“Rolando Villazón makes an exciting role debut as the lovable lout Papageno.”
“Die Zauberflöte is an opera!” “No, it’s the first musical comedy!”
“Paul Appleby will sing the role of Don Ottavio in this season’s September and October performances of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, replacing Rolando Villazón, who has withdrawn due to illness.”
When Norman Lebrecht is declaring on an almost daily basis that classical music is dead, it’s perhaps heartening that four of today’s prominent tenors have recently released what might be called fluff/vanity albums.
UPDATE, Tuesday, 7:45 AM: The Met sent out a press release at 1:27 AM New York time today announcing major changes to its roster for the tour of Japan this month. La Cieca has revised the following gossip item (which appeared at 11 PM last night) to reflect the Met’s confirmations.
“Rolando Villazon brought in renowned mime and clown Nola Rae to help out with his directorial debut, Werther, which opened tonight in Lyon.” [Nouvel Observateur via Intermezzo]
As we look forward to New Year’s Eve and to the gala opening of Willy Decker’s La Traviata at the Met, it seems fitting to look back—by way of the official, live, DVD recording of the production’s sensational world premiere at the Salzburg Festival in 2005—to get some sense of what’s behind all the hype.…
Congratulations to tenor Stephen Costello, who today was officially awarded the ceremonial title of Villazóneinspringer at the Vienna State Opera. No, actually, he’s jumping into two performances of La boheme, replacing Rolando Villazón, on September 6 and 9.
Every time La Cieca says she’s through once and for all reading Norman Lebrecht, that middlebrow minstrel of the maestro myth soars to new heights of noisomeness. This time (yet again) it’s about how utterly callous those silly opera singers are for canceling (imagine!) when they’re too sick to sing.
“Mexikanische Startenor” Rolando Villazón has canceled tomorrow night’s performance of L’elisir d’amore at the Munich Opera Festival due to an “acute infection.” Speaking of “a cute,” substituting in the role of Nemorino will be puppylicious Pavol Breslik. [via]
“World class tenor Rolando Villazón is ‘excited’” [Metro.co.uk]
What ever would we do without YouTube?
Early reports indicate that Rolando Villazón was back in form last night for his return to the stage in L’elisir d’amore at the Vienna Stage Opera.
According to first reports, Rolando Villazón enjoyed a much-applauded success earlier this evening at the Vienna State Opera as Nemorino, his first staged opera performance in almost a year.
Three seasons of cancellations, a schlocky “reality” show, that haircut, and now… Rolando Villazón has gone full “Dr. Patch.” [Yahoo News]
Katherine Jenkins, C-list Britpop has-beens… and Rolando Villazón in a ginormous jewfro. No, this does not bode well.
Rolando Villazón has announced the schedule for his next comeback: L’elisir d’amore in Vienna on March 22, followed by Yevgeny Onegin in Berlin March 26 – April 2. [AFP]
What’s opening at the Met tonight may turn out to be a mere bagatelle next to a version of Les Contes d’Hoffmann “filmed in 3D and HD video, featuring 1000 extras, 150 musicians and chorus members from the Paris Opera, 50 dancers and 20 of the world’s greatest singers,” according to the blog By George.
It’s been rumored, but you know how La Cieca feels about rumors. Anyway, here’s some solid proof that Joseph Calleja has been engaged for the Met’s new production of Les Contes d’Hoffmann set for a December 3, 2009 opening.
Natalie Dessay crosses over with Michel Legrand. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/x7VyXKAvNV0″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] This clip is one of a number of “Perle Nere” selections (including some classic filth) to be found on YouTube channel The Cucumber Masked. (For the record, your doyenne will state that she thinks the inclusion of Rolando Villazón material at this…
Rolando Villazón “should be well enough to return to the stage by the end of the year” after having surgery “to remove a cyst on his larynx” according to his concert management. Among the engagements Villazón is expected to cancel are Werther in Vienna and Munich, Nemorino in Los Angeles and Paris, and a new…
As you all know by now, Rolando Villazón is out of the rest of the performances of L’elisir at the Met. The Met press office held on to this news until after 7:00 tonight, which is perhaps some indication of just how bad the Met considers this news to be. This is what La Cieca…
Per the Met’s press office, Erin Wall will make her house debut Met debut as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and will also sing the remaining performances of the season through the 24th. Wall replaces Barbara Frittoli, who will sing Donna Elvira instead, replacing Soile Isokoski, “who has withdrawn from the four performances due to…
Since we in New York are not going to hear Rolando Villazon until (at the earliest) April 8, La Cieca thought it would be interesting to share a recent document of his singing. Here’s a scene from Act 3 of Werther, as sung in Paris earlier this month. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/1EpdcOzw8o4″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] (Thanks,…
Tell us: Filth or dementia?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
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