Intermezzo

Rolando Villazon goes West

Here's a German TV feature on the Rolando Villazon-directed L'Elisir d'Amore, which opens at the Festspielhaus Baden Baden on Monday. Horses, it seems, are this year's thing.

Stuff only Placido can get away with, Part I

I wonder when Rolando Villazon was taking his first tentative steps towards a career in opera if he ever dreamed that one day he'd find himself beneath the searing lights of a Salford theatre with a microphone clamped to his jaw, Hayley Westenra at his side and HRH the Princess Royal tucked away somewhere in the audience.

Last night's Royal Variety Show, all four hours of it, was recorded by ITV to be shown in an edited version (i.e. possibly Rolando-less) on 14 December. Personally I think you'd have to be a very, very big fan.

Rolando Villazon tells Hoffmann's tale

Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Nationaltheater Munich, 12 November 2011

For all its garish wallpaper, vintage frocks and toy animals, this new production is not a lot of fun. You can forget about the gondolas for a start.

Richard Jones takes a decidedly sober view of what might make someone hit the bottle. Jones's own youth informs much of his work, so perhaps it's not surprising he shows Hoffmann's creative identity to be moulded by past experiences.

Hoffmann is not the usual garrulous taproom raconteur, but a depressive alcoholic at a artistic standstill. Rolando Villazon, playing against type, tones down remarkably effectively - the clown behind the mask, and not just the clown. (And yes, it was Just Acting - he reverted to the usual japes at the curtain call.) He makes a tough act for Barry Banks to follow when the show comes to ENO next spring.

Hoffing with Rolando - UPDATED with more video

It doesn't take long for Rolando Villazón to prove he's not off whatever he's usually on in this Bavarian State Opera video. It's an introduction to Richard Jones's new production of Les Contes d'Hoffmann (the one that's coming to ENO next spring), which opens in Munich tomorrow night.

The title role is the most demanding thing Rolando has done since his recent operation - but even more impressive is Diana Damrau's assumption of all three lady parts.

Production photos by Wilfred Hösl for Bavarian State Opera below.

Rolando Villazon has Diana Damrau's baby

Rolando with Diana Damrau's super-cute 8 month old son, Alexander. More photos on stage and behind the scenes of the Met's Japan tour here.

Rolando Villazon does Freddie Mercury

At least it's only half a minute long.