Reviews

For the first reviews of yesterday in Hamburg click here, here and here =)

(Hope that translations will follow soon, but I'm a little bit busy today...)


Sensual soprano with dangerous intensity

Anna Netrebko, the currently opera‘s most famous diva, needn’t to capture her audience hearts, cause she owns them already.

As the currently most famous opera diva entered the Laeiszhalles’ stage with her breathtaking robe, you dream a short second to be Oskar Matzerath and be allowed to go missing under her skirts with Kashubian dimension and to listen thence to her beautiful voice. But then we pull ourselves together, keep brave our seats and let ears and mind lave in this indescribable feminine melody sound, which La Netrebko let in Lyudmila’s cavatina “Grustno Mne” out of Glinka’s “Ruslan and Lyudmila” stream out of her gorge.

Her always eminent sensual soprano got within the years still more corporal. She shapes each tone like the sound become equivalence yonder bends, which accelerate the men heartbeat. However she isn’t a coquettish female; she sings with a delightful power and unsophisticatedness. Her superb voice is beautiful shaded in the depth and owns a nearly dangerous intensity aloft. During Sylva Varescu’s song “Heia, heia ! In den Bergen ist mein Heimatland” out of the “Gipsy Princess” reeled the coordination between soloist and orchestra, at the aria “Un bel di vedremo” in Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” overtook Anna Netrebko a tiny ailment, which she handled indeed perfect.

The singer herself seems to be happier as at her both previous performances in Hamburg in CCH and at the Derbypark: disengaged, warm-hearted, like the everlasting girl out of the folk. When the fairly Prague Philharmonic choir sings a few beats without her, then she turns around and listens to the singers. This makes the choir happy – and the audience may meanwhile enjoy her beautiful back view.

The Minsk born mezzo soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk had cloth bad luck: she looked like being dressed by the tailoring Cinderella. But what does such outwardnesses mean, if such a subtle and maestoso knows how to deal with her impavid fathoming the depths voice ? La Semenchuk saved at this stars’ gala evening the musical gravity, which sometimes fall behind cause of the event character of this performance. First during her encore, the “Carmen” aria, melt the singer noticeable and let also visual her hair down.

Bryn Terfel has no problems at all with this. The bass-baritone from Wales is the nee pulling focus, an ingenious player and party boy, who affords little, marked acting trimmings, for clarifying the audience his particular roles. As Sportin’ Life out of “Porgy & Bess” by George Gershwin plays he with pleasure the bay boy with a cigarette in the mouth and profane patter. Terfel can bawl and roar, it’s a delight. As type honest guy with Joe-Cocker-appeal is he not above, to announce the not TV watching audience before his encore “The Impossible Dream” out of “The Man From La Mancha” by Mitch Leigh short the intermediate result of the world championship qualifying game Germany against Azerbaijan – in German. That our language is closer to him then the French one – his “Le veau d’or out of Gounod’s “Faust” stayed completely incomprehensible – proved he furthermore at the touching simple and beautiful sang aria by Wolfram von Eschenbach “O du mein holder Abendstern” out of “Tannhäuser”.

The Prague Philharmonics ploughed valiant till reputable through the inclusive encores 20 pieces of the evening. During the instrumental pieces perverted meanwhile the in places bizarre disproportional hand acting of the conductor Emmanuel Villaume the pleasure by taking a look on stage. Should it be valued as a sign of the audiences’ mellowness, that the absolute “Anna ! Anna !” reeling was missing, the people first stand up from the seats in the end and then however lapsed into even already impolite sluggish rhythmical clapping, which couldn’t allure the three sing stars to no more following encores ? The gigantic triumph was this gala anyway not.

All the more this feeds the dream, to hear Miss Netrebko one time a whole evening long, without gain and also without colleagues impetus. Dito Bryn Terfel, dito Ekaterina Semenchuk. For this would have also Oskar Matzerath bang the drum.

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Breathless aspiration

Successfull concert with Bryn Terfel and Anna Netrebko at the Laeiszhalle

Anna Netrebko, the mirror finish soprano from St. Petersburg, and Bryn Terfel, the singing natural phenomenon from Wales, performed the day before yesterday together at the music hall. The both spoiled by success opera singers are indeed worlds apart.

The avowed soccer fan Terfel, who also interlaces short the score at half time of the German and Welsh world champion ship qualifying games at an arias’ begin, plays so smart, variable and intelligent with his imposing bass-baritone voice, is furthermore such a staggering performer, as if comedic clownish Dulcamara out of Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” or as terrifying dark Mephisto out of Gounod’s “Faust”, that we long for him finally again as guest at the state opera.

The thoroughbred singer shimmers like in dreams stylistically appropriate between Belcanto and Verismo, between Gershwin and Wagner, for with giving his encore “The Impossible Dream” follow still in Sinatra’s footsteps. At the concerts’ peak level, the “Te Deum” out of Puccini’s “Tosca”, are it his enigmatic shaded, lurking hushed and first then heroic crowing notes, with which he paces off vocally perfect the operas’ whole emotion chart.

And Anna Netrebko, the by the promotion flossy silver bullet of the commerce classical, who should vindicate the ticket prices of till 350 Euro ? She seems to be likable, very focused and soprano creamy like always. But her stage presence stays on average. Her well controlled voice may got a little bit dramatic and warmer rotundity after her pregnancy, really unique is her beautiful timbre even not now. (I don’t think so at all – her timbre is totally unique…) And her Butterfly, which comes closer with the big aria “Un bel dì vedremo”, stays the false front of a tragically lover.

Too calculated are the affects, she blows the exposed phrases with too much air, so that her breath runs out for the big aspiration legato. In the duet “Quanto amore” out of Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore”, which she plays and acts adorable together with Bryn Terfel, instead she catchs with coquettish bel canto chirp, light voice and easy parlando. Bellini’s keenly awaited “Sonnambula” aria deprived she us instead: for Netrebko’s fans a meagre result of an exiguous concert, which hold besides Terfel the Prague Philharmonic under Emmanuel Villaume and the mezzo Ekatarina Semenchuk engaged running.

Article at the Hamburger Abendblatt cause of Anna's upcoming concert at the Laeiszhalle

She combines carnality, beauty and voice
Wistfulness and joie de vivre: Opera gala with Anna Netrebko

Cause of the world class voices it could be the concert of the year, when the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and the Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel enter the stage of the Laeiszhalle on 09th September.

The young diva is after her baby break - junior Tiago get one year old this Saturday - in the best of voice, how her first concerts and avid critics show. Recently she already took the risk, normally rather chary with such things, to give a Liederabend with Daniel Barenboim as piano partner at the Salzburger Festspiele, which makes totally other demands on the creativity of a voice as the more robust singing at the opera stage.

The "Süddeutsche Zeitung" attested her aside from a "adorable pianissimo": "The always balmy undercoat of her voice got still darker, fuller. Maybe she had to force the highs a little bit more then before, but she is there - immaculate and clear." And talks of the "magnificent sound intoxication" of her exuding voice.

Anna Netrebko got even more self confident. She knows, that her voice changes; her already velvet dark touched soprano gains incremental on dramatical format, but she also uses her strong point, which catapulted her into the soprano fach world league: the incomprehensible homogeneity over the whole vocal range - without least traces of index change. She is really take to it like the duck to water, if the arias are about Russian wistfulness and foaming joie de vivre.

In Hamburg she sings the coming Wednesday at the Laeiszhalle - and world class vocal perfection will be there twice: With Bryn Terfel assists Netrebko one the bigs at the bass-baritone fach. He sings - the program has meanwhile been completed - arias out of Gounod's "Faust", Wagner's "Tannhäuser" and Puccini's "Tosca". Anna Netrebko adds inter alia a scene out of Glinka's "Ruslan and Lydmilla", gives the "Barcarola" at the Markusplatz in Venice out of Offenbach's "Les contes d'Hoffmann" its wistful passion back and sings also "Un bel di vedremo" out of Puccini's "Madame Butterfly".

Both are accompanied, and also the Russian mezzo colleague Ekaterina Semenchuk who joins at this gala, by the Prague Philharmonia Orchestra and the Prague Philharmonic Choir, under the direction of Emmanuel Villaume.

No concert at the red square ?!

The concert isn't on Jonas' schedule anymore, his first date at this season is first on 15th at the ROH.

Furthermore this is out of the latest interview of Bryn Terfel with the Hamburger Abendblatt (cause of his concert together with Anna in Hamburg this month):

[...]Actually was even a concert at the red square in Moscow planned, where next to Netrebko and Terfel also the at the moment precious tenor Jonas Kaufmann was named to sing. This date was cancelled, the perfomance in Hamburg remained. Without Kaufmann.[...]

Really sad that she will now not sing together with Jonas =( I think she should sing with him more often ! Their voices are matching good together !

Vocal chord cyst: Villazón cancels Hamburg concert

Startenor muss in Kürze am Kehlkopf operiert werden

Stimmbandzyste: Villazon sagt Hamburg-Konzert ab

Die von der Absage betroffenen beiden Konzerte am 30. April in Berlin und am 8. Mai in Hamburg sollen im kommenden Jahr nachgeholt werden.

Rolando Villazon muss wegen einer Stimmband-OP alle Konzerte absagen. Foto: dpa
Der Startenor Rolando Villazón wird in Kürze am Kehlkopf operiert und muss daher bis zum Jahresende pausieren. Das Management von Villazón sagt deshalb sämtliche Auftritte ab. Bei dem Sänger ist eine Stimmbandzyste diagnostiziert worden, die eine baldige Kehlkopfoperation erforderlich macht. Die von der Absage betroffenen beiden Konzerte am 30. April in Berlin und am 8. Mai in Hamburg sollen im kommenden Jahr nachgeholt werden

Rolando's latest interview

Here's the translation of Rolando's latest interview with the german newspaper "Hamburger Abendblatt", I think it's really, really worth reading it ! =)

Interview: A life at the fast lane

"I am more than just an opera singer"

Music is also theraphy for Rolando Villazón. With the Abendblatt talks the star tenor about conquered loss of form, the go for the literature and about own tears at the opera.

Rolando Villazón worked and lived for years on the fast lane. He was celebrated internationaly, made open air concerts, sang at big opera houses and at festivals. He exercised on an electrical bull at Thomas Gottschalk's "Wetten, dass..?", he shot a "La Bohème" film adaptation with his best-known stage partner Anna Netrebko. But in summer 2007 was the star tenor radically thwart by his voice and his psyche. A six months lasting voice crisis forced him, thinking basically about himself and his career. He came back last summer to the Salzburger Festspiele; a few weeks ago at the New York's Met was he so indisposed, that he had to interrupt. Now a new album is released, which he had recorded last spring: Suitable for the jubilee year sings Villazón Händel arias. Baroque repertoire which normally don't suit to his voice. But therefor perfect to his changed attitude. This CD was the reason for a very honest dialogue in Paris. The topic ? By far not only music.

Abendblatt:
Baroque of Händel - and you as a lyrical tenor, who got known with much later repertoire ? Surprising.
Villazón:
I also already sang Monteverdi's "Combattimento". And after that it was quite plain to me: I love singing such music. I am a singer - not only an opera singer who sings exclusively very certain roles. No, I am more than this. I am musician, I have a voice, and I want to serve this music. This is no extravagant project, which I have done only for fun.

Abendblatt:
For your version of the early baroque Monteverdi created a reviewer the not too kind assessment "Montepuccini".
Villazón:
(laughs) Really ? This can be. There seemed to be also a few good ones. But much more important for me than the critics - cause I don't read most of the critics - are the opinions of colleagues as for example the musicians of the Gabrieli Consorts. It is totally simple: My heart beat, if I listen to this music, and than I can sing this, too. Am I able to do all ? No, I am not able to do anything. I can much less, than someones think.

Abendblatt:
Was this work on the arias recording- or more therapy session ?
Villazón:
We planned the album already before my time-out. But if you want: Yes, music is also a kind of therapy, not only for me.

Abendblatt:
How difficult was it, after the time-out not to think at every little form dent immediately about the problems, which forced you to pause ?
Villazón:
The last year was a transition period, but which was going on very well for me. The force is of course always high, now perhaps higher, but he is coming meanly of the journalists, not of the opera houses. As soon as you have a cold anytime - catastrophe ! At the next performance you are again thinking about this and want to prove, that there is nothing on it. But this is the false drive, it shouldn't be like this.

Abendblatt:
Is it cause of this now easier, to say no ? Or more difficult, to say yes ?
Villazón:
For ten years I always said yes, to everything, I sang nearly every day. And I would do it again, this is in my blood. But it was all too much. Now there are also yes' for beeing at home and thinking.

Abendblatt:
You said you are no victim, but a part of the system. So then the problem is also a part of you.
Villazón:
Nobody force me to do anything. I am the one, who says yes. The management give my offers and I say yes or no. In the end it's always my decision.

Abendblatt:
If you would be more consequent, you will not have to perform at Salzburg, Vienna, New York in the next years, but at smaller houses, with less force. At a Salzburg performance are 7-digit amounts attached. If you cancel there, gets the Festspielchef colics.
Villazón:
But it is great fun for me to sing where I sing. And to be honest the force is everywhere the same, doesn't matter where you perform.

Abendblatt:
Well...The first act of your Salzburg comeback with "Roméo et Juliette" last year, this was not fun. This was already real fight.
Villazón:
Maybe you thaught that.

Abendblatt :
You said singing accord the soul importance. So what non-singing make of you ?
Villazón:
I can not live without singing. But there is singing for somebody - and singing as career. Anyway I will sing my whole life long.

Abendblatt:
You are living with your family here, in Paris, the only city, where you can be undisturbed and in public melancholy.
Villazón:
Right. You can everything, and it is no problem. This could perhaps also be a reason, why I live here. Here you can be as you are. You don't need a mask.

Abendblatt:
Do you savour the soleness or do you need it ?
Villazón:
Both. Meanwhile I know to appreciate the solness.

Abendblatt:
Now it's more fun ?
Villazón:
Now I can be more calm. And fortunately there was always literature.

Abendblatt:
You reach a quota of 30-40 books per year. Astonishing for a tenor.
Villazón:
You know: My colleagues are very intelligent. For being on the stage you have to be intelligent. I even love books. Others are maybe applicatory assessed and can repair in the house, but I'm easly not able to do this. Books are taking me there, where I want to be.

Abendblatt:
Did you personally try writting or is the only imaginable aritistic expression for you ?
Villazón:
3 weeks ago my wife and I looked through a box with letters out of our teenager time, and in every single for her stands: "You know, that I will be a writer, that this is my life." But I didn't have this ability. I have my voice. Factual this career happened more like an accident to for me. At the beginning was a hobby - and sudden was I a professional.

Abendblatt:
You got ahead totally without any ambition ?
Villazón:
At the beginning yes. I wanted to make, like Don Quichotte, a name for myself.

Abendblatt:
What happened with the former text attempts - do they still exist anywhere ?
Villazón:
Yes, many. I wrote many plays and sonnets. And now I sometimes take a tickler and write it completely full, like Jack Kerouac in "On the road", but unfortunately not with Kerouac's ability. What comes, is very crazy, sometimes it's absurd. But I don't stop till I am on the last side.

Abendblatt:
What made art of people ?
Villazón:
Totally simply viewed, she would be amusement. A getaway out of the office jobs. A place, where you can open the sences. But this happens also, if you sit in the gloaming in the parc. So art have to cause something different. In the end the point is to watch the life with other eyes. The both art forms which are the closest to me are music and literature - music is very subjective in the experience, the listener have to experience and handle the listened on his own. Literature is furthermore a very activ art form: Every reader traverse an own process of visualisation at the reading - landscapes, characters and happenings, all this do we have to make unliteral. Cause of this my "Steppenwolf" is not necessarily very similar with yours.

Abendblatt:
Did you already cry at concerts or opera performances ?
Villazón:
Yes. At opera already very often. I am touched, when I see, that all together - on and off stage - make the acts coming alive. This fire, this passion, this is humanity for me.

Abendblatt:
Is it good or bad for a singer, to be frightend of the failure ?
Villazón:
Being nervous is very good. You are awake and keen in a positive way. Anxiety isn't so good, cause anxiety can be very debiliating. But the force was new for me.

Abendblatt:
Do you thank you your voice, for denying the service so drastic at that time ?
Villazón:
It was not voice. It was everything, the whole body. Lifting the arms on stage, that was alread difficult.

Abendblatt:
You call since years your psychotherapist in Mexico. Isn't it possible, that the artist in you will suffer, if the therapy should be finished anytime ?
Villazón:
What will have happened with Van Gogh, if you have had a psychotherapist ? I think, he would have been a happier man. But still a great artist.


For more interviews rather reports (about Vienna, Händel etc) click here, here and here =)