This is one of the best books this reader has ever read because it looks at how a top musician becomes so. The author points out that hard work is how Domingo became so good at everything he did. Rehearsals are followed and the detail is riveting particularly if you’re a musician yourself. Great colour photos as well.
The biography follows Domingo from his early days when he studied piano at a conservatory in Mexico then his development as a singer and conductor
Thoroughly recommended and well written ( )

Behind the scenes with Placido Domingo, the reader discovers the blood, sweat and tears which go into the staging of an opera. Productions at four of the world's great opera houses are featured: Wagner's "Die Walkure" at the Vienna State Opera; Giordano's "Fedora" at La Scala in Milan; Puccini's "La Boheme" at the Los Angeles Opera; and Verdi's "Stiffelio" at the New York Metropolitan. We follow Domingo from the initial auditions through the sheer hard work of rehearsal and the hours spent alone at the piano, to costume fittings and the final triumphant performance, with ecstatic plaudits from audience and critics alike. Into this framework Snowman has woven a portrait of Domingo the man, from his early years in Spain and his operatic debut, to his rapid rise to the position of international superstar. The author also examines many questions about opera. How does Domingo compare with Carreras and Pavarotti? Why does opera cost so much to put on? Is opera merely a museum art? What will Domingo do when he can no longer sing? All this combines to bring the reader a guide to the world of opera today.