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Now Villazón’s second album is being released with an all-French program of works by the masters Jules Massenet and Charles Gounod His Italian album, released in February 2004, not only generated top sales figures; it also earned the tenor, born in 1972, an Echo Klassik 2004. The current CD contains repertoire that played a major role in Villazón’s early career: it was the role of Grieux in Massenet’s Manon that gave the singer his great European breakthrough in Genoa in 1999. The singer himself sees the tension between Gounod and Massenet as a contrast between two worlds: Massenet embodies for him rather a “sensitive, erotic side”, Gounod stands for the “spiritual”. In addition to well-known repertoire, the singer has also included several rarities in his program, such as highlights from Gounod’s La Reine de Saba or Massenet’s Le Mage.
This is mostly well-planned and executed recital mixes favourites with extracts from operas that have remained rarities, even with the increased interest in late 19th-century repertory. It begins with Rodrigue’s great prayer, ‘O souverain’ from Act 3 of Le Cid. Rolando Villazón sings this with an attractive quiet introspection to start with, but then there is metal and passion in his voice for the climax. Of the other well-known Massenet items, it’s good to hear Werther’s ‘Lorsque l’enfant’ as well as the show-stopping ‘Pourquoi me réveiller?’. In ‘En fermant les yeux’ from Manon, Natalie Dessay provides Manon’s brief phrases, and Villazón makes a really sensitive dreamer. ‘Ah, fuyez’ goes well too, but it will be the arias from Roma, Grisélidis and Le Mage that will attract most listeners. In all Massenet’s output is there a more seductive tune than the one that forms the centre of the Roma scene, ‘Soir admirable’? This is done very well by Warren Mok in the complete recording, but Villazón outshines him. Of the Gounod arias, Faust’s ‘Salut demeure’ fares the best, but again it will be the extracts from Polyeucte and La Reine de Saba that will please immediately. Villazón has established himself as one of the most promising among the new generation of tenors. His French has improved recently, butthere is the odd difficulty still with certain vowels. Accompaniment, recording and presentation are first-rate. — Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010
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