Rolando Villazon
Tue, Apr 2 2013, 9:39PM
Does anyone else hear what i hear on listening to Villazon? On the first note of most phrases he slides up to the note. Although I enjoy the quality of his singing I'm beginning to find this distracting, even annoying. I hear this on his earlier recordings so it's not a result of his recent vocal difficulties.
Thu, Apr 4 2013, 2:36PM
#2
RE: Rolando Villazon
In think it was fairly obvious from the start of his career that Villazon would eventually have vocal problems. That much pressure being put on what is essentially a lyric instrument almost inevitably has its consequences. Although I've enjoyed him in the past (his Lensky was particularly good, as was his Hoffman - though even there I think one could hear that this was a size too big for him) I don't take an enormous amopunt of pleasure in his singing these days, though i admit that this is just on the evidence of recordings, not in live performance.
You are not alone, to be honest I never liked his voice that much.
I saw him doing Don Carlos over here in Amsterdam and it was a huge
disappointment.
The DVD of Traviata with Fleming is the worst Alfredo I have in my entire collection.