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Review
The exacting combination of control, focus, security and heart-stopping dramatic ardour it delivers . . . is impressive . . . you miss nothing. Nor will you want to. --Opera Now (London), May 2008
Product Description
This is the deluxe limited edition package: Includes the complete audio CD as well as a DVD of aria performances, interviews and more all in an elegant hardcover booklet.
Internationally acclaimed tenor Rolando Villazón presents an all-new recording of Italian arias by Handel. Though Villazón is not generally associated with this repertoire, his muscular and virile performances are a thrilling and new way to hear Handel. Paul McCreesh (a noted Handel expert) and the exciting Gabrieli Players join Villazón giving the listener both an authentic period performance as well as a new twist on familiar Handel. To suit his voice, Villazón performs not only tenor arias, but also transposed mezzo arias a practice familiar to Handel. This is a unique and wonderfully thrilling album completely unlike Villazón s previous recordings.
For those who associate Rolando Villazón with the lyric tenor heroes of 19th-century operas and who doesn t? the notion of him singing Handel may come as a bit of a shock. Since when has the 36-year-old Mexican been interested in early 18th-century music? I can tell you ex-actly , he replies. I was in Paris, at the start of my career, and I bought a CD of Cecilia Bartoli singing Vivaldi. I became obsessed by it. So did my wife. Any excuse if we had something to celebrate, or needed cheering up and we would listen to it over and over again. Of course, that was BC: before children! Ever since then I have sought out recordings of Baroque music. And I dreamed of singing it myself, although I knew that the way I was singing at that time didn t suit this repertoire.
His chance came when he met the conductor and harpsichordist Emmanuelle Haïm. She per-suaded him to make a CD of Monteverdi. And I must say that it was one of the most spiritually fulfilling experiences of my career. Another door opened in my inner life. I loved the discovery of new colours in my voice, of learning how to use the words, of searching for the right edition. It was around this time that I also said to myself: I can do lieder . But that s another subject!
Having convinced himself that he could sing Baroque arias, and there was no need to worry what people thought , Villazón s next venture into that repertoire seemed obvious. With the 250th anniversary of George Frideric Handel s death on the horizon (the great German-English composer died in 1759), why not record some of the greatest arias from Handel s opere serie? Nevertheless it was a bold choice. Until he made this recording he had sung barely a note of Handel in public.
Actually, I once sang Ombra mai fu , though I can t remember where or when. And I probably tried to sing it like Caruso or Corelli used to. Don t get me wrong: of course I love what those legendary tenors did. But what I wanted to do with this new album was to get closer to the Ba-roque tenor s music rather than just give a lyric tenor s interpretation of it.
What Villazón did want to do was engage fully musically, stylistically and philosophically with the world of period-instrument Baroque performance. Paul McCreesh, whose Gabrieli Players are at the forefront of Britain s period-instrument movement, was contacted and agreed to work on the project.
Why not? the conductor says. In a sense this marks the coming-of-age of the Baroque music revival. Even great Romantic tenors want to sing it now! Of course, the convention is for lighter voices to do this repertoire. But once I had some preliminary rehearsals with Rolando, I realized that he has a fantastic instrument for Baroque music. His voice has great ping ; it is very finely tuned. And Rolando is also very open to stylistic suggestions. He is acutely aware that singing Handel with Puccini-like swoops and portamenti isn t going to work.
Villaz
Internationally acclaimed tenor Rolando Villazón presents an all-new recording of Italian arias by Handel. Though Villazón is not generally associated with this repertoire, his muscular and virile performances are a thrilling and new way to hear Handel. Paul McCreesh (a noted Handel expert) and the exciting Gabrieli Players join Villazón giving the listener both an authentic period performance as well as a new twist on familiar Handel. To suit his voice, Villazón performs not only tenor arias, but also transposed mezzo arias a practice familiar to Handel. This is a unique and wonderfully thrilling album completely unlike Villazón s previous recordings.
For those who associate Rolando Villazón with the lyric tenor heroes of 19th-century operas and who doesn t? the notion of him singing Handel may come as a bit of a shock. Since when has the 36-year-old Mexican been interested in early 18th-century music? I can tell you ex-actly , he replies. I was in Paris, at the start of my career, and I bought a CD of Cecilia Bartoli singing Vivaldi. I became obsessed by it. So did my wife. Any excuse if we had something to celebrate, or needed cheering up and we would listen to it over and over again. Of course, that was BC: before children! Ever since then I have sought out recordings of Baroque music. And I dreamed of singing it myself, although I knew that the way I was singing at that time didn t suit this repertoire.
His chance came when he met the conductor and harpsichordist Emmanuelle Haïm. She per-suaded him to make a CD of Monteverdi. And I must say that it was one of the most spiritually fulfilling experiences of my career. Another door opened in my inner life. I loved the discovery of new colours in my voice, of learning how to use the words, of searching for the right edition. It was around this time that I also said to myself: I can do lieder . But that s another subject!
Having convinced himself that he could sing Baroque arias, and there was no need to worry what people thought , Villazón s next venture into that repertoire seemed obvious. With the 250th anniversary of George Frideric Handel s death on the horizon (the great German-English composer died in 1759), why not record some of the greatest arias from Handel s opere serie? Nevertheless it was a bold choice. Until he made this recording he had sung barely a note of Handel in public.
Actually, I once sang Ombra mai fu , though I can t remember where or when. And I probably tried to sing it like Caruso or Corelli used to. Don t get me wrong: of course I love what those legendary tenors did. But what I wanted to do with this new album was to get closer to the Ba-roque tenor s music rather than just give a lyric tenor s interpretation of it.
What Villazón did want to do was engage fully musically, stylistically and philosophically with the world of period-instrument Baroque performance. Paul McCreesh, whose Gabrieli Players are at the forefront of Britain s period-instrument movement, was contacted and agreed to work on the project.
Why not? the conductor says. In a sense this marks the coming-of-age of the Baroque music revival. Even great Romantic tenors want to sing it now! Of course, the convention is for lighter voices to do this repertoire. But once I had some preliminary rehearsals with Rolando, I realized that he has a fantastic instrument for Baroque music. His voice has great ping ; it is very finely tuned. And Rolando is also very open to stylistic suggestions. He is acutely aware that singing Handel with Puccini-like swoops and portamenti isn t going to work.
Villaz
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
bravo Villazon!,
This review is from: Handel: Arias (Deluxe Limited Edition) (Audio CD)
This CD is up to the high standard found in Rolando Villazon's other presentations. Handel's baroque arias are new to me and I enjoyed listening to a great tenor venturing into a new area. Having such an experienced and accomplished orchestra working together with Rolando makes for a great musical achievement. The DVD also added colour and enjoyment. Trish
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "Myth-Buster" CD!!,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Handel: Arias (Deluxe Limited Edition) (Audio CD)
Myth #1 = Baroque orchestras tend to focus on technical excellence rather than musical expression.
Myth #2 = Baroque vocal music conveys less passion than its Romantic counterpart. Myth #3 = A Lyric Tenor cannot successfully sing Baroque music. My collection includes Rolando Villazón's two other critically acclaimed Baroque recordings - both ensemble pieces, namely Monteverdi's "Combattimento di Tancredi", and Vivaldi's "Ercole sul Termodonte". So I was eager to hear this solo Handel album by an artist whose endeavours, however surprising, are always undertaken with musical intelligence, commitment and integrity. I was immediately struck by the sparkling artistry of the Gabrieli Players, under the expert baton of Paul McCreesh (Myth #1 busted). Their animation just radiates and it is evident that this is their heartland territory. Secondly, Rolando Villazón's superb interpretation of this music dispels forever the notion that singing Baroque means hiding one's emotions under a flood of ornamented vocal acrobatics! (Myth #2 busted). Just as with his Romantic repertoire, you can feel his heart in his voice - whether the aria in question is a torrential outpouring, or a quiet soliloquy. I also enjoyed hearing new facets in his voice - as if a familiar gemstone was catching and reflecting a fresh ray of light. In Ariodante's "Scherza, Infida" for example, he conveys his heartbreak as touchingly as any Rodolfo or Alfredo - while remaining true to the style required for music of this genre. And Bajazet's death scene from "Tammerlano" is absolutely arresting in its impact! Then there is his beautifully introspective rendition of "Pastorello D'Un Povero Armento" from "Rodelinda" - where the king, with all his luxury, power and wealth, yearns for the peaceful and untroubled sleep of the shepherd boy. And the beloved "Ombra Mai Fu" from "Serse" is simply delicious! In interview on the bonus DVD (supplied with the Deluxe edition), Rolando Villazón talks of being driven to achieve excellence under the guidance of Paul McCreesh, while Mr McCreesh speaks of Mr Villazón's finely tuned vocal instrument, lack of vanity and absolute commitment to the music. This is obviously a partnership strengthened by mutual respect - and the fine result is obvious in the finished product. So - that leaves only Myth #3. Can a Lyric Tenor successfully sing Handel? Assuredly YES ... especially if he is Rolando Villazón!
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Bit of a Stretch but...,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Handel: Arias (Deluxe Limited Edition) (Audio CD)
This album is not the last word on elegant Handel singing and I wouldn't even say that it is "essential listening" for die-hard Baroque or Villazon fans, but it does give a new and interesting dimension to his art and (possible) direction to his career. The assured vocalism he delivers here is certainly on a par with Wunderlich's wonderful recordings of this music and, in the case of both of these great tenors, I suspect Handel himself would choose expressive utterance over elegant (but boring) singing - not that the two qualities must be mutually exclusive, and not that Villazon is sloppy. No, he actually acquits himself rather well even when the notes come fast and thick (which, this being Handel, they often do). The coloratura is fluent - if occasionally labored - and he manages a credible trill. I think, typically speaking, audiences respond to Villazon's great energy and commitment to whatever he's performing - that is his great gift and it is available in abundance on this release. Though this album does not show the same level of varied vocal niceties as previous recorded efforts (in terms of dynamic shading and text-based nuances), it is a good addition to Villazon's recorded output. There have been some detractors who complain about his having transposed some arias from higher keys but that tradition is one that Handel endorsed and practiced so I do not consider it to be a legitimate demerit when discussing this album. I bought the "deluxe" edition and if I had it to do over again, I would purchase the regular (single disc) version as the bonus DVD included in the aforementioned deluxe version is actually very short (less than 30 minutes) and not particularly well-produced. Basically, it seems that it was done as an afterthought. Furthermore, the mini-concert shows Villazon in less than top form and so the recorded versions are more than adequate. Anyway, now that Villazon's gone Baroque, I would love to hear him go Classical - why not an album of Mozart's arias for tenor? Mozart is so often treated as sacred with pallid and overly-reverent performances; Villazon is just such a performer who could turn that tradition on its ear.
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