
Italian producer Mario Dradi conceived the idea of the concert. The first concert was held to raise money for Carreras Foundation, also was for Domingo and Pavarotti's friends, a way to welcome your friend in the world of opera after his successful treatment of leukemia.
The three continued singing together in concerts produced by Hungarian Tibor Rudas and other producers, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles for the final match of the FIFA World Cup 1994 in the Champ de Mars under the Eiffel Tower during the Cup 1998 World Cup and Yokohama for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He also played in other cities around the world, usually performing in stadiums or other large spaces. In Chile, a similar presentation was made, under the name of Chile Santiago three tenors sing, inspired by the performances of Domingo, Pavarotti and Carreras in the final World Cup Italy 1990, USA 1994, France 1998 and Korea Japan 2002.
The concerts were a huge commercial success, and were accompanied by a series of highly successful recordings including Carreras-Domingo-Pavarotti: The Three Tenors in Concert (which holds the Guinness world record for the best selling album of classical music) The Three Tenors in Concert 1994, The Three Tenors: Paris 1998, The Three Tenors Christmas, The Best of The Three Tenors. Zubin Mehta conducted the performances in 1990 and 1994. The Paris concert was conducted by James Levine.
The Three Tenors repertoire ranging from opera, Broadway and Neapolitan songs to pop hits. Its characteristic signature includes Nessun dorma from the opera Turandot by Puccini, and the ballad "O Sole Mio Italian.
The Three Tenors phenomenon was applauded by many for introducing opera to a wider audience, but some opera purists rebuked them, saying (in her words) was not music for millions (of people), but by the Music million (money) in view of large payments (over U.S. $ 1 million per person), three singers and the conductor Zubin Mehta received. Some critics believe that the presentation of opera in stadiums like Wembley, heavy amplifiers, contributes little to the understanding and appreciation of opera as a Gesamtkunstwerk (complete work) as Wagner conceived. "I understand the complaints of purists," Domingo said to an interviewer in 1998. "But purists do not want to go to the Three Tenors"