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OperaNotes Review
Temple of Dendur in the Sackler Wing
Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York, NY
October 11, 2004
By Charlene Frank
Rolando Villazón
Bryndon Hassman, Piano
Picture this opera fantasy. An absolutely amazing young tenor singing to a
small audience at an ancient Egyptian Temple inside a concrete and glass room in
the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Could this be real? Let's add
to this fantasy and pretend all of this was for less than half the price of an
orchestra ticket at any regular venue. Wait! This wasn't a dream! I
was really there and was he really singing just a few feet in front of me!
Yes, this was real! The Temple of Dendur was behind me, Rolando Villazón with Bryndon Hassman at the Grand Piano were in front of me and it was incredible.
Rolando Villazón, the 32-year old Mexican super-tenor, has got it all. He is young, he is handsome, he has a smile that just keeps on going and he is probably one of the best tenors in the world right now. He sings with a clarity that is amazing. His voice is clear, smooth, powerful and simply beautiful. We've gone through quite a few young tenors in the recent years, all but a select few (very few) have not been able to compete with the hype that has been thrown at them. Protect your voice Rolando. Take good care of it. As much as we would love to hear you over and over again, please don't over-sing. We want you to last.
Tonight was Mr. Villazón's debut New York recital performance. He sang Handel, he sang Liszt, he almost moved me to tears with Strauss's Zueignung, Opus 10, No. 1 and that was all before the intermission.
When we realized that the concert was almost over, my friend turned to me and said "oh no!" There just wasn't enough. But he took care of that too! He came back three times to give us more. The audience was in love with this young man, they couldn't applaud or yell Bravo enough. A true opera fantasy on the Upper East Side.