Placido Domingo vs Ming the Merciless - Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony BBC1

Posted by Tony Coro under Uncategorized

Good to see Classical music being thrown at the global masses again at the Beijing Olympics closing ceremony. After Lang Lang’s bizarre duet with a baby non-piano-playing Chinese clone at the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony featured Placido Domingo battling it out with a beautiful Chinese folk singer, Song Zuying, who was unfortunately attired in a Ming the Merciless style outfit complete with outrageously large collar. Quite what they were singing escapes me now, so dazzled to distraction as I was by Ming’s effervescent frock. Domingo, dressed like he’d been told he was performing just two minutes beforehand, nevertheless had a good old bash at the tune and, in all fairness, they didn’t make too bad a vocal pairing. Can’t wait to see them together in the revival of Damon Albarn’s ‘Monkey: Journey to the West’.

Not to be outdone by Domingo at the closing ceremony David Beckham brought along his own personal string duo to entertain the world atop a fungus-infected London bus. They played, not quite sure what they played actually, but that’s not the point; they were young, energetic, attractive and the female violinist was wearing some very short shorts indeed. Bravo!