it takes a villars
Heldentenordiva Jon Villars (center, in mohawk) “basically fired himself by walking off the stage” at a public dress rehearsal for the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Fidelio. According to a report in The Globe and Mail, Villars stormed off stage immediately after conductor Gregor Buhl “loudly sang out a few phrases of the tenor’s part” during the second act. Jumping in as Florestan will be Icelandic tenor Jon Ketilsson and later Richard Margison.
BIG….yes he is….burly leather queen may be a stretch.
I was there. It was a bizarre moment, with that kraut shouting like an idiot from the pit. (Richard Bradshaw was famous for this too, but at least he stopped the rehearsal to yell at singers).
The scope from backstage was that Mr. Villars in a previous rehearsal told the conductor he was unable to take that particular point in the music at the fast tempo the conductor wished for. The conductor subsequently took it even faster at the final dress.
For the record, I heard a wonderful Bacchus from Mr. Villars in Paris in 2002.
It is funny that the discussion here is about a ‘crisis’ towards the end of Fidelio.
Go back 20 years, I remember an first night incident where the Leonore and Florestan together , glanced at each other, then decided to take the music one way and the conductor another. Comes curtain call, the ‘fuck wit’ conductor finally appears on stage, went to have sharp words with the soprano, but was blocked by the tenor who threatened to knock him into the orchestra pit. The singers were well known.
Another time this stupid conductor was doing Andre Chenier. He dragged out the 1st Act to a snail pace – 36 minutes. His pacing and execcution of the complex opening chords of Act 3 were a absolute mess. Later the same night this conductor was observed at the ’social’ afterward, (quietly snooping and listening) / ‘overhearing’ a former opera singer go through the faults, one by one..Guess what? The conductor quietly called another rehearsal before the next performance, due 5 days later. All the ‘problems mow corrected….even Act 1 down to 29 minutes….that’s a full 20 per cent, faster. There are some clots / baton beaters around.
I haven’t seen John in years, but the performances I have seen were flawless. Knowing Villars, I would say there were tensions before the event. It takes some doing to get him angered to this point. I would say there is much more to the situation. Villars is very professional. I know him.