed by Domingo) 4:50

Notes

  1. Allmusic review
  2. Vitaris, Paul. "The Unsinkable Maury Yeston." Show Music The Musical Theatre Magazine Spring, 1997: 17-23
  3. Allmusic - credits
  4. Official UK Charts - Plácido Domingo