Just speculation...

http://parterre.com/

Rolando will not sing tomorrow !!!

Like the l'opera national de Paris announced at their homepage Rolando will not sing tomorrow. They will play the baritone version with Ludovic Tézier as Werther. They say that he will not sing cause of his medicines' advise !
Click here to read the whole announcement.

Les contes d'Hoffmann - Met 2009/2010

Le premier rapport de Werther

Catherine a ecrit le premier rapport de la répétition général de Rolando's Werther à l'opera national de Paris hier chez Villazonistas. Clique ici pour lire =)

Rolando sings "Così la tortorella"

Click here for listening =)






Ps: Tomorrow we will know (finally) more about Werther ! ; )

Translation

Here's the promised translation:

And actually you could cheer "We are tenor" well at least a little bit, cause his grand-parents were Germans emigrated to Mexico and they sent him at the German school there. But that's already all with German, everything else of this man is so mexican how it could just be. He is full of spirits, energetic, always conforioso (?) and now this derwish of all fell in love with the german baroque musics' calmness, clearness and contemplativeness, with Georg Friedrich Händel's compositions. How matchs this together and what's the result of it ? We asked him, the charismatic singer Rolando Villazón.

Händel Boom it goes immediately into the heart. My sould makes only huhuhuhuhu. I have to discover new adventures, new yeah adventures and find new paths and learn new languages, I had to work for 6 months and all is so crystal clear, all is so transparent.

A man on expedition - he searched the baroque and found pure, real, vital attitude to life in Händel's arias and this is exactely what he needed after his existential life crisis. 2005 starts his altitude flight with Anna Netrebko in La Traviata. The new all outshining star at the tenor sky with passion, impetus and in fact esprit. Rolando a jack-of-all-trades, crossways through the whole world and finally till the Metropolitan opera in New York. A grueling opera marathon which took their toll in 2007 - Burnout at the age of 35.

All what I lived, no lived ?! experienced is a consequence of a lot of things, of the way of our opera system nowadays and it was inartificial that this 2 or 3 years where a bit too crazy. I had already a lot of dates with the theatre and between I had to give concerts and interviews and recordings and promotion and bbbbbrrrr it was normal, it came a point where everything was too much.

Too much for the Mexican, break for 5 months, gap, return, family. For returning then, more matured, more relaxed. The comeback with Anna Netrebko in the film adaption of Puccini's La Bohème. And now his personal wellness programm Händel, totally right with his search after inner peace.

Where find I this rest, where find I this place where I can be content, where I can breathe ? Nowadays we can not breathe it's only running, running, running, running, running. Händel I'm sure if somebody doesn't know anything about music or if somebody knows a lot about music they will have a fantastic time during listening to Händel.

Easily wonderful, not surprising incidentally by this "affinity".

Something which is I think very, very important about Händel, I saw this picture and he had really huge eyebrows, I think this is very important for a human.

Says he and draws us the Villazón ähhh pardon Händel

Short report about Rolando at ARD

Here's a report about Rolando broadcast at the german tv channel ARD, where he talks about his love for Händel. The translation follows as soon as possible - promised =)

Rolando in Mainz

On 17th May will be a feastful concert in the Mainzer dome with Rolando, Elina Garanca and Diana Damrau cause of the domes 1000th anniversairy. On the programme are acts of Händel, Haydn and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (whom are all celebrating a jubilee this year, too). The concert will be recorded and broadcast on 21st May by ZDF at 12.00 p.m.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch Rolando !

Lieber Rolando,

ich wünsche dir alles, alles Gute zu deinem 37. Geburtstag ! Ich hoffe du hast einen tollen Tag =) Oh Gott wie abgedroschen das jetzt mal wieder alles klingt...ich bin kein Fan solcher Floskeln deshalb hier ein paar "persönlichere" Zeilen. Ich hoffe du bleibst uns noch mindestens so lange erhalten wie Maestro Domingo, es gibt noch so viele Rollen in denen ich dich gerne einmal hören bzw. sehen möchte ! Ja sehen, das ist auch so ein Thema...Leider habe ich für deinen Werther in München kein Ticket mehr bekommen, naja hilft nicht muss ich eben noch warten - auch wenn es sehr schwer fällt ^^ Mich hat noch niemals in meinem Leben eine Stimme so berührt wie deine, ich kann schon gar nicht mehr zählen wie oft ich schon schluchzend, mir die Tränen von den Wangen wischend vor dem CD Player gesessen bin, während eine deiner CDs lief. Mein Herz klopft sofort schneller wenn ich deine Stimme irgendwo höre und mir läuft es heiß und kalt gleichzeitg den Rücken hinunter. Deinem ansteckenden Lachen kann ich mich nicht entziehen, ich habe oft richtig Bauchweh vor lauter lachen wenn ich Interviews von dir lese oder dich im TV sehe. Ich bewundere deine Art mit Menschen umzugehen, so unverkrampft und natürlich. Rolando du bist einfach wundervoll, bleib genauso wie du bist, denn genauso bist du perfekt ! *rot werd* ; )

Sorry for the non-german speaker, but today I felt like writting in german !

It's Capuleti time !

Elina's latest album "Bel Canto" also includes a part out of I Capuleti e i Montecchi with Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Apellio and Matthew Polenzani as Tebaldo.









So which do you prefer ? Well I really like both interpretations, they are great ! So I can only recommend you "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" and "Bel Canto". =)

2 photos of Anna at the Met shop on 5th February

And by the way: "Alles Walzer !" ; )

Rolando Villazón - Händel Arias

"This intimate concert featuring Villazón and the Gabrieli Players under Paul McCreesh was filmed in a setting that ideally suits the style of the music, St. Paul's Church in Deptford, near London, one of Britain's finest Baroque churches."

Click here for the details =)

Some news (in short form ^^)

Click here to watch the Deutsche Grammophon's side for Rolando's Händel album "Arias". There you can watch some videos, listen to 3 tracks out of "Arias", look at some pictures, etc. Very beautiful, interessting and lovely made site =) And now it's finally clear which versions of the CD will be released:










Click here to watch the Deutsche Grammophon's side for Anna's and Elina's recording of I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Very nice pictures there !


Anna will give a concert in Copenhagen (18th September), in Oslo (21rd September) and in Stockholm (24th September) with the Danish Radio Orchestra conducted by Emmanuel Villaume. The concert in Copenhagen was already sold out after 14 minutes !!! Unbelievable...

Hope that I didn't forgot to wright anything. School is really getting on my nerves at the moment, I don't find the time to work at the blog =/ There are still soo many things I have to work on here...better stop thinking about, otherwise I will get crazy..."il fantasma, il fantasma..." ; )

I'm sorry but at the moment I'm very busy at school, so I'm not able to post always the latest news/ many things. On Monday will begin my holidays then I have again more time for the blog ! Promised ! =)

Yours,
Christina(Luise)

Carmen

Carmen, state opera Vienna, Vienna 03rd May 2010 – Elina Garanca (Carmen), Rolando Villazón (Don José), Anna Netrebko (Micaela)ª, Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Escamillo); Choir and Orchestra of the state opera Vienna, Mariss Jansons

Carmen, state opera Vienna, Vienna 06th May 2010 – Elina Garanca (Carmen), Rolando Villazón (Don José), Anna Netrebko (Micaela), Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Escamillo);
Choir and Orchestra of the state opera Vienna, Mariss Jansons

Carmen, state opera Vienna, Vienna 09th May 2010 – Elina Garanca (Carmen), Rolando Villazón (Don José), Anna Netrebko (Micaela), Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Escamillo); Choir and Orchestra of the state opera Vienna, Mariss Jansons

Carmen, state opera Vienna, Vienna 12th May 2010 – Elina Garanca (Carmen), Rolando Villazón (Don José), Anna Netrebko (Micaela), Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Escamillo); Choir and Orchestra of the state opera Vienna, Mariss Jansons

Carmen, state opera Vienna, Vienna 15th May 2010 – Elina Garanca (Carmen), Rolando Villazón (Don José), Anna Netrebko (Micaela), Ildebrando D’Arcangelo (Escamillo); Choir and Orchestra of the state opera Vienna, Mariss Jansons


I will try everything to get a ticket for this performance !

Met season 2009/2010

Today published the Met the new season schedule for the season 2009/2010. Anna and Rolando will stand together on stage in Les contes d'Hoffmann:

Les Contes d’Hoffmann
A powerhouse team joins forces for Offenbach’s psychological fantasy. James Levine conducts, and Tony Award® winner Bart Sher (South Pacific) returns after the triumph of his Met Barber of Seville to direct. Inspired by Kafka, Sher describes his production as “a magical journey in which the character works out different manifestations of his psyche.” Rolando Villazón plays Hoffmann, a tour de force role for the tenor. Also starring soprano Anna Netrebko as the tragic Antonia, Elina Garanca as the ambiguous Nicklausse, and René Pape as the demonic four villains.

Click here for watching the dates.

The new production gala will be on 03rd December 2009. Click here for details.

The 19th Decembers' performance will be broadcast by Met HD.


Furthermore will Anna sing Mimì in La Bohème:

La Bohème
Anna Netrebko stars in the most popular opera in the repertory. Piotr Beczala, who signaled his arrival as a top lyric tenor in last season’s Lucia di Lammermoor, sings his first Met Rodolfo in Franco Zeffirelli’s legendary production. Gerald Finley is Marcello, opposite Nicole Cabell and Ruth Ann Swenson alternating as Musetta.

Click here for watching the dates.

Wow that are great news ! =) I'm really looking forward to Les contes d'Hoffmann because Antonia is one of the roles I want to sing her the most ! Together with Rolando and Elina, could it be better ?! ; ) And it's part of the Met HD serie that's absolutely fantastic ! =)

Reports in the austrian press about Met HD Lucia

Kurier:
Bella Anna ist wieder da

Oper im Kino - Anna Netrebko hat ihre Babypause beendet. Nach St. Petersburg und New York nun auch in Wien. Wenn auch nur virtuell.

Cineplexx-Kinos in Wien und den Bundesländern übertrugen eine Vorstellung von Donizettis Oper "Lucia di Lammermoor" live aus der Metropolitan Opera. Mit einer umjubelten Netrebko in der Titelpartie. Und großem Zuseherinteresse: Am Samstag lief "Lucia" an der Reichsbrücke als einziger Film in zwei (ausverkauften) Sälen.
Alle wollten Anna sehen. Wie sie jeden Ton der vor Liebe wahnsinnig werdenden Lucia mit Leidenschaft und Hingabe versah, wie sie mühelos Koloraturen formte und durch natürliche Intensität glänzte. Und was sie zu Natalie Dessay sagte, die charmant durch den Abend führte. Und alle konnten feststellen: Anna ist wieder da. Etwas scheu vielleicht. Aber da.

Glänzend Alle wollten auch Rolando Villazon als Lucias Geliebten Edgardo sehen. Er erkrankte und so konnten alle den kraftvollen, glänzenden und flexiblen Tenor von Poitr Beczala entdecken. Sehr gut auch Mariusz Kwiecien (Enrico) und Idar Abdrazakov (Raimondo).
Alle durften den umsichtigen Marc Armiliato am Pult des MET-Orchesters hören. Und alle mussten die gut gearbeitete, aber sehr traditionelle Inszenierung von Mary Zimmerman sehen.

oe24:
Applaus für Anna

Die Netrebko live an der Met und übertragen auf die Leinwand: Neun österreichische und 18 deutsche Kinos waren ausverkauft.

Nicht nur die Metropolitan Opera in New York, auch neun österreichische und 18 deutsche Kinos waren am Samstag, 7.2., ausverkauft - denn Anna Netrebko war nach ihrer Babypause wieder an der Met zu erleben. Die Aufführung von Donizettis Oper "Lucia di Lammermoor" wurde live in die ausverkauften Kinos übertragen und lockte dort mehr als 11.000 Besucher an, hieß es am Montag in einer Aussendung. Nicht nur an der Met - auch in den Kinos wurden die Menschen zu Standing Ovations hingerissen.

Eingesprungen

Als wahrer Glücksfall erwies sich auch der für den erkrankten Rolando Villazón kurzfristig eingesprungene polnische Tenor Piotr Beczala, der mit seinem betörenden Gesang das Publikum zu Tränen rührte. Das Publikum lag ihm zu Füßen.

Ausverkauft

Alle achtzehn deutschen und neun österreichischen Kinos waren komplett ausverkauft, das "Cinecitta" in Nürnberg öffnete drei Säle, um dem Ansturm gerecht zu werden, viele Spielstätten wichen in größere Kinos aus.

Netrebko: Magnet für Zuseher

Dr. Herbert Kloiber, dessen Tochterunternehmen Clasart Classic die Live-Übertragungen in Deutschland und Österreich organisiert: "Sicher ist dieser extrem hohe Zulauf dieses Mal auch dem Phänomen Anna Netrebko zu verdanken. Generell haben wir jedoch beobachtet, dass sich die Zuschauerzahlen in den zwei Jahren, in denen wir das jetzt machen, kontinuierlich nach oben bewegen. Die hohe Bild- und Tonqualität sowie die Begeisterung darüber, einem unvergesslichen Ereignis beizuwohnen, haben sich herumgesprochen."

Programm-Highlights der nächsten Monate

In den kommenden Monaten bis Saisonende stehen noch drei weitere Highlights auf dem Programm. Am 07. März wird mit "Madama Butterfly" in der erfolgreichen Inszenierung von Filmregisseur Anthony Minghella eines der beliebtesten Werke der Opernliteratur übertragen. Am 21. März folgt mit Bellinis "La Sonnambula" ein Höhepunkt des Belcantos. Dafür werden auch Natalie Dessay und Publikumsliebling Juan Diego Flórez sorgen. Den Schlusspunkt der Saison bildet Rossinis "La Cenerentola" mit der umjubleten Mezzosopranistin Elina Garanca.

The translations will follow tomorrow, I should better go to bed now because the clock will ring in a few hours...so good night everybody ; )

I'm really sorry but at the moment I don't find the time for translating this all. So this will be rest "a german post"...

La Bohème release in the UK

Like Carlos posted on his blog, will "La Bohème" be released on 02nd March in the UK at the distribution "Axiom Films". Great news ! =)

Rolando sings Händel

Here you can hear Rolando singing "Dopo note atra funeste" from Adriondante of out his new Händel album called "Arias" - which will be international released on 16th March and exactely on 20th March in Germany - during the recording session with Paul McCressh and the Gabrieli Players.



There are different confusing information about his new album, look here














I think that this repertoire suits him very well and it sounds really beautiful, but to be honest I hope that he will not sing too much out of the baroque music, Händel and whatever, in the future.

Rolando at Wetten, dass...?

Rolando will be visiting the german TV show "Wetten, dass...?" which will be broadcast live out of the Olympiahalle in Munich on 21th March 2009. It will be already his 4th visit there. Actually I don't like "Wetten, dass...?" very much but I will sure watch it if Rolando will be there =)

Report about Lucia Met HD and some recordings

I have just returned from the live transmission from the Met of Lucia. It was a very good evening although I was sooooooooo disappointed my Rolando was not singing - the replacement tenor was very good but not Rolando. Anna looked a wee bit fat - the costumes for the production did not suit her and as you know she has gained a little weight having Tiago. Mostly she sang very well but still not as good as before - maybe she is missing her Rolando - certainly the spark was missing from her duets with Edgardo. The audience at the Met gave her a huge ovation - which she did deserve. I am now worried if we will ever hear them together again on stage - I am beginning to believe there is some kind of friction between them. I think Rolando's cold was an excuse and there must be a reason for his cancellation to sing with her in July - I have heard him sing in Russian - we must wait and hear what others think. I have come home tonight and am playing Traviatta with Rolando and Anna - just to keep up my faith in them singing together beautifully with such passion and fun.

Maureen






Thanks to Maureen for her report ! =)

Today's Lucia

What do you all, who have listened to it, think about ?? I listened to it live via Radio and I have to say that I think it was absolutely fantastic !!! Anna sounded as she have never been away from stage ! The madness scene with the cadenza was great ! Are their anyones who watched it live at the Met or in cinema ? Please comment ! We are all interessted in ! =)

Latest report about Anna

This is the latest report about Anna published at the daily newspaper "International Herald Tribune".

A bit plumper, Netrebko enjoys life as a mom

NEW YORK: Anna Netrebko giggled at the prospect of her opera being released on Blu-ray. "So you can see all the pimples?" she said.

Proud mother of a 5-month-old son, the soprano returned to the stage last month for Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," first with two performances at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, then with a run of four at New York's Metropolitan Opera. The final performance on Saturday will be broadcast around the world in high definition.

Since her American debut at the San Francisco Opera in 1995, and especially since her sexy rendition of Violetta in the 2005 Salzburg Festival's staging of Verdi's "La Traviata," Netrebko has been the hottest thing in opera this side of a sweltering night at Bayreuth — which remains UN-air-conditioned.

Having given birth to Tiago Arua on Sept. 5 — the father is hunky Uruguayan baritone Erwin Schrott — Netrebko is a bit plumper these days than the Violetta who scampered across the Salzburg stage in red heels and a clingy red dress.

Upon arriving in New York last October for her first trip after giving birth, she said: "People on the street are still asking me, 'When is your due date?' which is bad."

Splitting time between homes in Vienna and Manhattan, she has a nanny to help with the baby chores. That's important because she's right back into a full schedule. Next up: a revival of Bellini's "Capuleti e I Montecchi" at London's Royal Opera starting March 2, a "Lucia" run at the Vienna State Opera beginning March 14, her Zurich Opera debut in "La Traviata" on April 22, more Violettas in Vienna starting May 4, "La Boheme" in Munich opening May 24 and even more Violettas in San Francisco beginning June 13. That's followed by her role debut in Tchaikovsky's "Iolanta" in Baden-Baden, Germany, on July 18.

The Schrott Tot, as he's known in opera circles, better be a good traveler.

"I have to be careful," she says of future bookings. "Actually, now I have to reschedule my life a little bit because I have a family. I have another very important thing in my life. At first, the biggest difference was dependency, you're losing your freedom. But after that, some other things come in, very nice things. I start to love him — when he smiles to you."

Since some people find the baby's name to be unusual, she explains the story behind it.

"We were thinking a lot. And the name appeared only two days before," she said. "It was this Brazilian Portuguese name, and the second name, Arua, I wanted to be the native Indian from Uruguay. I don't know. I think it's so cool."

It has to do with Schrott's ancestry.

"He is from Uruguay and he has this Indian blood there," she said.

Because Schrott also has a busy international career, with performances scheduled five years in advance, Netrebko was left without her husband for 2 1/2 weeks last September. He had to jet to New York for Mozart's "Don Giovanni."

"He was with me in the hospital, of course" but left after a week. "I was there alone. That was not easy," she said. "That time was difficult."

Will the Schrott Tot grow up to be a famous opera singer?

"I think this baby likes music very much. I can tell already," she said. "But he needs to be a bit grown up to keep attention for a little longer than 20 minutes."


Thanks to Rhodri for the information !

10.000 visits

Today has the blog reached the border of 10.000 visits ! Thank you all for your interest in the blog and the big support !

Yours,
Christina(Luise)

Very bad news...

The first thing I red was this article in the german magazine "Focus"

Villazón abandons Netrebko

Rolando Villazón called the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden off. The role in the opera "Iolanta" doesn't suit him. Anna Netrebko is for now without a duet partner.

The mexican tenor Rolando Villazón cancelled his participation in the opera production "Iolanta" at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. The singer constitutes this move in a letter within, that the role of Vaudemont doesn't suit in the repertoire, on which he wants to concentrate on in the next time, like the Festspielhaus notifyed on Thursday. Who will now sing next to the russian soprano Anna Netrebko, who sings the title role in the Tchaikovsky-opera, wasn't known already.

In defiance one "Werther"

The opera is scheduled on 18th, 21st and 24th. The musical director is Valery Gergiev. The Festspielhaus offers ticket owners, to give back their aquired tickets by price recompense. But he reckons, "that a lot of opera friends will already come just because of Netrebko, Gergiev and the ensemble of the St.Petersburgs' Mariinksy theatre and forgive Rolando the cancellation", said director Andreas Mölich-Zebhauser.

As consolation it should now give a third appointment for the concertant performance of the opera "Werther" by Jules Massenet on 14th June with Villazón and Elina Garanca. The two performances on 7th and 10th are like the Festspielhaus said already sold-out.

This was already a very big shock for me, but then I red at the New York Times (click here for reading the whole article) that Rolando will not sing Lucia on Saturday and that he will be replaced by Piotr Beczala ! OMG what a day ?! Have no more words for all this at the moment...

Rolando didn't sing yesterday

As you can read already at Carlos' blog and opera chic, Rolando didn't sing the yesterdays' performance of Lucia. He was replaced by the italian tenor Giuseppe Filianoti (who is scheduled as Anna's Edgardo at the state opera Vienna, take a look at the calendar for the exact dates)

"Giuseppe Filianoti will sing Edgardo in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor tonight, replacing Rolando Villazón who is ill.

Mr. Villazón is still scheduled to sing Edgardo on February 7 matinee.

Anna Netrebko sings the title role of Lucia, with Mariusz Kwiecien as Enrico, Ildar Abdrazakov as Raimondo and Marco Armiliato conducting"

To be honest I'm very glad of hearing this. Of course I don't want that Rolando is ill and have to cancel at all, but I'm happy about that he cares more about himself ! It's better that he cancelles one production and take a break than singing if he is not feeling well and force his voice.