Well, I'll add my stone to the edifice of the rumor, but a stone interrogative. This
Werther given at the Opera Bastille in a pretty elegant staging by Jürgen Rose, beautifully conducted by Kent Nagano (yes, I like the directions of international standard with full details and we will normally scratch because the style does is not French, include wheezing like Plasson) and a beautiful voice board with Susan Graham, Ludovic Tézier Alain Vernhes.
But the corridors buzzing with rumors about the vocal health of Rolando Villazon.
Flash Back. Two years ago. Les Contes d'Hoffmann at Bastille. Stormed by the public queues last minute crazy, Villazon is the star to be understood. Capital sympathy he enjoys is huge, almost everyone is convinced that he will hear an event.
Today. The queues are more sparse. It must also say that Werther attracts less likely that the Tales of Hoffmann. But what is different is the atmosphere. The lines buzzing with comments on the status of the voice of lead singer. Everyone seems to want to bring his expertise. Certainties fuse "the voice is damaged, for sure" and has his theory about why the problems, overwork, amateurism in the choice of roles, lack of preparation, heavy roles chosen.
And the debate is not confined to the public of the most painful of the opera, thanks to an article in a boundless stupidity of Marie-Aude Roux in Le Monde, are all aware of the rumor.
What is the origin of the rumors? Just after the Tales of Hoffmann Bastille, Villazon was arrested three months. "The doctors said six months' provide experts who, in addition, must be in the doctor's office when Villazon consulted. Finally, I guess, otherwise how would they know what they say doctors, or is it just malicious gossip?
Since his return, Villazon is the subject of the worst scans. Any representation canceled is the source of speculation of all kinds, any quack recorded pirate is immediately relayed to YouTube learned with flood of comments on this incident would mark the undeniable decline of tenor voice premature.
But between the two performances I attended, actually, what we hear?
A character, always the same, which gives everything on stage. Too, say the Cassandras. The voice is beautiful, radiant. The actor is disarming, awkward but charismatic beyond anything I know. It carries all the reticence in his first appearance on stage. His diction French is a bit strange, probably because of an issue which I think is very throat. I feel it is a very good diction, though accented vowels and consonants with all but the huge Bastille these qualities are lost, it would require a more intimate room. But it is Rolando Villazon, and rightly triumph every time. But still, the damage is done. The comments are a bit skeptical, nobody wants to join without noting that "it knows that there is a problem."
But who knows what, exactly? Nothing.
Rolando Villazon ensures that there is no problem. After the hearing, I do not recall such large differences between the two services, two years apart.
Is what he says true? After all, I have no evidence to say otherwise. But I did not hear voice hidden in deep trouble when he sang Hoffmann, and again in difficulty in Werther, from my skepticism that I compare two of the same singer in her bad days? I do not know. I find that there is little concrete and lots of rumors in these stories.
The music journalists, themselves, do not get wet, but they attack so insidious suddenly praising the merits of the version sung baritone Werther by Ludovic Tézier, as if to say "word to the wise, hello!".
I find it distasteful, loose, only latent and malicious attacks.
I am tempted to trust Rolando Villazon. It was extraordinary in this Werther, why not say so? And wait to see next season how things evolve, as the directions of operas continue to trust him and engage him in a very busy schedule. If there is problem, then we'll see if there are none, this period has been an unpleasant interlude in the career of a singer it was fashionable to praise without reserves two years ago and then denigrate without accurate information this year.
Me I'm impatient. And happy to see that the audience applauded in every performance, more than deserved.
Edit: So there was indeed a problem, this time recognized. Rolando Villazon is repaired vocal cords, announced April 29. It doiut stop until the end of the year.
Good luck! and good recovery!
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