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17/02/2004 Rolando Villazon - London's new favourite tenor
The applause was thunderous. It seemed to last half a lifetime. It reminded you of the sustained rapture which signalled the end the 2003 Never Ending Tour, the last London gig by Bob Dylan, at Brixton Academy in November. But while the 4,000 Dylan fans at Brixton were, in effect, paying homage, celebrating almost half a century of ground-breaking creativity, the smaller audience at the Royal Opera House last Friday was signalling the emergence of a brand new favourite: the title role in Les Contes d'Hoffman was played by young Mexican tenor Rolando Villazon, in his first appearance at Covent Garden. Granted, there was none of Brixton's rock fan barbarity - no whistling, catcalling or hollering. But there was loud, sustained applause. And cheering. And - who says opera fans need unbuttoning - the stamping of well-shod feet on expensively re-laid floor. I hadn't bothered to book Tales of Hoffman, Offenbach's late 19thC shaggy dog story, when the tickets were released. Cornball operas by minor composers don't figure too highly when there's so much great live music being played in London these days. But, listening to In Tune, Sean Rafferty's wonderful Radio 3 drive time show, in the car a couple of weeks ago, I had stumbled across an outstanding tenor. The voice was so captivating that I lost concentration, almost driving into the back of a bus stopping to pick up passengers. Why is Rafferty playing tracks by a young Pavarotti, I mused, as hanging-judge passers-by and feckless retireds, fresh from their daily compulsory golf, muttered, pointed and frowned in my direction? It had been one of those rare radio moments: "who on Earth is THAT?!". The presenter then revealed to an expectant audience that the tenor in question was Rolando Villazon, currently singing at Covent Garden. Trying to book late, I found the seats were all taken, but I managed a standing place - in the vertiginous gods, with a restricted view. What a performance! Villazon's rich tenor excited from his very first line. He exulted in the risk of going for the high notes, but was equally convincing in the lower and middle register. His use of dynamics was remarkable. He acted like a veteran Thespian. And his dark Latin looks and slim youthful frame helped the bourgeoises d'un certain age, who make up the bulk of the Covent Garden crowd, recall what lust used to feel like. The rest of the cast were a fitting complement to Villazon's extravagant talents. The three sopranos (what luxury) - Elena Kelessidi, Jennifer Larmore and Vassiliki Karayanni, particularly Karayanni, as Olympia, Hoffman's prototype Barbie Doll - sang beautifully. Willard White's portrayal of four successive Mr Nasties was masterly. Hoffman is a minor opera - a Belle Epoque costume-fest which reminds you why directors of other recent ROH productions have been tempted to adopt knowingly anachronistic wardrobe (Lucia di Lammermoor) or minimalist sets (Aida). The drama is a clunky romp - like Ulysses, it would have benefited from the intervention of a good editor. The dramatic tension droops frequently in the work's three and a half hours. That apart, Hoffman is a fitting showcase for a great new talent: Hoffman does an awful lot of singing. Given careful management and good luck, you can confidently expect Villazon to be a major name in world opera in a year or so. But isn't the Royal Opera House far too expensive? Well, my perfectly adequate standing place (with bar to rest on) cost me all of £7. No better value in Music for Grown-Ups Land. Recommended recording: Rolando Villazon, Italian Opera Arias, Virgin Classics. Gerry Smith
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