Controversy over lyrics stalls Placido Domingo's dream of singing Spanish anthem
MILAN, Italy: Placido Domingo says he's always longed to lead his country in a national anthem that unites Spaniards — but acknowledged Wednesday that he'll have to wait a little while longer.
The Spanish tenor was to premiere the new lyrics of his country's anthem — a military march long performed without words — later this month.
But the proposed lyrics were withdrawn Wednesday in Madrid amid criticism that they highlighted the country's right-wing past and do not reflect Spain's cultural diversity.
Domingo said Wednesday that he and the Spanish Olympic Committee that commissioned the lyrics have postponed the Jan. 21 Olympic Committee dinner debuting the lyrics.
"For something as important as a national anthem of your country, we need to have consensus," Domingo said in an interview at La Scala, where he is singing the lead in the opera "Cyrano de Bergerac."
Critics have complained that the proposed anthem — opening with a phrase, "Viva Espana," associated with the late dictator Gen. Francisco Franco — reflects the country's nationalistic past and not its linguistic and cultural diversity.
The Olympic committee had received 7,000 entries, and a jury of six experts — including a musicologist, a historian, a composer and an athlete — settled on one as its official candidate to accompany the 1761 military march that has long been Spain's anthem.
The plan was to collect half a million signatures to seek formal approval in parliament.
But controversy erupted after a newspaper last week leaked the lyrics, which also include a call on Spaniards to "love the fatherland" — seen by some as a swipe at the culturally unique regions of Catalonia and the Basque country.
Domingo said a process would be sought to ensure the words unite Spaniards. It was not yet clear if the proposed text would be tinkered with or if they would start from scratch.
"With so many great writers in Spain, I am sure a solution can be found," he said.
Domingo said he only hopes the idea will not be abandoned entirely.
"It is something I have always felt disappointed and frustrated about," Domingo said. "If there is an important event, you cannot sing along."
While there is no deadline to the project, Domingo said it "would be great" if Spain's Olympians had lyrics to sing at this year's Olympic Games in Beijing.
Le drapeau national espagnol.

Les Espagnols devront attendre encore un peu avant de pouvoir chanter leur hymne national.

La ''Marcha Real'' (''la Marche Royale'') est, en effet, sans paroles, depuis sa composition en 1761. Cependant, le 5 juin 2007, Alejandro Blanco, président du comité national olympique espagnol, a défendu l'ajout de paroles à ''La Marche Royale''.  avait-il alors expliqué.

Six mois plus tard, la proposition qui avait été formulée alors a été provisoirement retirée, après avoir été critiquée et considérée comme représentant l'Espagne franquiste et non la diversité culturelle du pays. Parmi les raisons qui ont provoqué ce retrait, figure la première phrase de chaque strophe  (), qui fait référence à un cri de ralliement au défunt dictateur Francisco Franco. Il a également dit que les Espagnols doivent aimer la . Reconnaissant que les paroles , Alejandro Blanco a déclaré .

Le ténor espagnol Plácido Domingo, partisan de l'ajout de paroles à la ''La Marche Royale'', devait être la première personne à chanter l'hymne national espagnol, lors d'un diner organisé par le comité national olympique, le 21 janvier 2008.