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 enlarge | Artist: Rolando Villazon [tenor]
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Category: Music
Buy New: $16.98
New (42) Used (9) from $8.52
Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 22795
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 001087102
UPC: 028947772248
EAN: 0028947772248
ASIN: B000ZXSZFY
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
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Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-6 of 6 | | « PREV | | |
 Villazon Give His All -- Sometimes Too Much April 30, 2008
13 out of 15 found this review helpful
This is an exciting disk, sung with passionate conviction by one of the finest tenors in the world today. But speaking as a committed Villazon fan, I have to admit that it has its flaws and does not show this highly gifted artist at his very best. The repertoire Rolando has selected here does indeed contain "buried treasures" -- such as the exquisitely beautiful aria"La dea di tutti i cor" from Mercadante's "Il Giuramento" and the superbly moving "Tenda natal" from Ponchielli's unknown "The Prodigal Son." And then there's that perfect example of an ardent Italian lovesong "Io conosco un giardino" from Pietri's "Maristella," which Villazon sings absolutely gorgeously (this is the one you won't be able to get out of your head!). But too many of the arias here, including the title song from "La Gioconda," force Rolando to go well beyond his best lyric fach into spinto territory that presses his lovely instrument to its limit. His sound, though thrillingly intense and masculine, then starts to sound pressured and strained. This CD also was recorded just a few months before he collapsed with a general physical breakdown, and giving as much as he does here, you can cetainly understand why. Fortunately, he seemed to be in remarkably strong voice at these recording sessions, and he sails through the brutally difficult aria from Donizetti's "Poliuto" like a champion, capping it with a fabulous, long sustained high C. But the best numbers are those in which he can relax and sing more lyrically, such as the two arias from Cilea's "Adriana Lecouvreur" and from Boito's "Mefistofele" -- all nobly and expressively done. Verdi's well-known "Quando le sere al placido" is also wonderfully sung with the superb legato phrasing for which Villazon is renowned.
I give this four stars, but with hopes that he'll return to more lyrical repertoire -- as he seems now to be doing -- in the future. So buy this CD for the interesting rep and to hear Rolando flying excitingly on the edge of the possible. But his first three solo CDs for Virgin plus his Monteverdi disk display the beauty of his voice far more effectively.
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