Latest interview

Click here for Anna's latest interview with The New York Observer

Anna's latest interview with the "FAZ"

It was mainly a fight

Anna Netrebko, 37, maybe the most famous soprano of our times, about her new roles, her changed voice and the life as a working mother

Anna Netrebko is in a hurry, like all working mothers. Sprinting on vertiginous heels through the "Brenner's Park" foyer in Baden-Baden, looking for a quiet place. In the flesh she's even more beautiful, more colourful and more graceful as on stage. The day before did she sing the "Iolanta" at the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus for the first time, a dramatic character role out of a in this country totaly unknown, late Tchaikovsky opera. We aren't elsewise used to such dark mottled notes of La Netreko. And also this is new: Next week is she going to sing for the first time a piano recital, on 12th August at the Rosengarten Mannheim, accompanied by Elena Bashkirova. Repeated on 17th August in Salzburg, this time accompanied by Bashkirova's husband Barenboim. No surprise, that there are speculations, that the most expensive opera voice of the presence is in the moult, Belcanto-Anna changes into the dramatic fach.

FAZ: Miss Netrebko, did you red already your "Iolanta" critics today ?

Netrebko: Unfortunately I understand not enough german. But they told me, the critics are all very good...

FAZ: One newspaper wrote that, they are missing the irony at the staging. Is there in this romantic, late opera of Piotr Tchaikovsky at all something like irony ?

Netrebko: Oh no ! I think, "Iolanta" isn't meant ironical at all. In fact is it a very sad story. It deals with a girl, who is blind, but doesn't know that she is blind...

FAZ:...and who can see again, when she falls in love. In opera this is exactely vice versa then in real life, there is as is well-known love blind. Amazing is the duet, where Iolanta and her lover are singing about the light. It's a question of pure lyric. An elegy, no virtuoso bel canto. Doesn't suit into your fach at all !

Netrebko: Right. But look, that's Tchaikovsky. A completely different score than by Verdi, different orchestrated, and I sing in Russian, too. Still I wouldn't say, that this isn't my fach. At the moment I just enlarge my repertoire for a few pieces. There are also hard roles, for example I want to study Donizetti's "Anna Bolena" and Gounod's "Marguerite", and maybe I will also soon sing Verdi's "Trovatore". But alongside of course still the ones I sang already before: Lucia, Violetta...So ,I believe, you can't call this a fach change. Singing "Iolanta" here was a big risk for me. The opera is unknown here in Germany, in contrast in Russia enormous popular, every child child knows it there, mainly the fantastic baritone aria (laughs). If I present a piece here for the first time and I have no idea if the people will like it or not, am I committed to do it as perfect as possible.


FAZ: The people are coming into the Festspielhaus for listing their Anna and they leave it and know more about Tchaikovsky. That's great ! Also La Bartoli does it like this, to commission her popularity for unknown pieces. Do you want to do even more into this direction ?

Netrebko: I think it is great to advertise unknown music. But in principle I didn't set this as a goal. I sing what I like to sing. And when I have an opportunity to work with Valery Gergiev, I take it. That I should sing the "Iolanta", was actually to be honest his suggestion. I had to learn the role in a few days, we had in all only five days of rehearsal. Gergiev helped me a lot.

FAZ: How did you get on with the staging ?

Netrebko: I like modern productions, cause they are more interessting. Unfortunately are they today talking about nothing else than the "director's theatre" and under this understand I that a director shivers everything, which he doesn't like in the piece, including the music. This "Iolanta" production here is different, it is modern, everything else then vintage, it works very well. What I don't like at all is if directors make the play realistic, minimalistic and grey. The real life is already ugly enough ! The people have to pay much money for going to the theater, so they want to see something else then there own grey life. Even if the play is sad, believe I that it is absolutely unnecessary, that the curtain opens and we see the same neon light like at the office. I ask you: What's that ? Theatre is theatre ! It has to show something else like the reality. Otherwise I had never had problems with crazy directors, who want to do me crazy things. At Willy Decker's "Traviata" in Salzburg for expample did I sang head first while lying on the sofa. Decker is one of the directors who you can trust at first go. He has the whole conception in his head and his conception makes sense.


fAZ: You will for Decker's sake also perform at the Ruhrtriennale this year. But you cancelled your next performance as "Traviata" at the Met in New York. Why ?

Netrebko: One reason is, that I don't want to repeat myself anymore. This applies especially for the Salzburger "Traviata" production, which was so successful, that everybody saw it already, all are knowing me like this. I love this play a lot, I love this staging, I know all it off pat. But I don't want experience that routine creeps in. I don't want to be one day one or two levels worse in this role, maybe even without realising itself. And I just don't believe in, that I am in exactely in this production once again as good as five years ago. Then rather something totaly different, a new challenge...

FAZ: You would have to sing it this time at the Met also without your intimate partner Villazón.

Netrebko: He would sure think about the routine like me.

FAZ: Do you believe, that Rolando Villazón can get a grip on his vocal crisis ? Will he ever sing with you again ?

Netrebko: In any case will he return on stage. I'm sure. It's all about the sake. He will sing one day again in fact then, if he wants to sing again.

FAZ: Also your voice has changed in the last years, in a positive way: She got more depth and more colours. This is of course up to your baby. Did your son change your singer life ?

Netrebko: Oh yes ! Since I have the baby, I want definitely to foreclose the half of my commitments. I have a familiy now. I am very happy with this. Tiag is a cute baby, he is always in a good temper. But we don't get to see Erwin very often...

FAZ: Erwin Schrott, your partner, is singing at the moment the Don Giovanni in Vienna...

Netrebko: Yes, he has his career, he has a great deal to do. But I have also my carerr and have a great deal to do, too. Well I often think, why do we have to live like this ? All the time seperated of each other ? Life is much too short, singing isn't anything. By no means do I want to give off Tiago to a Nanny, but if it's the time, that he should go to school, must I have found a solution.

FAZ: Your Lied recital in Mannheim and Salzburg is a surprise.

Netrebko: Right, this is new. Lieder singing is much harder than opera singing. I gave already earlier Lied recitals, too but if anything rare. For example I can sing a great program with Strauss Liedern. Now I will do for the first time Lieder by Rimski-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky. It was Daniel Barenboim's idea. These Russian Lieder are gorgeous, two of them did I already sang for the "Souvenirs" album, the others are all totaly new. It is a lot of work. In a moment at five do I have the first coaching.

FAZ: Would you also sing Schubert or Schumann Lieder, if Barenboim would ask you for ? He was successful with it by Villazón...

Netrebko: I don't think so. This is nothing for me and my voice. I love these Lieder, but I rather listen to.

FAZ: A few years ago did you else say, you would never sing Wagner. But now you fancy with the role of Elsa, right ?

Netrebko: Wagner doesn't need more power than Tchaikovsky, you can take it from me (laughs) ! Yes, it's right, I would love to sing Elsa, but I didn't learn the role yet, and there aren't concrete plans yet. Maybe I will sing her one day. Maybe it will never happen.

FAZ: And why don't you sing more modern repertoire ?

Netrebko: For example ?

FAZ: My manager interdicted me the "Lulu" (laughs) ! No kidding, I really wanted to sing this. There are also two men, who want imperative persuade me: Willy Decker
and Daniel Barenboim. But first of all I don't like the setting with the third act, which Barenboim wants imperative to do. Secondly did my manager, you advises me, discourage in this case. The Lulu is very difficult to sing, extremely high. Too high for me...

FAZ: You sing elsewise high roles, too.

Netrebko: Yes, but Lulu is definitely too high for me. I have to be careful. Look, my voice is rather going lower, my repertoire is anyway already today much too wide-ranged. If you look around, you will not find many sopranos who sing the Susanna in "Figaro" and the Lucia at the same time. I mustn't enforce it.

FAZ: You are an opera singer, but as idolized as a pop star. Netrebko become a trademark, a product. How do you get along with it, that you are regarded different, than you are actually ?

Netrebko: I close my ears, so that I don't hear, what I don't want to hear. I close my eyes, so that I don't have to read, what I don't want to read (laughs). You see, it's actually totaly easy.

FAZ: Should her son become a singer one day ?

Netrebko: By no means. He should get happy.

FAZ: But you are happy as an singer, or does that only look like this ?

Netrebko: Yes. I am happy. But when I take a look back on my career, if can say it like this, was it first of all a fight. The singer profession draines a lot of energy, we have to discipline us enormous. And you have to dispense with many. Actually is singing first of all an enormous work.

Rolando's interview download

For those of you, who haven't heard Rolando's interview on WNYC today, click here for downloading it. You can download it as podcast on WCNY, too but this requires itunes and not everday have this, so I loaded it up. Hope I managed it...^^

Rolando today on WNYC's "Soundcheck"

Rolando will be guest today at the WNYC's radio emission "Soundcheck". It will beginn on 02.00p.m. (attention time difference !) Click here =)

Another part of the "die Welt" interview

...But never fear, this activity is not closed for me with that for a long time yet. Certainly will the wonderful father role of Bajazet in "Tamerlano", who raves and rages but also as well mourns and supplicates, who knows the Lamento and salivates coloraturas, anytime take complete possessian of me. But that can still wait. However next to this demanding Händel tenor role is the Grimoaldo in "Rodelinda", about who I'm thinking wholehearted. With the regard to deadlines fixed is as stylistic intermediate Mozart's "Idomeneo" in January in Paris. Of course with Emanuelle Haim on the rostrum, but also with Anna Netrebko, with who I will further on to perform.

Welt Online: Well actually is Monteverdi rather "parlandohaft" (sorry I haven't ever heard this word before...), it's in particular going about the expression. At Händel is ever brought up the big coloratura cannon.

Villazón: There I had to back to my roots at the conservatory. There I ate very much frets in Rossini roles and for example Mozart's "Ré pastore", I haven't worked on it for ten years. Now I have trained again for six months this part of the voice. I did aware listen barely to recordings, wanted to find with McCreesh and the fantastic cembalist Jory Vinicour, with whom I have again and again worked on the da capo parts and ferts, really an own, my Händel style. This was unbelievable creative, I would sometimes wish this for my other roles, where the singers used to play a much bigger part in the performance practise with their specific possibilities.


I'm sorry that I always just translate a few sentences, but Rolando always talks so, so ideomatic, that I need soo much time for understanding and translation...

Part of the translation of Rolando's interview in "die Welt" one post down under

"Baroque is like a pop song"

The tenor Rolando Villazón about his new love for Händel and the conclusion of his voice crisis


Händel instead of Verdi - is this jubilee strategy or voice therapy ?

Rolando Villazón: Nor ! Or both at the same time. It is part of the adventure, as which I still understand my singing. Also between Verdi and Puccini are already stylistic worlds apart. I can make very surprising serendipities for myself here.Yes, but the one is the usual tenor-terrain and by the other the guards of the pure baroque doctrine are feeling defiant.

Villazón: Should they just. I think, I have by all means something to say in this music. May the purists bleat, I know, that I polarise here. The ones like a more male, stronger voice, the others are furious, because it doesn't comply with their stylistic ideal. But I don't do this for provoking. The whole thing trace back to Cecilia Bartoli's Vivaldi album, which I heard for the first time in the year 2000. This is till today one of my favourite discs. I admire this music and thought since then, what a joy this must be, to sing this music. But of course, I had far too much respect. And then came Emanuelle Haim's invitation to engage me in Monteverdi. I swallowed and and tried it. I matched my voice to this melody- and sensationworld - and suddenly the door was open !

It's as simple as that ?

Villazón: Of course not ! It was fu***** much work. But beautiful work. Seldom have I laved so full of relish in notes. This music lets total liberty and is however also controlled. You reach very much with less nuance. The voice appears there like under a microscope. After I caught fire. And wanted to create a baroque album with arias of several composers. But Paul McCreesh, who I owe stylistic endless much and who teached me again and again during a year of preparation, restricted then the trace to an Händel-album - of course also cause of the jubilee. But never fear

Interview with Rolando

Click here for watching an interview of Rolando recorded on Friday =)

Rolando's latest interview with the "Berliner Morgenpost"

Rolando Villazon singt jetzt ohne Anna Netrebko

Der Mexikaner Rolando Villazon ist gemeinsam mit der Russin Anna Netrebko zum Weltstar geworden. Sie galten als das Traumpaar der Oper. Dann erfasste Villazon eine Stimmkrise. Jetzt meldet er sich solo zurück: Mit neuer CD und bald auch live in Berlin. Morgenpost Online sprach mit dem Star-Tenor.

Morgenpost Online: Es ist schon überraschend, dass Sie jetzt mit Händel auftreten. Werden wir künftig einen anderen Rolando Villazon erleben?

Rolando Villazon: Oh, es gibt immer einen neuen Rolando. Ich möchte einfach nur das machen, was meiner Stimme und meiner Seele gut tut. Und was ich mit meiner Stimme erfüllen kann.

Morgenpost Online: Warum tut Ihnen Händel gut?

Villazon: Angefangen hat das Ganze, als ich im Jahr 2000 Cecilia Bartoli mit Vivaldi hörte. Das war eine der schönsten Aufnahmen, die ich bis dahin gehört habe. Dann habe ich Monteverdi gesungen, was für mich eine unglaubliche Erfahrung war. Das war etwas Mystisches, etwas Spirituelles. Also wollte ich unbedingt Vivaldi und Händel aufnehmen. Ich dachte, bei Vivaldi kann ich diesen starken starken Rhythmus und die Energie aufnehmen, bei Händel wollte ich obendrein diese seelische Tiefe finden.

Morgenpost Online: Warum tut es der Stimme gut?

Villazon: Oh, es geht nicht nur um die Stimme, sondern um den Künstler. Bei dieser Barockmusik muss die Seele die Stimme führen und nicht wie in späteren Zeiten die Technik. Stellen Sie sich Musik wie eine Welle vor. Dann ist der Tenor im romantischen Repertoire ein Surfer, es ist gefährlich, man braucht Talent und viel Übung, um die Welle zu beherrschen. Aber in der Barockmusik gibt es keine Surfer, sondern nur die Welle, und der Sänger ist ein Teil von ihr.
Morgenpost Online: Sie sind ein sehr leidenschaftlicher Tenor, bedeutet Händel letztlich nicht eine Einengung?

Villazon: Nein, nein, nein. Händel ist viel zu groß. Das Wichtigste ist, ich möchte seiner Musik dienen und sie nicht benutzen, nur um etwas neu zu machen. Ich lasse in die Arien zwar viel von mir einfließen, aber es muss eine homogene Mischung sein. Es ist wie ein Glas Rotwein. Nach dem Eingießen gibt es nur eine Farbe, und das ist meine. Im Übrigen habe ich viel gelernt bei Händel.

Morgenpost Online: Zum Beispiel?

Villazon: Koloraturen. Ich musste alle meine Technik zusammen nehmen, um Koloraturen singen zu können. Und ich habe neue Farben für mich gefunden. Überhaupt habe ich den Alten Stil für mich entdeckt. Es ist eine Tradition des absoluten Zusammenseins aller Bestandteile, kein Teilnehmer darf aus der Musik mit irgendeiner Stimmung ausbrechen, auch kein Tenor. Im Verdi kann man dagegen fast machen was man will.

Morgenpost Online: Händel hat weniger die Tenöre, sondern mehr die Kastraten verwöhnt.

Villazon: Ich glaube übrigens auch nicht, was viele denken, dass der Tenor die wichtigste Stimme ist. Denken wir nur an Simone Boccanegra, Rigoletto, Edgar… Wir sprechen gern über Soprane und Tenöre, weil sie es so einen unglaublich und unmöglich hohen Klang erzeugen können. Aber Händel hat weniger für Tenöre geschrieben. Unbedingt wollte ich „Ombra mai fu“ singen, das ist eine alte Tenortradition. Diese Melodie hat mein Herz schon als Student höher schlagen lassen. Daneben gibt es einige Bearbeitungen.

Morgenpost Online: Wenn man Ihre CDs bei Grammophon anschaut, dann haben Sie mit einer Solo-Aufnahme begonnen, dann gab es mehrfach Duette mit Anna Netrebko, jetzt singen Sie wieder allein?

Villazon: Oper ist Teamwork, es ist immer schön, mit jemandem zusammen zu singen. Aber nach Händel folgt erst noch mal ein Soloprojekt mit einem Komponisten.

Morgenpost Online: Welchem?

Villazon: Sag ich noch nicht.

Morgenpost Online: Als Künstler haben Sie eine schwere Zeit hinter sich. Die Absagen von Vorstellungen, zuletzt mit
Anna Netrebko in New York, haben sich gehäuft. Was für ein Problem haben Sie eigentlich. Ist es die Stimme, die Seele oder nur das Wetter, weil ein mexikanischer Tenor nicht in Europa leben sollte?

Villazon: Am Wetter liegt es nicht. Ich bin auch nicht der einzige Sänger, dem das passiert. Aber bei mir wird sofort darüber geschrieben, alles geht ins Youtoube. Die Leute machen in ihren Bloggs ihre Geschichten daraus. Aber es stimmt, dass ich mir im letzten Jahr sechs Monate Auszeit genommen habe. Aber nach sechs, sieben Jahren einer schönen Karriere muss man sich eine solche Auszeit nehmen können. Es ist doch kein Geheimnis, dass sich ein Tenor mit 36, 37 zu verändern beginnt. Nicht nur stimmlich, sondern auch als Mensch. Ich habe gelegentlich Sodbrennen. Manchmal passiert das eben in einer Vorstellung. Hinzu kam in New York eine Erkältung .So ist das Leben. Und bin stolz auf meine zwei gelungen Vorstellungen an der Met und die vier Werther Vorstellungen in Paris.

Morgenpost Online: Vladimir Malakhov hat einmal öffentlich bekannt, dass Tänzer jenseits der künstlerischen Schönheit täglich mit körperlichen Schmerzen leben. Wie ist es bei Tenören?

Villazon: Es sind keine Schmerzen, weil nichts weh tut. Bei uns dreht sich alles um das Sicherheitsbedürfnis. Wir haben immerzu im Kopf, dass es bloß nicht zu warm, nicht zu kalt, nicht zu feucht, nicht zu trocken ist. Wir brauchen den inneren Glauben, dass wir den hohen Ton erreichen. Dass ist keine Frage der Stimme, sondern des Kopfes. Ein Tänzer kann seinen Fuß sehen und Schmerzen fühlen. Wir Sänger tragen unser Instrument in uns. Der Sänger selbst ist das Instrument. Man muss psychologisch gesund sein. Nein, stopp, vielleicht ist es am besten verrückt sein zu, um einfach auf die Bühne rauszugehen, und zu denken, jetzt mache ich es.

Morgenpost Online: Machen Sie – seit der Auszeit - Yoga oder Meditation?

Villazon: Ich denke seit Jahren über meine Karriere nach.

Morgenpost Online: Es klingt, als ob Sie jetzt an einem Punkt sind, an dem Sie Ihr Leben überdenken?

Villazon: Ja, denn meine Jugendzeit als Künstler ist vorbei. Es waren gute zehn Jahre, aber jetzt bin ich erwachsen und fühle, dass sich vieles verändert hat.

Morgenpost Online: Ihre Karriere ist maßgeblich an die Berliner Staatsoper gebunden. Was hat ein Dirigent wie Daniel Barenboim, dass Sie sich ihm so anvertrauen?

Villazon: Er ist einer der größten Künstler unserer, wohl aller Zeiten. Ich habe ihm am Anfang meiner Karriere im Jahr 2000 vorgesungen. Er war begeistert. Und wenn jemand wie er an mich glaubt, dann gibt das einem selbst sehr viel Kraft und Glaube. Das Singen war plötzlich nicht nur mein Traum, sondern es war Realität geworden. Er ist mir ein großer Freund geworden. Mein Mentor, wie auch Placido Domingo. Ich habe viel von Daniel Barenboim gelernt, er ist ein Musikphilosoph. Er denkt über die Welt nach, engagiert sich für Lösungen im Nahost-Konflikt. Er versteht Musik nicht nur als schöne Dekoration in unserem Alltag, sondern als einen Teil unseres Lebens. Und die Berliner Staatsoper ist mein Haus, meine Heimat. Im Haus kennen mich viele noch als den jungen Rolando und sehen in mir nicht irgendeinen Startenor. Man freut sich, wenn ich komme und ich kann sein wie ich bin - eben Rolando.

Morgenpost Online: Der Musikmarkt hat seine eigenen Regeln, Dirigenten planen fünf und mehr Jahre im Voraus. Wissen Sie schon, was Sie in fünf Jahren machen werden?

Villazon: Ja, aber ich versuche, nicht daran zu denken. Diese Vorausplanung ist absoluter Unsinn. Sänger verändern sich in dieser Zeit viel zu sehr. Dann kommt man zu einer Produktion und denkt, mammamia, das will ich doch eigentlich gar nicht mehr singen. Mehr als ein, zwei Jahre sollte man nicht vorausplanen. Leider ist es schwierig, es anders zu machen. Aber ich versuche es. Für die Oper ist es generell ein Problem.

Morgenpost Online: Warum sind Sie eigentlich nach Paris und nicht nach Berlin gezogen?

Villazon: Wir haben es uns tatsächlich schwer getan mit dieser Entscheidung. Aber für meine Familie war es leichter, Französisch zu lernen, weil es dem Spanischen näher ist. Und außerdem ist das Wetter in Paris besser.

Translation of the "SZ" interview

Page 1

"I like the psychoanalysis"

How long will he sing this note ? Rolando Villazón talks about exhaustion, male display and the music's soul.

Paris swanks a bit today: The sun is shining, as the spring broke-out already. Rolando Villazón wears a black pair of jeans and a purple coloured t-shirt, which design accords in funny way with the hotel suite's brocade paperhangings. Firmer handshake, kind smile. You sit down, a moment silence, yes - but than certainly starts it: Beeing in converstation with Rolando Villazón, is like somebody had poured out a box of bouncing balls and shouted : "Catch !" Villazón jumps, flourishs, sings. Only at questions about his timeout he's getting calmer.

SZ: Mister Villazón, I want to talk with you about your soul.

Rolando Villazón: The soul, yes, all right. My soul ?

SZ: Which else ! You are named to have to say many things about - four times a week you are talking with your psychoanalyst in Mexico.

Villazón: And this since fourteen years. My god !

SZ: What...

Villazón: ...One second: What is the difference between a psychoanalyst and a vampire ?

SZ: No idea ?

Villazón: The vampire let goes anytime !

SZ: Cause you decided for this form of therapy, you have obviously never had the wish, to be released quickly.

Villazón: No. Than I would have likely done a behaviour therapy, where it is solution oriented way and accordingly faster. But I love playing chess, I read books, I love to sing operas, I like the psychoanalysis. I like things, which need time. You have to accept, that this long way is the actual adventure. Otherwise you never pull out of it, what I'm pulling out of it at the moment.

SZ: And what is this ?

Villazón: Not needing to ask yourself: Which strange, subliminal mastery did decide at the moment for me ? The psychoanalyst helps you, to get to know your ghosts. Without valueting. This is a big adventure, a fantastic one...

SZ: ...but one which not everybody takes. What did you bring to the analysis ?

Villazón: My wife.

SZ: She found it necessary ?

Villazón: When I said: Let us marry ! answered she: Yes ! But you go to the analyst. At that time we were a couple for seven years. She was 15, and I was 16, when we fell in love with each other.


Read on the next page, what Villazón's wife thinks of him.

Page 2

Gushing out energy

SZ: And why exactly have you should went to the analysis

Villazón: My wife found me chaotic. "Bring all this energy which glushs out of you together", said she, "make something out of it, don't let it just blow out".

SZ: And you agreed immediately ?

Villazón: What ? No ! I protested: I however do have no problems ! What are you talking about ? No, really, I don't do this ! She didn't react at all on it. Anytime I found myself after all at the analysis. And he really changed my life.

SZ: You said one time, your voice is your soul. What did you mean with this ?

Villazón: I can only explain it like this: I can understand a lot, what bothers my soul, if I hear myself.

SZ: You are considered as one of the best tenors in the world for years, were celebrated of the audience and the feuilleton. Then, in the year 2007, your singing voice felt suddenly bad. What did your soul tell you at that time ?

Villazón: That I was exhausted.

SZ: Too less sleep ? Too many sorrows ? Burn-out with 35 years ?

Villazón: Since then everything flyed to me at a wonderful, inculpable way. But I reacted more and more as I acted. Like a child, which is asked: Hey, can you catch this ball ? And dribbling him and then pitch it immediately, cause then the next is coming already ? The child gives everything, with full engery, but at the end of the day feels it suddenly at a single blow: Now I can not anymore ! So felt I after ten years career. So I allowed myself a timeout.

SZ: You said good-bye with the words: "I will back out for a few months, for getting back the whole vigour, which the audience and also I personally is used to of me." Did you worry a lot at that time ?

Villazón: No, I always knew, that I was far away, from never be able to sing again. But in retrospect I sometimes ask myself, if I have been too open, to admit my exhaustion at that time. Since then are especially reviewers fast in asking the question: "Oh, is it over ?"

SZ: And what do you counter them ?

Villazón: For me is this phase terminated, and I want willingly looking ahead.


Read on the next page, which signals Villazón gets of the people.

Page 3

Energy of hundreds of viewers

SZ: You said once after, your timeout was fantastic. So how did you spend your time ?

Villazón: Probably much less spectacular, then some thinks. I savoured the time with my family, my wife and my to sons.

SZ: But also after your comeback, doubts raised again, if you have your full vigour back. At last beginnings 2009, when you performed next to Anna Netrebko in "Lucia di Lammermoor" at the New York's Met.

Villazón: I had a cold.

SZ: "With husky voice and failed high notes struggled he in a rough and ready manner through", wrote the reviewers at that time. Quite so ?

Villazón: In retrospect it would have been perhaps better, if I had cancelled my performance. But at this evening I decided: I manage this despite ! At the beginning sang I without problems. Then my voice cracked cause of the cold. It happened in a scene without music. So there were these eight seconds of silence... - by the way probably one the greatest moments of my career.

SZ: Just this ?

Villazón: I felt the energy of hundres of viewers. Positive energy ! I have never felt such a signal of the audience if something goes wrong on the stage, before.

SZ: Which signals do the people send you otherwise ?

Villazón: Well, the bulk of the viewers don't wait for a mistake. They are at the opera cause of other reasons. It's turning them about the emotional experience, be pulled into another world by the events. In short, they are coming cause of the art. Deciding is, that you are giving your whole heart into your stage play and captivate the people so.

SZ: And why goes the other part of the audience at the opera ?

Villazón: Cause of the competitive sports. These people are carring especially about questions like: How long will he sing this note ? But I am not on the stage, for exercising competitive sports. I make art.

SZ: Don't do the critics at your voice browbeat you much ?

Villazón: You have to disrobe, even if it's not always easy. So I think, everything is said now to this topic.


Read following, if Villazón is angry about the reviews.

Page 4

Why of all Händel ?

SZ: You have just now recorded an album with arias of Georg Friedrich Händel.

Villazón: And prompt told me a reviewer: "But you don't have a baroque voice !"

SZ: Ah, already again such a reviewer. Did it make you angry ?

Villazón: I found it very astonishing and contered: Wow, so you heart a baroque voice at that time ? No kidding: Do we know for which voices Händel had wrote ? Our idea of baroque voices is orientating on the first recordings of the 20th century. Nothing else.

SZ: Why did you choose Händel of all ?

Villazón: In the year 2000 heard I a Vivaldi album with Cecilia Bartoli and was thrilled. So came I to the baroque music. I thought, it must give you such an energy to sing this music, she has such an special joyance. My soul jumped up and down ! At that time I thought however that I personally will never sing such reptertoire.

SZ: Why not ?

Villazón: They say, if you're a baroque tenor you should better keep your hands off Verdi. And if you are, like me, natural at home in the 19th and 20th century repertoire, you really better keep your hands off the baroque.

SZ: What did you make changing your mind ?

Villazón: 2006 convinced my the pianist Emmanuelle Haïm to record Monteverdi's "Combattimento" together. "If Monteverdi or Händel would live today, they would write for you", said she. So I sang Monteverdi, and it was one the most extraordinary experiences of my life. After I didn't want anymore. So came I to Händel's arias.

SZ: A composer you was obviously not carring very much about his artists' soul life...

Villazón: How do you mean that ?

SZ: He impended once the soprano Francesca Cuzzoni, to defenestrate her, because she didn't want to sing the performance aria in "Ottone".

Villazón: Well, genius' have often difficulties to understand the requirements and borders of others.

SZ: But that sound very harsh for a representative of the fine arts.

Villazón: Probably for Händel counted only: What he heard in his head, was, as the heaven would play. So I can imagine the composer, who says: I put this of the heaven for you, wrote these notes for your voice. They have to be exactly like this ! So don't make a long discussion about it, but sing !


Read on the next page, why Villazón's singing teacher was discontent with him.

Page 5

"I didn't feel anything !"

SZ: What was the most drastic methode, with which a stage director have ever tried to twist your arm ?

Villazón: I sang an aria out of "Lucia di Lammermoor" for my second singing teacher. I was technicaly very well prepared, accordingly proud of myself. When I had finished, he grabed me by the scruff of the neck and shouted: "I didn't feel anything ! You had indeed sound your voice beautiful, but you only sang the notes from the paper. Sing it kindly with all your heart !" Another time he even slapped me.

SZ: What ? And you didn't feel hit in your reputation ?

Villazón: Contrariwise ! Encouraged. Okay, of course I felt a little bit hurt, but he was right. Only like this I began to feel the play. And this is what it's all about.

SZ: It seems to go on quite often rude in your circles.

Villazón: What do you advert to ?

SZ: To another Händel anecdote: At his opera "Alessandro'" wrote he similar important roles for two prima donnas. The two ladies competed first only with their voices, but then they lashed out. How do you feel next to other strong voices ?

Villazón: There are colleagues, who feel most comfortable, if they are surrounded by less good singers, so that their own voice jut out. This is not my model. It only makes, that the power is not there. The better the others are, the merrier is the whole performance, me including.

SZ: Plácido Domingo, Boss of the opera houses in Washington DC and Los Angeles, is said to be one the best and most versatile tenors nowadays. He was lavished with laud and tributes - and you are compared with him...

Villazón: I personally would never compare me with him. Domingo is already now, in the lifetime, a legend.

SZ: Singing with him...

Villazón: ...was inspiring. No second long a competition ! He is like an artistic father for me. Really Domingo is over all.

SZ: Which opera did change your soul ?

Villazón: "Tosca". It was the first opera, which I saw on stage. And "Pagliacci" of Ruggiero Leoncavallo - even with Plácido Domingo at the New York's Met. I was overwhelmed by the intensity with which he acted. After I knew: Driving people into a so completely different world and bring about, what I felt just - I wanted exactely this, too.


Read on the next page, which is embarrassing for Villazón.

Page 6

Impressing is his manner

SZ: Have you ever tried to enter a woman's heart by singing ?

Villazón: Of course, my wifes' one ! As a 16 year old appeared I at 3 o'clock in the morning in front of her window and sang - with a mexican Mariachi-ensemble behind my back !

SZ: No kidding ? Is it prevailing in your home, to impress woman ?

Villazón: It was my manner ! And she worked. Also here in Paris I sing now still for her.

SZ: Did you actually had any embarrassing moments on stage ?

Villazón: There are several. Once my pair of trousers dragged during "Les Contes d'Hoffmann". Beneath I wore a red boxershort with a design insisting of little robots. Super-duper, in combination with an historical costume ! Another time, I don't know anymore, in which opera it was, anyway there was a scene were my antagonist had to keep me. We felt inadverent to the ground. The audience was already giggling. We pulled ourselves together again, I tried to pull out my swort...

SZ: It seems to be a dramatical scene ?

Villazón: I should actually be one ! But anyway the swort was deformed, and I didn't get out of the casing. I pulled and pulled. Finally riped into my rival without swort. The swort meanwhile was so distorted, that it stood heavy behind my back. With my coat, who hang over it, looked I like a strange animal with a long tail. The others on stage couldn't stop laughing. The audience kept their belly cause of laughing.

SZ: What about you ?

Villazón: I noticed at last, what was going on.

SZ: Last question: Do your wife actually find you today, after 14 years of analysis less chaotic ?

Villazón: She would probably say, that I'm as much chaotic as on the first day - but that I can now deal much better with it.

Rolando latest interview

Click here for reading Rolando's latest interveiw with the german newspaper "SZ". It's a great, great interview ! I will translate later when I'm back !

No Rolando far and wide

Strange thing...I listened to the whole emission but there was no Rolando far and wide, what a pity !

Rolando on the radio channel "France Inter" tomorrow

If do not have the possibility to listen to it via radio you can use the live-stream =)


Thanks to...you know who I mean ; ) and Mäx for the "who to make a screen-shot" teaching ; )