Customer Reviews

Gounod / Massenet: Arias ~ Villazon

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In March 2004 I entitled my Amazon review of Rolando Villazón's CD of Italian arias, 'Is he the one?', meaning is he the Italianate tenor we've been waiting for, the one to fill the shoes of Domingo and Pavarotti? I was tentatively positive that he was. Well, boys and girls, this CD of arias by Massenet and Gounod confirms it as far as I'm concerned. Indeed, he sounds better here than he did in the earlier recording. Further, although I have not heard him in person I have been assured by several operaphiles who have heard him -- some of them traveling some distance to have the opportunity -- that he is indeed the genuine article. I only hope that I can catch a live performance of Villazón's soon. I think he's that good.

As to the material he sings here, it is splendid for another reason, and that is that it isn't the hackneyed and trite tunes we all have heard a jillion times. Here we have some rare but lovely arias by two of the greatest French opera composers. Just listen to the heroic glint in Villazón's voice as he winds up 'Voix qui me remplissez d'une ineffable ivresse' from Massenet's 'Le roi de Lahore.' I found myself harking back to the glorious singing of Georges Thill, the fabled tenor vraiment français. Villazón is not yet another in the seemingly endless chain of tenorinos we've had foisted upon us in the post-Domingo/Pavarotti era. He's got heft, metal, gleam in the voice. The higher he sings the brighter the sound, precisely the sort of the thing that makes for exciting tenorial frisson.

Making it all the more worthwhile is Villazón's obvious intelligence and taste. He seems to be living the words, not merely singing them. His phrasing is subtle and stylistically apt. He even uses a credible voix mixte, as any tenor singing French opera should.

Any operaphiles interested in grand singing by a tenor with an innnately beautiful voice handled with style and excitement should treat themselves to this disc. And investigate when Villazón might be singing anywhere near them. As I said before, he's that good.

Scott Morrison

I have the pleasure to know Rolando Villazón in person, we used to take singing lessons together back in Mexico with Maestro Enrique Jaso some years ago and have always liked his approach to music.
I like better this one rather than his italian arias recital cd, I think he did a good work selecting the repertoire in this french opera recital. He is improving as time goes by and I think passion would describe fairly what he is doing and this album is an evidence of it.
I think Rolando has always shown this gift of easily connecting with the public plus he is a very talented and smart person as well. He learns fast and moreover he knows music and that is noticeable in his phrasing and overall musicality.
Marcello Vioti does a good conducting work for Rolando in this french album too, they really make music together... energy and sinergy!
He is so young and he has already sang in the best opera houses around the world, and as I said he is improving everyday so THIS IS THE NEW OPERA STAR to follow in the coming years.
I wish him all the best in his career and certainly hope the fame doesn't elevate his ego too much, as it happens many times.
Finally, his diction and pronunciation is very good... I would only have an issue with his letter "i", which sometimes seem to be out of place and they tend to go to the throat.
Thx for taking the time to read this words.

A friend lent me Villazon's debut album as an introduction to the man. I loved it - but this is the one I have bought. If, like me, you have tired of the comparisons between Villazon and others (esp Domingo) fear not, this artist is an original. I must confess that on seeing the cover I wondered if Brit comedian Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean / Black Adder - now there's a new comarison!) had strayed into the wrong studio, but a few tracks into either disc and you'll know you're listening to the real thing. True, he has baritonish notes in the lower register, and an easy reach for the upper notes but I honestly have not heard anyone quite like him before. His is a warm voice with an early maturity that should ensure he has a long career ahead of him. His diction is excellent, without the staccato enunciation or lack of French interpretation abilities that mar lesser singers' performances. Such vocal ease makes the sung word seem as natural as the spoken word is to us lesser mortals. That his song selection moves away from the 'usual suspects' of the tenor repertoire is to his great advantage; he knows what suits him and he brings each piece to new life. The overly familiar tracks of which there are thankfully few serve only to highlight through comparison to those we know Villazon's unique timbre and interpretation. This collection includes inspired music choices, incomparable renditions, marvellous orchestration and leaves the listener keenly anticipating his next release. The recording and production are impeccable (worth ***** in their category). It does not get much better than that. Atkinson may make you laugh (or not) - Villazon will make you smile and keep you feeling that way.

Rolando Villazon has a face of a comedian, and with these crazy eyebrows, it seems that he would be good fit for roles in opera buffa. But once you see him on stage in dramatic roles, it's absolutely clear why he is such a rising star. His charisma is off the charts, he more than holds his own against his formidable co-stars like Anna Netrebko, and he has the vocal goods to spare.
What a great voice, baritonal in coloring but powerful and bright, and incredibly expressive. And in these French arias he also shows that he is very sensitive to nuances of text, able to use subtle touches to make it come alive. Fabulous Nathalie Dessay is a great match for him in Massenet arias, but I especially liked Gounod pieces. There is no weak entry here, all arias are standouts- this young man likes to go for broke, and I can never imagine him phoning in his performance.
If you have any interest in French repertoire, great tenor voice or simply great singing, you should get this album.

For a tenor, selection is everything if he wants to avoid monotony, or worse, the kind of shrillness that can sometimes emanate from a voice suited for an opera hall but ill-suited for a CD recording. Select the wrong songs and the listening experience can be a chore for all but the most devoted. Chose wisely, and the beauty of the voice, in this case the voice of Roland Villazon, accompanied by the rich, even delivery of the Orchestre Philharmonique De Radio France, Evelin Pido conducting, can actually elicit awe. Hold onto your seats, dear reader, because Virgin Records has broken through the sound barrier with this latest release from Rolando Villazon, comprised of Gounod and Massenet arias that will seduce and soothe and inspire the listener throughout. Mr. Villazon's delivery is so filled with passion and clarity that the listener will be literally spellbound from the first to last offering. Combine great voice, full, thoughtful orchestration and wonderful thematically continuous selections and you have a winner CD, which this surely is. In the production notes it says that Mr. Villazon chose Massenet and Gounod for a reason: he wanted to sing beautiful, sensuous, erotic music that captured the best of Gounod's "bel canto" and Massenet's "verismo" styles. Mission has been accomplished, big time! This CD will be a huge success for Mr. Villazon because it demonstrates good choice in the selection of arias offered, matched by a voice that is truly at its best and in its most comfortable element in this range, period and style. Indeed, unlike much of French opera, there is little frivolousness here. Rather, what comes through is a CD filled with serious, smoldering, passionate music that will carry the listener along in a stream of evocative waves that lift and gently move one along from one continuous melodic passage to another, barely able to discern movement between composers or styles, except for that brief pause that separate one song from the next. This is a good "mood" CD that contains fifteen arias you will want to listen to often. It gets a "Big Time" recommendation from this reviewer. Listen for a brief appearance from Natalie Dessay in cut 2 and some nice work from the Choeur de Radio France in cuts 14 and 15. I recommend it.

ROLANDO VILLAZON has everything it takes to secure a permanent role in the pantheon of great singers - a richly full tenor voice that is luxuriously beautiful in every part of the range, a sensitivity to the text/role of each of the arias/roles he elects to sing, musical intelligence that never plays for effect alone but tempers the line in allegiance to the composer and the character, and a handsome physical appearance and magical stage deportment as a fine actor.

And as if that weren't sufficient, Villazon adds the sensitivity to release albums that are not the hackneyed warhorses of arias everyone knows and loves but instead are collections of less well known works that shows he cares about the art of singing and the obligation of enlightening his audience. His first album of Italian arias was an unqualified success: his second recording of the French repertoire of Massenet and Gounod is not only an endlessly beautiful recital - it also shows there is finally a tenor fully able to deliver this difficult, more subtle repertoire with conviction and ease. His excerpts from "Manon" and "Werther" find the soul of these heroes and he spins out the melodic lines with elegant phrasing and seemingly endless breath control. And to the known works by these composers he adds the oddities from 'Le Cid', 'Le Roi de Lahore', 'La Reine de Saba', 'Roma', 'Polyeucte', and 'Le Mage' which makes a strong case for reviving these into the standard repertoire.

But it is in Gounod's 'Romeo et Juliette' that all aspects of this wunderkind sail forth. Having just seen Rolando Villazon with Anna Netrebko in the Los Angeles Opera production in what must be the perfect pairing of voices it all the more apparent that the beauty heard on this CD is only a glimmer of what Villazon is capable of achieving on the opera stage. His glory extends from his singing to his acting and to his total commitment to the handsome youthful Romeo in love, in fighting, and in dying. Watch this young talent as he becomes the most important tenor on the horizon. Grady Harp, January 2005

It looks like Domingo has finally found his heir apparent. And Latin America is fast becoming a source of great new tenors. Apart from Villazon, there's Juan Diego Flórez, who excells in florid Rossini roles.
However, it looks like Villazon is the bright new hope for Verdi, and, as aptly demonstrated in this album, French repertoire. His voice is wonderful, beautiful dark sound, coupled with excellent technique and something that many other tenors lack: real vocal charisma and acting skills.
The highlights on this album are Werter, passionate, absolutely riveting, and heartfelt Des Grieux. Natalie Dessay joins him in Massenet - what a dream casting!
It's time we had a tenor that can generate such excitement but more than live up to the hype when it comes to artistic qualities.

Rather than beefing up his voice for the big (money-paying) Italian roles that are one size too large for him, Rolando Villazon naturally excels in these roles from Gounod and Massenet. The narrow French vowels add a needed edge and vibrancy to his voice, the placement of the music in the head tones brings out Villazon's best timbre, and he seems temperamentally suited to refined heros. In fact, it's remarkable to hear the transformaiton here when comparing him in the recent DG La Traviata, where his Alfredo was convincing but hard work. French opera is rhtorical and poetic rather than visceral and passionate. I think Villazon fits that mold, as nearly eery aria here domonstrates.

There is not much that can be added to the praise that previous reviewers have justly lavished on this artist's new CD of arias by Massanet and Gounod. The voice has grown in beauty and complexity since he recorded the Italian Opera Arias CD, which itself contained vocal art of the very highest order. There is 'ping' to spare in his muscular, musical high notes, and a honeyed quality from top to bottom that melts this listener into a puddle. There is a totally natural quality to the singing, no sense of effort or artifice. Having heard this artist three times in live performances, Traviata at the Metropolitan Opera, his debut recital in NYC this past October, and his Romeo in Los Angeles just last week I can attest to another writer's assertion that the recorded voice, as beautiful as it is, gives only a partial glimpse at what is truly a gorgeous, magnificently produced tenor voice. To my ear, there's a bit of Bjorling in his voice, and a touch of Domingo. But it's truly is own. Get this CD and try to listen to it just once. My bet is that you can't!

Those who have read my review of Rolando's first recording "Italian Opera Arias" know of my admiration for this young tenor and his outstanding voice. I was anxiously waiting for his second recording, which I recently bought, and after listening to it was once again delighted with his clear, pure tone and controlled voice from low to high register without excessive emotional outbursts. The selections from Gounod and Massenet's French operas are just outstanding. The more known "Pourquoi me reveiller" from Massenet's Werther and "Salut, demeure chaste et pure" from Gounod's Faust are vocal masterpieces in Rolando's voice. They are probably what their composers envitioned from a vocal as well as an interpretive level. The less known and seldom recorded arias included in this CD are most welcome surprises, particularly Massenet's "Air d'Alim" from Le Roi de Lahore and "Air de Zarastra" from Le Mage. After listening to "Cavatine de Romeo" and "L'Air du tombeau" from Gounod's Romeo et Juliette I can not wait until a recording with Rolando Villazon is made. I also want to congratulate Evelino Pido's excellent direction of L'orchestre Philarmonique de Radio France as well as the technical crew for a well balanced recording between vocal and orchestral sound. If you enjoyed Rolando's first solo CD you will love this one and never grow tired of listening to both.