This is the fifth in Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s and Rolando Villazon’s undertakings of seven Mozart operas to be laid down for DG. The Don G was terrific, the Cosi and Abduction filled with fine moments, and the Nozze mediocre. Nézet-Séguin’s approach has been consistent–a wise mixture of traditional Mozart playing that would not be out of place on a Colin Davis or Karl Böhm recording, with an alert driving force, sharp attacks for the strings, and fine support for the singers. But with this fifth installment–the first in the opera serie genre–we have entered nondescript territory. It is dark and thick, but not noble. There are spells–odd ones, at times–such as the outlandishly slow start to “Parto parto…” (gravitas laid on thick) and its maniacal running-for-a-train finish that almost work for their daring. Almost. But wild variations in tempos only make us sit up and listen, not necessarily understand. From the terzetto until the end of the first act we get what this opera actually can be–yes, granted, it’s the score’s best music, but it’s exciting and dramatically alive.
The fact that every second of recit is included, despite being well delivered with necessary feelings and emphases, makes a terse opera overlong. And clearly again: the recits are delivered, particularly by our Sesto and Tito, with great urgency and clarity. But there’s too much of it, and like most of the arias, etc, it is directed with a leaden beat by Nézet-Séguin.
Most of the singing is superb, despite the oddities of tempo. Tops is Joyce DiDonato’s Sesto. The voice at the top has become a bit wiry, but it would be churlish to complain; she projects the character’s double nature and is dazzling in the fast music. I love the role of Vitellia, one of the real crazies in Mozart operas (cf: Elettra), and Marina Rebeka is a fine singer. Her final aria, “Non piu di fiori”, with bassett horn accompaniment, is invariably a knockout, but Rebeka fakes many of the low notes and they sound sickly. In the first act she shines in the terzetto, “Vengo, aspettte…” with an easy high D-flat, a note so high for this normally mezzo tessitura that many think it might have been a Mozartean typo. It’s vocally impressive, but with less of a profile than given by, say, Janet Baker (under Colin Davis) or Julia Varady (with John Eliot Gardiner). Tara Erraught is an ideal, anguished Annio, Regina Mühlemann brings a supple, bright sound to Servilia, and Adam Plachetka’s Publio has a positive effect–rare in this role.
And so we are left with Tito, here sung by Rolando Villazon. I am second to none in my admiration of Villazon, among the finest Roméos, Hoffmanns, Alfredos, and Des Grieux I have ever heard. His combination of intellect, passion, and glorious, burnished tone have offered great nights in the opera house and on disc. Now that he has been through various vocal crises and re-trainings and re-thinkings of his career, he has landed on Mozart. Previous roles have proved a bit vocally anachronistic, but they had a great deal to recommend them, after the ear adjusted. With Tito, there’s little upside.
The intelligence, the reading of the character’s recits, from gentle and understanding to angry, disappointed, and forgiving, is excellent, but the sound, and moreover the notes, are not. The sound is throaty and poorly executed, and too much of the singing, particularly in the first act, is out of tune. He sounds scared with his first aria “Del più sublime soglio”, and merely works to get the notes out, with almost no variety, and later sounds severely tense, vocally.
Of course, his enthusiasm, a relatively rare trait among Mozart tenors, is welcome, but “Se all’impero”, the downfall of many a Mozart tenor, here sounds desperate; he is a hare’s breath (or a hair’s breadth) away from losing the middle notes of long, coloratura runs, and he squeezes out the high notes. He sounds as if he wants the evening to be over, so he can return home and sing “O sole mio”. It can make a person sad. Next year’s Baden-Baden offering under Nézet-Séguin will be The Magic Flute. Nervous about Villazon’s Tamino? Don’t be–he’s singing Papageno. Need a recording of Tito? HIP: Gardiner; ideal, traditional Mozartean: Colin Davis.
