Having conquered the lyric tenor roles (Alfredo, Nemorino, Hoffmann) and impressed in more heavy repertoire (Werther, Don Carlo, Rodolfo), while singing each role with a type of intensity and lack of caution that led him to vocal problems, surgery, and long periods of rest, Rolando Villazon is now singing a great deal of Mozart and earlier music. He’s recorded the tenor roles in both Cosi and Don Giovanni as well as a handful of Monteverdi. After the initial shock of hearing a voice of such muscularity in this type of music, one can only admire Villazon’s art: his scrupulous attention to text and dynamics, his fluency in coloratura, his innate musical phrasing, his almost-trill, and, as before, the sheer animation and enthusiasm that he brings to music that most able (and fine) tenors normally are pleased to just “sing”.
He begins the first aria, “Si mostra la sorte”, using a remarkably conversational tone singing about Fate favoring constant lovers; but in the allegro, in which Fate is also seen as hostile, he strengthens his delivery. These types of interpretive subtleties are par for the course and a sheer delight. The second aria, from the unfinished Lo sposo deluso, exhibits fine ability with “little notes” and a change in delivery for each of the three verses delivered to three different people–and a personal note, in an aside, for the last.
“Va, del furor portata”, composed when Mozart was nine years old (his first piece of vocal music), may not be a masterpiece (there are no masterpieces here), yet it has some wicked coloratura that Villazon dispatches impeccably, in full voice, and without any aspirates. “Se al labbro mio non credi” (K. 295, composed for Hasse’s opera Artaserse in 1778) is a much finer work, a long adagio filled with sincere feelings (the character is trying to convince another of his innocence); the text is repeated often throughout the 13-minute length, and Villazon colors his tone to superb effect. It’s just beautiful performing.
The latest work, and the only one in German, is “Müsst ich auch durch tausend Drachen”, an heroic aria composed in 1783 for a never-completed opera; it’s sung heroically, in glorious, big sound, with trumpets and drums blazing. “Con essequio”, a comic aria from an opera by Piccinni, finds the character saying one thing to a bloated would-be scholar while using an entirely different voice, in an aside, to insult him. A duet from the same opera introduces us to great patter singing from Villazon and the Sprechstimme-like bass voice of–conductor Antonio Pappano! The latter, by the way, with the LSO, supports and interprets gloriously throughout.
Villazon’s approach to Mozart may not be to everyone’s taste. For the most part the music is minor Mozart, and there is the occasional competing recording (Christoph Prégardien on a CPO CD sings a few of these arias, but, at least to my ears, in a wimpy, half-voice), but fans of the tenor will love this, and even naysayers will find Villazon’s musicality, sincerity, and intelligence very appealing. And anyone who does not find “Misero! O sogno…” and its attendant aria “Aura che intorno spiri” simply gorgeous–and gorgeously performed–should have to hand in his ears.
