Goya: A Life in Song

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. Sony made a Spanish-language version of the musical entitled Goya: Una vida hecha canción in 1992. Both albums starred Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo. A song from Goya, "Till I Loved You," became a hit single.

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
Singles from Goya: A Life in Song
"Till I Loved You"
Singles from Goya: Una vida hecha canción
"Hasta amarte"

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Background

Popular opera singer 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]

Releases and singles

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

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. Domingo and Gloria Estefan recorded a version of the number entitled "Hasta amarte" on the Spanish-language Goya: Una vida hecha canción. It reached #8 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart.[4] 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.[5] In spite of that commercial success, the musical has not received a major staging.

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 Placido Domingo) 5:34
3. "Girl With a Smile" (performed by Placido Domingo) 2:05
4. "Till I Loved You" (performed by Placido Domingo and Dionne Warwick USA / Seiko Matsuda Japan / Jennifer Rush UK Europe ) 4:52
5. "Picture It" ([performed by Gloria Estefan and Joseph Cerisano) 4:34
6. "I Will Paint Sounds" (performed by Placido Domingo) 4:48
7. "Viva Espana" (performed by The Tsunami Orchestra and Chorus) 5:35
8. "Once a Time (I Loved You)" (performed by Dionne Warwick) 3:43
9. "I Stand Alone" (performed by Placido Domingo) 3:34
10. "Dog in the Quicksand" (performed by Richie Havens) 3:41
11. "Moving On" (performed by Seiko Matsuda) 2:38
12. "Bon Soir" (performed by Placido Domingo) 2:39
13. "Finale" (performed by Placido Domingo) 1:42
14. "Hasta Amarte (Till I Loved You)" (performed by Placido Domingo and Gloria Estefan) 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. "Latin Music: Hot Latin Songs (1992-06-27)". Billboard.com(Hover over the single's chart listing for "peak performance" and "wks on chart" information.)
5. Official UK Charts - Plácido Domingo