"TENOR" 2010
STAR TENOR 2006
PROMISING TENOR 2003
Discovery on French television!
Eve Ruggieri, as the opera ambassador who has cornered opera on tv musical programmes, introduced Rolando who was awarded the 'diapason'in the category “Foreign Discovery of the Year.”
Seven years like a shooting star and yet two tense periods for his dedicated fans! And certainly for the artist too, who had first to slow his pace , and then, to go through vocal surgery, which is a dreadful prospect when your voice is your "raison de vivre"!
This album coincides with his come back, which he chose to make on British ITV. I hope one day to hear or read something a bit funny and extravagant from Rolando about this period so I can link it to the idea I have of this very gifted artist.
The album is a rather easy choice of 8 arias he had already recorded in previous albums and 7 new ones, some rather 'music hall' I would say!
Without any doubt I do not like his 'Maria' (Bernstein's West Side Story).
When West Side Story first reached me I went three times running to a marvellous open air cinema (in the summer) on the Cours Mirabeau in Aix en Provence and just got intoxicated by all those hits including of course 'Maria' so in this case Rolando had no chance of seducing me! "TENOR" is aimed at the new TV audience which followed these operastar- popstar shows, and took part in them throughout this period. It is a good CD for discovering him, his range and art, his sunny voice, although of course it cannot replace going to live performances and really feeling his amazing warmth and sustained breath holding the melody!
Of course I am really waiting for a new "real classical" CD, and I can bet it will be Schumann's
Dichterliebe (not only but mainly).
WHY?
He has been performing this cycle of melodies in recitals all over the world.
The first performance was in 2004; in New York he sang some melodies but not the entire cycle. (short hair and stripped suit, tame period!)
2006: world wide fame arrived : first a concert at Berkeley and then in
Metropolitan Museum where he really made it!
2008 jan 13, Licèu come back.
After his first silent period, for
his first appearance at the Liceù, in 2008, I was in the audience, and said hello to him for the second time after the performance ( the first being after Nice Werther Jan 2006). (here are some quotations from my blog already focused on the Dichterliebe and his pianist- to- be Hélène Grimaud)..
Now I am eager to see him in Paris (18 ap TCE ) for this cycle I am deeply interested in.
I think he was faithful to his pianist for his american and spanish Dichterliebe recital.
His pianist was Bryndon Hassman and I appreciated him, not wanting to make a show of his accompaniment, very attentive to his singer. Daniel Barenboïm was his piano player in the German recitals and in the Israël and Tokyo tours where he sang them also.
When he was performing Lenski at Berlin Staatsoper, he was still practising the cycle with Daniel Barenboïm coaching him.(ARTE 24H IN BERLIN, I blogged about him rehearsing with his friend Daniel)
So, now in Paris his pianist will be
Hélène Grimaud!Will it be the 'clash' of two big stars in their field?
Will it be a magical moment in the history of the Dichterliebe?
But I am pretty sure there will be a CD to sort of crown all these years Rolando has immersed his soul and vocal art in both Heine's poems and Schumann's piano scores.
Who will be his pianist then?
Helène?
Daniel?Bryndon?
"BRYNDON HASSMAN Bay Area native Bryndon Hassman is in his 17th year as a member of the music staff of the San Francisco Opera, where he has worked on such diverse productions as Richard Strauss’ Capriccio designed by Gianni Versace; Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria; the world premieres of Heggie’s Dead Man Walking and Susa’s Dangerous Liaisons; the American premieres of Messiaen’s St. François d’Assise and Henze’s Das verratene Meer; and the West Coast premieres of Harvey Milk and Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer. For the San Francisco Opera Center, Hassman received critical acclaim for his performances in the North American premiere of Sir Michael Tippett’s King Priam. Additional Opera Center credits include productions of Ezio, The Aspern Papers and Albert Herring. A 1989 and 1990 participant in the Merola Opera Program, Hassman has appeared in recitals accompanying Renée Fleming, Ruth Ann Swenson, Jerry Hadley, Thomas Hampson, as well as Brian Asawa, Hector Vasquez, Chester Patton, John Relyea, Mel Ulrich and Hugh Russell for the Schwabacher Debut Recital Series.
His more unusual assignments include coaching Robin Williams on the aria Largo al factotum for the 1993 film “Mrs. Doubtfire” and assisting Victor Borge for a concert performance of Carmen with the San Francisco Symphony.
In October 2004 he received unanimous praise from the international press for accompanying Rolando Villazón’s New York recital debut at the Metropolitan Museum as well as the follow-up recital in February of 2006."(Quote from Berkeley programme)
That is to be heard and seen!
XIV- Allnächtlich im Trume sh'ich dich Fritz Wunderlich Hubert Giesen 1965
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Du sagst mir heimlich ein leises Wort
Und gibst mir den Strauss von Zypressen.
Ich wache auf, und der Strauss ist fort,
Und das Wort hab' ich vergessen.
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