Comments on: it takes a villars

Mark Moseley commented

Mark Moseley — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:25:08 +0000

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.

harry commented

harry — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 09:40:20 +0000

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.

Ed commented

Ed — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:43:01 +0000

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.

leontyneschiava commented

leontyneschiava — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:36:58 +0000

BIG….yes he is….burly leather queen may be a stretch.

Ortrud commented

Ortrud — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:46:40 +0000

T1, THANK YOU for catching my mistake. Robert Dean Smith was the Florestan in the Seville 07 Fidelio. He was very impressive!

wotan_in_inman commented

wotan_in_inman — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:46:33 +0000

Re #74 . . . “Is there any other . . .” Yes, I think one could safely say politics.

harry commented

harry — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:28:28 +0000

Perhaps he was not fond of the way, Florestan was bound ‘in bondage’ in this production???!!! After all there is a right way and a wrong way… for some people. It can pot some people off their game.

# 86. On January 26, 2009 at 10:36 am, balabanov11 muttered:

re:21 = and one could assume the Villars is using his own costumes in this production, as I understand he is a big burly leather queen.

trappole commented

trappole — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:26:32 +0000

78 – Leontyneschiava – Spill, Miss Thing! Spill! LOL

balabanov11 commented

balabanov11 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:36:02 +0000

re:21 = and one could assume the Villars is using his own costumes in this production, as I understand he is a big burly leather queen.

Will commented

Will — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:29:49 +0000

The Villars story in barebones form was reported in today’s NY Times

I have seen and heard Brandon Jovanovich three times in performance: 1) in Jonathan Dove’s Flight in Boston (where he had a hook up with another male character that I wished hadn’t been mostly off-stage); in Richard Rodney Bennett’s The Mines of Sulphur (where he played a hot, violent hunk); and as Turridu at NYCO, doing pretty well, I thought.

He’s a tall, good looking man, with a nicely sized medium weight tenor, excellent acting skills, and a lot of presence. He will definitely not have the same physique du role that we are familiar with in the iconic Grimes of Jon Vickers or of current, excellent Grimes, Anthony Dean Griffey.

T1 commented

T1 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:26:06 +0000

Ortrud—were there two productions of “Fidelio” in Seville?
In 2007, Robert Dean Smith sang Florestan there, not Griffey. RDS indeed sang the role of Florestan very well.

albatrossity commented

albatrossity — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:06:22 +0000

In regards to comment # 82, sometimes we get locked into a certain look and age for certain roles, when neither has really been indicated by the libretto. As long as the ages and looks are believable in the plot, why not go for something different? Old people have sex lives, people fall in love with fat people, an old witch can be timelessly beautiful and the town drunk can be a young man.
Sometimes a certain look becomes a tradition because it was defined that way by a particular artist and people come to expect it. If the portrayl is honest and well executed, the audience is usually very accepting of such changes. It’s when the changes aren’t logical with plot, and the effect the composer was trying to convey is warped beyond recognition that the audience in general feels annoyed and cheated.

Willym commented

Willym — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:03:32 +0000

Slightly off topic but it concerns a tenor so…
Going to see Peter Grimes at San Carlo on Friday with a young American tenor Brandon Jovanovvich singing the Peter. I’m not familiar with him. Any thoughts or opinions?

Also looking at pictures he seems a bit young – and I might add too good looking – for the role. But that could give the opera with so many levels, one more dimension.

harry commented

harry — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:58:46 +0000

Thanks Feldmarschallin (Commnet 76) for clearing up that point about Jon Fredrick West.

harry commented

harry — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:56:09 +0000

Tim Comment 75…adding to your comments about Bjorling,rhe fact that I mentioned the year of recording ‘Ballo’ one year out (as 1961) is neither here nor there. From recording to its release can be a far duration. I believe that Decca faced a real crisis with Bjorling. It has been stated that he was found in his hotel absolutely depressed as well as ‘wildly blotto’. If someone is ‘a professional’, you deliver your contractual commitments. Bjorling was not fit to do the recording. I am sure that whatever Solti’s opinions may have been,they would not be the ONLY opinion that the Decca producers used to come to the final decision to remove Bjorling from the recording. Decca had a another ‘drop -out’ situation with Di Stefano from their Mefistofele (Tebaldi) recording. Whatever the cause, I do not know. Decca completed their Mefistofele with Del Monaco. Many years later, all of Di Stefano’s previous recorded contributions to the project were released by Decca on separate CD release.. Does anyone know the facts behind that Decca ‘Mefistofele -Di Stefano saga’?

Ortrud commented

Ortrud — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:29:47 +0000

“Florestan, although notoriously difficult like Leonore, is VERY short. The tenor doesnâ€™t even come on until the second act, and then only sings one aria, a short duet, and an ensemble. It has resulted in many tenor disasters though which can be excruciating to sit through, either as fellow cast member or member of the audience.”

Actually, there is a bit more to the role than just an aria, short duet and ensemble. There is in addition the trio “Euch werde Lohn” with Leonore and Rocco and the quartet “Er sterbe!” with the trio characters plus Pizarro. Of course, Florestan is not a long role, particularly in the helden tenor fach, but it is tiring. I’ve only heard one tenor make it through the aria without losing steam or cracking – Anthony Dean Griffey was quite impressive in the role a couple of years ago in Seville.

I heard Jon Villars sing Bacchus in a concert Ariadne with the Minnesota Orchestra many years ago. Not a bad performance of a difficult role, although I agree with the assessment that the middle and lower voice are produced oddly. I was wondering what had happened to him, hadn’t heard or seen much of him in the last few years. I’m sorry that he felt the need to flip the bird while performing the role of Florestan. Beethoven’s Fidelio deserves more respect and that kind of behavior is uncalled for. If there is an issue, discuss the matter afterwards with the conductor and act like an adult. Respect the music, please.

leontyneschiava commented

leontyneschiava — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:05:36 +0000

Jon was my roomate in college…..oh the stories I could tell!!!!!!

albatrossity commented

albatrossity — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:30:54 +0000

What do I think of Oren? I think he’s a pig. Conductors can be pigs too, with total disregard for the music, the singers or anything that is happening on stage. I agree that a conductor cannot do a singer’s job, but sometimes a conductor prevents a singer from doing their job. That is when singer star power can have its advantage. Unfortunately singer star power can wreak havok when the the conductor is the one who knows what he is doing. The one with the most talent should have the final say. Now who is going to decide that? That is when the general director is supposed to step in, but that requires real knowledge and musical sensibilities on the part of the general manager. How many general managers can really do that today?

Feldmarschallin commented

Feldmarschallin — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:51:26 +0000

Villars didn’t sing the Tristan opposite Meier. That was Jon Frederick West. He is even worse than Villars.

Tim commented

Tim — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:11:30 +0000

Harry (#66): Aside from the fact that Jussi died in 1960 I refer you to Cornell McNiel’s account of the recording in Farkas’ biography “Jussi” in which he states that JB showed up for rehearsal on time and in shape anxious to do the recording. My point is very simply that Herr Solti when presented the opportunity to record Ballo with the preeminent Riccardo of his generation should have had the wisdom and humility to make allowances for a singer who admitedly could be difficult. In other words, in the persuit of art it’s ok to take a little shit.