Search - Georges Bizet, Gaetano Donizetti, Friedrich von Flotow :: Opera Recital [Includes Bonus DVD]

Villazon Shows His Range

Janet Bedell | Baltimore, Maryland USA | 03/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
On his third solo CD, Rolando Villazon shows again the wonderful qualities that make him stand apart from other tenors of his generation. The sheer sound of his voice - dark and virile in the lower and middle registers, bright and glowing on top - immediately seizes the listener's attention. But beyond that, Villazon impresses by his musical sensitivity and intelligence and, above all, by his remarkable focus on expressing his texts.The energy and subtle nuances of his singing all seem to come from his response to the words. And here he engages creatively with texts in four languages, rather than a single language as in his previous disks. The two arias that especially make this disk a keeper are Bizet's "Je crois entrendre encore" ("The Pearl Fishers") and Tchaikovksky's "Kuda, kuda" ("Eugene Onegin"). The Bizet is a superb example of soft singing spun out on long breaths with gorgeous high notes, some sung in an ethereal head voice. Beautifully sung and expressed, "Kuda, kuda" is full of passion and regret - mesmerizing! Here Villazón shows with his voice alone the great actor that he is live on the stage! I highly recommend the accompanying DVD made from the recording sessions. It's absolutely delightful and shows the humor, charm, and high energy that make Villazón such an appealing performer and personality. But be warned: Rolando Villazón is absolutely habit-forming! After hearing him, all other current young tenors, with the exception of Floréz, pale by comparison."

Another winning recital

Robert Petersen | Durban, South Africa | 03/09/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow! Villazon, in his 3rd recital for EMI/Virgin manages to deliver the goods yet again. Try and get this version as it comes with a 40 minute bonus DVD of the recording sessions. After watching this documentary, you will realise why Villazon is so highly sought-after"

5 golden stars to Rolando

PhantomOfTheOpera | Norway | 08/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was beginning to fear that there wouldn't be anyone to take over the throne from my favourite tenor - José Carreras, as all up-and-coming tenors I've heard lately has failed to impress me. That is, until now. I watched the concert with Domingo, Netrebko and Villazón from this years' football world championship and I immediately fell in love with Villazón. His charm as well as his extraordinary singing capabilities won me over. His tone is golden, warm and dark and - thank God - he's much less nasal than Domingo. His breath control is also outstanding and his singing seems effortless. I bet he can hold a note longer than even Pavarotti back in his heydays could......



Anyway, I bought this album which includes a bonus dvd and I haven't been able to tear myself away from the television set ever since. It's really fun watching Villazón in the studio making the cd. He's very dedicated to his singing, but the overall tone in the recording studio is jovial and he's joking and having fun with everyone while still managing to deliver some seriously wonderful singing. And the way he interrupts himself at the beginning of "La fleur" is just charming. I couldn't help but laugh when he slaps himself in the back of his head because he was interrupted and corrected when he sang something wrong in Russian. What more can I say? I'm hooked. I love all the arias on the cd, but the ones that really stand out are the Russian "Kuda.... Kuda..." and "Je crois entendre encore". They make my spine tingle - and my knees go woobly....... Really, there's only one thing to say about this cd/dvd - BUY IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!"