Wiener Staatsoper
22.3.2010

Dirigent: Daniele Callegari

Adina - Ekaterina Siurina
Nemorino - Rolando Villazón
Belcore - Tae Joong Yang
Dulcamara - Ambrogio Maestri
Giannetta - Anita Hartig

"A Successful Comeback"

Rolando Villazón gained much applause from the audience at the Vienna Staatsopera. After a long absence he celebrated a successful comeback.

->German Review/Deutsche Fassung

Villazón’s „Nemorino“ has become legendary since the State Opera performance series with Anna Netrebko in April 2005. Five years later the singer impressed again with a witty, pantomime included role design, which didn’t lack irony. Villazón played the longing as well as the drunken groping. Again he showed his juggling skills. Furthermore he played a pantomime, which probably tells the story of a ladybug, which runs over his hand, and then is sat down into the grass. So he enriched the brief transition in the second act before he is recruited by Belcore.

He seems almost magnetically to the audience due to his natural gentleness: There was a show of applause when he entered the stage, and after the "Una furtiva lagrima" there was long round of applause. Vocally he succeeded without problems. However, he seemed a bit cautious, avoiding using too much pressure in his voice. His “open” singing technique, however, changed little. The impression he left at the "Una furtiva lagrima" was more subdued than in earlier performances, the emotions were not so clear and he used less force to emphasise. Altogether, the voice seemed to sound a little clearer, and perhaps a touch narrower than before. After the end of the "romance" the audience tried to urge a repetition. Villazón was visibly touched, however he didn’t engage in to it.

The rest of the cast was identical with the performances of January. Ekaterina Siurina sang a lively Adina, even tough there were some shrill heights, Ambrogio Maestri sang a smart Dulcamara, Tae Joong Yang's youthful Belcore seemed a little bit wooden. Anita Harting was a nice Nanetta and the conductor Daniele Callegari created a “repertoire like” musical environment.

The final applause lasted about 22 minutes. Villazón understood it with hearts, kisses and waving to entertain the audience- and so to expand his sympathy. There is no doubt about it: The opera needs such singers. Since the house seems alive, vibrating and full of tension.

Translatet by F. Troger
© Dominik Troger, www.operinwien.at