Rolando Villazón

羅蘭多·維拉宗（Rolando Villazon）真正當之無愧的世界第四大男高音
 
在三大歌王創(chuàng)下了票房奇跡之后，如今讓歌劇經(jīng)紀人們頗為苦惱的是：誰能成為下一個帕瓦羅蒂、多明戈、卡雷拉斯？時不時有人興沖沖地跑去找經(jīng)紀人：你可得聽聽這聲音，他會成為下一個帕瓦羅蒂！可惜，這些或外表英俊或嗓音甜美的男高音們通常都是扶不起的劉阿斗，沒多久就會失去唱高音C的本領(lǐng)，要么胖到塞不進戲服，要么愚蠢地得罪樂評人，要么讓生活侵蝕自己的嗓音，從此消失在人們的視野中。
 
如果只有一位年輕的男高音能夠揚帆遠航，那必定是他——羅蘭多·維拉宗（Rolando Villazon）。他和多明戈有著相似的音色，說著同一種語言，是全世界最看好的歌王接班人。他的首張唱片《意大利歌劇詠嘆調(diào)》在全球瘋賣，他那張頗似戇豆先生的俊臉頻頻登上各大古典音樂雜志的封面；《每日電訊報》稱他為“21世紀最偉大的歌劇演員”，《Times》更是夸贊他有“真才實料，兼具明星氣質(zhì)和強烈的個性”；想請他演出？2008年以后吧。
 
維拉宗性格開朗，興奮起來便要上躥下跳，采訪他的記者根本不用費心套話就能收獲意外果實，因為他是個“話癆”又有表演欲，說起故事來滔滔不絕并且繪聲繪色。
 
維拉宗于1972年出生于墨西哥，父親是位電腦專家，母親是家庭主婦，似乎都沒有什么音樂天賦。和所有的拉美小孩一樣，他最感興趣的是流行歌曲和足球，夢想著當演員。但他有一群波西米亞叔叔阿姨，其中不乏卡通畫家、吉他手，甚至還有一位靈媒，為他日后的音樂、文學、漫畫天賦啟了蒙。小維拉宗迷上一樣東西后就會很投入，他看了《哈克貝里芬歷險記》的漫畫后，就想盡辦法弄了一套漫畫里的衣服，還赤腳上街；他讀完甘地傳之后，不但把頭剃光，還煞有介事借來一副小圓眼鏡；一次他的父母送給他一輛嶄新的自行車，當時他當看完《唐吉訶德》，覺得這新車一點不像那匹又老又瘦的馬，于是就用錘子把車敲得破破爛爛?；貞洰斈?，維拉宗說：“這些人物深深地印在我的靈魂里，我希望能夠通過自己來表現(xiàn)他們的想法。”這些都是最初的表演沖動。
 
因為太祖母是奧地利人，維拉宗兒時上的是德語學校。當時他的父親在哥倫比亞唱片公司工作，經(jīng)常帶些LP回家。其中一張多明戈與約翰丹佛合唱的《也許愛》讓小維拉宗非常著迷，他聽了一遍又一遍，還努力地模仿。有一次他在洗澡的時候放聲歌唱，突然有人敲門，原來是墨西哥表演藝術(shù)學院的總監(jiān)路過時聽到他的歌喉，想讓他去藝術(shù)學校訓練一下。
 
自從他開始沉浸在表演、音樂、現(xiàn)代舞和芭蕾的世界中后，德語學校的成績便一落千丈，幾乎門門開紅燈，最后只能轉(zhuǎn)學了事。令小維拉宗頗為不好意思的是，當時他的太祖母還在世。
 
1990年是個轉(zhuǎn)折點，18歲的維拉宗在學校演出中唱歌，恰巧臺下的觀眾中有位男中音阿圖羅.涅托（Arturo Nieto）。演出結(jié)束后涅托來到后臺，告訴維拉宗他有副好嗓子，并問他是否需要指導。第二天維拉宗來到涅托的工作室，在墻上看到了一副涅托和多明戈的合影。偶像的力量是無窮的，維拉宗當即決定跟隨涅托學習。突然間，他發(fā)現(xiàn)歌劇要比流行歌曲有趣多了。
 
1992年，他在1500名觀眾面前演唱了著名的詠嘆調(diào)《偷灑一滴淚》，結(jié)束后他的神父導師買了一瓶龍舌蘭酒為他慶祝，并且告訴他他的職責是成為一位歌劇演員而不是神父，他應(yīng)該立刻去音樂學院面試。當時導師還說：如果有一天你在美國大都會歌劇院演出，我一定去看（這話后來果真應(yīng)驗了）。
 
第二天維拉宗就去參加了面試，他唱了《波西米亞人》中的一段詠嘆調(diào)，捉著一個枕頭當成想象中的咪咪。他立刻被音樂學院錄取，不過很快又出現(xiàn)了新問題。為了付學費，維拉宗在業(yè)余時間教歷史課打零工，不久他就考慮放棄歌唱事業(yè)去當一個全職教師。他后來回憶道：“當時我覺得唱歌劇是一項太難的事業(yè)，我不知道如何走出墨西哥進入國際舞臺。也許當個歷史老師用業(yè)余時間唱歌對我來說更實際。”關(guān)鍵時候又應(yīng)驗了那句老話：一個成功男人背后總有一個成功女人。這時已經(jīng)成為一位心理學家的露西婭再次發(fā)揮了決定性作用，她威脅維拉宗如果不完成歌劇之夢就甭想同自己結(jié)婚，“現(xiàn)在你的夢想也是我的夢想，我一定要陪你完成它”。于是維拉宗決定繼續(xù)學習，并開始在羅西尼和莫扎特的歌劇中演些小角色，在輕輕松松贏了兩次墨西哥國家歌劇比賽之后，著名的男中音加布里埃米哈雷斯（Gabriel Mijares）成了他的導師，為他登上國際舞臺鋪平了道路。
   1998年維拉宗來到舊金山歌劇院，在那里，他第一次演唱了《茶花女》中的阿爾弗雷德一角。然后他又參加了匹茲堡歌劇院的青年藝術(shù)家項目，在多尼采蒂的《拉美莫爾的露西婭》等劇中扮演了角色。1999年他在多明戈歌唱比賽中得了獎，立刻就接到倫敦皇家歌劇院的邀請出演《玫瑰騎士》。但他明智地婉拒了這份好意，他覺得放慢步伐繼續(xù)學習是更為明智的選擇。倫敦皇家歌劇院表示了理解，他還沒有準備好去倫敦，當他唱遍最有名的歌劇院，見識過世界上最有名的歌手后，他會去倫敦的。大家沒有看錯，2004年他的倫敦皇家歌劇院首演獲得掌聲雷動，他在謝幕后興奮得像個孩子般跳上跳下。 2001年他在布雷根茨歌劇節(jié)上演唱的《波西米亞人》選段引起了轟動，2003年10月他在紐約大都會歌劇院的首演是與瑞妮弗萊明合作《茶花女》。當時今日古典網(wǎng)站稱“這是自胡安迪亞戈·佛瑞茲（Juan Diego Florez）以來最有前途的男高音首演”。
 
唱歌劇光有金童還不行，維拉宗很快發(fā)現(xiàn)了色藝雙絕的俄羅斯女高音安娜·涅翠柯（Anna Netrebko），“我第一次聽到涅翠柯演唱是在華盛頓的一次試聽中，她當時唱的是吉爾達。我立刻知道我必須同這位女高音合作。”接著他們在慕尼黑合作了《茶花女》、在洛杉磯合作了《羅蜜歐與朱麗葉》，便立刻被評論界捧為“金童玉女的夢幻組合”。巴倫波伊姆在柏林遇見維拉宗后，第一句問候就是：“他們告訴我你很棒。”
 
在全球的歌劇舞臺上獲得巨大的成功后，發(fā)行首張專輯的機會成熟了，于是維拉宗與維珍古典簽下獨家合約。他的絕活是“漸強漸弱唱法”（messa di voce），該唱法要求歌手柔和地唱出一個長音，在中部漸強，然后在尾部漸弱恢復到開始時的狀態(tài)。這種技巧是對歌劇演員音樂表現(xiàn)力的試金石，而拉美男高音向來長于此道。拉蒙·巴加斯（Ramón Vargas）、Juan Diego Florez、馬塞羅·阿爾瓦雷斯（Marcelo Á·lvarez）之后，現(xiàn)在輪到了維拉宗。“大概是因為龍舌蘭酒吧！拉美總能夠誕生偉大的歌喉，真是一種輪回。”
 
他的首張獨唱專輯在維也納甫一問世，便于兩個鐘頭內(nèi)被搶購一空，他那如男中音般溫暖而醇厚的音色以及無暇的技巧令人們驚艷，而更寶貴的是：他對不同風格的歌劇有著天生的感悟，無論是多尼采蒂、威爾弟還是普契尼的音樂，他不但能唱，而且能觸碰到人物的靈魂。他的低沉音色適于演繹詠嘆調(diào)的戲劇張力，而在高音時又不費吹灰之力，展現(xiàn)出多重色彩和完美的生動性?！杜f金山紀事報》稱該唱片“有分量、引人入勝”，《歌劇雜志》將之收入了“編輯推薦CD”。他的第二張專輯是古諾和馬斯內(nèi)的詠嘆調(diào)，贏得了2005年的留聲機大獎。
 
有評論者說：“維拉宗并不吝惜展示自己的才華。他的首張專輯收錄了那些最偉大的男高音唱過的詠嘆調(diào)，而相比之下他卻毫無遜色。這是一種偉大的男高音之聲，在我們已經(jīng)習慣了低標準的時代，無疑成為一種提升。這聲音擁有罕見的美妙、溫柔的浪漫之情，同時又表現(xiàn)出熱烈的青春。
 
即使是頂尖男高音在高音區(qū)有時也會捉襟見肘，但維拉宗卻唱得那樣輕而易舉。今時今日，錯過其他某位年輕男高音對聽眾來說無甚損失，但是錯過維拉宗將會成為一大遺憾。羅蘭多.維拉宗絕非尋常之輩，任何人都會同意《BBC音樂雜志》的評價：他是一位奇才！
 
同維拉宗合作過《波西米亞人》的英國導演理查·瓊斯（Richard Jones）說：“維拉宗與‘星巴克歌唱家’截然不同，那些垃圾歌手只是去不同的城市重復自己而已，但維拉宗有一種原創(chuàng)的頭腦，每次他扮演一個新角色，總是會從零開始細細思考。他有敏感的心理，能夠出色地完成角色要求的所有效果。”
 
像多明戈一樣，維拉宗在起步時更傾向于演唱抒情男高音的曲目，雖然戲劇男高音對他來說也并不成問題。“訣竅在于你應(yīng)該根據(jù)劇情而非音調(diào)來區(qū)分角色。阿爾弗雷德對于年輕歌唱家來說是個不錯的選擇，但有時會很困難；唐卡洛一角分量較重，但也有抒情的時刻。”維拉宗對《弄臣》中的公爵一角很著迷，“他每次都能僥幸逃脫，到最后你對他已經(jīng)恨不起來了。比起英雄人物來說，我對那些復雜的角色更有興趣，比如霍夫曼就是一個徹底的反英雄，一個失敗的人。”維拉宗承認自己并不適合演唱莫扎特，但表示有朝一日能夠嘗試《伊多梅紐斯》。
 
2009年維拉宗將在洛杉磯歌劇院演唱墨西哥作曲家丹尼爾·凱頓（Daniel Catán）的新作《郵差》（Il postino），該作品根據(jù)安東尼奧.斯卡米達（Antonio Skarmeta）的小說和邁克雷德福（Michael Radford）的電影改編而成。維拉宗將扮演馬里奧，諾貝爾獎得主、詩人聶魯達的私人郵差，多明戈將扮演聶魯達。無疑，能與幼年的偶像同臺，這將成為維拉宗最期待的一場演出。
 
維拉宗時常喜歡引些著名男高音智商平平的笑話來自我解嘲，不過很明顯，他肯定是男高音里的新品種。他告訴《留聲機》的記者Warwick Thompson，10歲那年迷信的叔叔喂他吃了一種神奇的蘑菇，然后給他讀蘭波的詩，從那以后他就開始愛上了文學。在閑暇時，維拉宗愛讀托馬斯曼、陀思妥耶夫斯基、加西亞馬爾克斯、阿·德布林的小說，“我看到了一扇文字的大門，以及文字在日常對話之外的不同用途。而現(xiàn)在，在我從事的事業(yè)中文字的力量更是無比巨大。有時歌唱家會忽略文字，我們只是注意音色、連貫性和樂句，但是當你把每個詞都唱活時，就會發(fā)現(xiàn)大大的不同。”
 
Through his uniquely compelling performances with leading opera houses and orchestras around the world, Rolando Villazón has firmly established himself as one of the music world’s most critically acclaimed and beloved stars and as one of the leading tenors of our day. Heralded as “the most charming of today’s divos” (The Times) and “a great singer and brilliant entertainer, at once extremely funny and deeply profound” (Crescendo) , Rolando Villazón is among the most versatile artists alive today, maintaining successful careers as a stage director, novelist, and TV personality next to his on-stage career. His singularly beautiful voice and arresting stage presence have prompted critics to hail him as “better than ever before…the sound of his voice is phenomenal…few tenors of such vocal power can shape such pianissimi” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) and “his artistry as astonishing as ever, fusing sound, sense and gesture in an uncompromising quest for veracity” (The Guardian).
 
It was as the winner of several prizes at Plácido Domingo’s “Operalia” Competition in 1999 (including the audience award and the Zarzuela prize) that Rolando Villazón first burst on the international music scene. He made his European debut that same year as Des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon in Genoa, swiftly followed by further debuts at the Opéra de Paris as Alfredo in La traviata; and the Staatsoper Berlin as Macduff in Verdi’s Macbeth.
 
He went on to become one of the most sought-after performers of his generation, as highlighted by a string of highly successful debuts with Europe’s leading opera houses such as the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich as Rodolfo in La bohème and the Vienna Staatsoper as Gounod’s Roméo. The tenor has since frequently returned to Vienna for performances as Massenet’s Werther, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Des Grieux, the title role in Les contes d’Hoffmann, the Duke in Rigoletto and Alfredo in La traviata. Munich audiences have seen Rolando Villazón perform the title role in Gounod’s Faust, Alfredo, Roméo as well as the title role in a new production of Les contes d’Hoffmann with the Bayerische Staatsoper in addition to concert performances of La bohème at the Gasteig which were recorded by Deutsche Grammophon and released on CD in 2008.
 
Rolando Villazón made his Salzburg Festival debut in 2005 with triumphant performances as Alfredo in a new production of La traviata alongside Anna Netrebko and Thomas Hampson. Deutsche Grammophon released both CD and DVD recordings of the production in 2005. In 2008, he returned for a new production of Roméo et Juliette which was broadcast live on television and recorded by Deutsche Grammophon for DVD release in 2009. In 2012, he made his acclaimed Mozart-debut at the Salzburg Festival, performing Alessandro in Il re pastore. He returned to Salzburg in 2013 for lauded performances in the title role of a new production of Mozart’s Lucio Silla. Further acclaimed European festival appearances include Bregenz, Glyndebourne, Orange, the Musikfest Bremen and Klara Festival Brussels.
 
Since his debut, Rolando Villazón frequently appears with the Staatsoper Berlin, often collaborating with Daniel Barenboim to great popular and critical acclaim. Highlights include his role debut as Don José in a new production of Carmen, as well as new productions of La traviata, Manon and Eugen Onegin as well as one of his signature roles Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore. At the Opéra de Paris, audiences have seen him in performances of Faust, La traviata, Les contes d’Hoffmann and Werther. The role of Hoffmann was also the vehicle for his triumphant debut at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden where he has since returned for performances of Lenski, the Duke, Rodolfo, the title role in a new production of Don Carlo and the title role in Massenet’s Werther, both led by Sir Antonio Pappano. Rolando Villazón has furthermore appeared with the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels as Rodolfo and made his role debut as Verdi’s Don Carlo in a new production with Amsterdam Opera conducted by Riccardo Chailly. He made his debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona as Nemorino and returned for a new production of Manon alongside Natalie Dessay. Both Manon and Don Carlo have also been released on DVD. He gave his debut at Zurich Opera as Alfredo, and returned for a new production of Il re pastore led by Sir William Christie, and performances of L’elisir d’amore. In 2010, he debuted with La Scala di Milan as Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore. In 2011 he made his role-debut as Don Ottavio with the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, followed by his role-debut as Ferrando in Così fan tutte, also in Baden-Baden, in 2012.
 
Since his acclaimed debut with the Metropolitan Opera New York as Alfredo, he has returned to star in performances as Verdi’s Duke, Rodolfo, Edgardo and in a sold-out Metropolitan Opera Pension Fund Gala Performance in April 2007. A favorite with Los Angeles Opera since his debut in La traviata, the tenor has since appeared in productions of Gianni Schicchi, Roméo et Juliette and Manon.
 
In concert, Rolando Villazón has appeared with leading orchestras and conductors on concert stages all over the world, including appearances at the Salzburg Mozart Week with the Vienna Philharmonic, London’s Barbican and Royal Festival Halls, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and Salle Pleyel in Paris, Berlin, Munich and Cologne Philharmonie, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Academy of Santa Cecilia, Carnegie Hall New York as well as sold-out concerts in amongst others Miami, Vancouver, Tokyo, Toulouse, Monte Carlo, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Prague, Zurich, Rome, Athens, Istanbul, Madrid, Copenhagen and Helsinki. To celebrate Giuseppe Verdi’s 200th anniversary, 2013 saw the tenor embark on a sold-out 15-city-tour featuring Verdi’s music. The concerts were watched by nearly 25,000 people across Europe. In 2007, he gave his German recital debut performing Schumann’s Dichterliebe accompanied by Daniel Barenboim, a success repeated the following year also at Staatsoper Berlin. Daniel Barenboim also led the tenor in the European premiere of Elliot Carter’s A Sunbeam’s Architecture in 2013, alongside the Staatskapelle Berlin. Together with accompanist Gerold Huber, he appeared in recital at the 2010 Salzburg Festival and the Vienna Musikverein 2011. His outdoor concerts with Plácido Domingo and Anna Netrebko at Berlin’s Waldbühne on the eve of the 2006 World Cup Final and at Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace in advance of the 2008 Euro Championship Final were both televised live and watched by millions of people around the world. In 2013, he sang an internationally broadcast open-air concert at Munich’s Odeonsplatz alongside Thomas Hampson and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
 
Rolando Villazón’s vast discography includes a recital of Italian arias, a recital of arias by Gounod and Massenet, as well as an “Opera Recital”, all for EMI/Virgin Classics. The same label has also released recordings of Monteverdi’s Il combattimento di Tancredi and I Lamenti conducted by Emmanuelle Haim as well as a Zarzuela CD entitled “Gitano” led by Plácido Domingo. All recordings have won unanimous critical praise. DVD releases for EMI/Virgin Classics also include the Vienna State Opera production of L’elisir d’amore, and for Decca the Los Angeles Opera production of La traviata opposite Renée Fleming. Further releases on EMI/Virgin Classics include a recording of Verdi’s Requiem with the Academy of Santa Cecilia, conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano and a recording of Vivaldi’s Ercole led by Fabio Biondi.
 
In 2007, Rolando Villazón became an exclusive recording artist with Deutsche Grammophon. His releases on the yellow label include a CD of operatic duets with soprano Anna Netrebko as well as both CD and DVD recordings of La traviata, recorded live at the Salzburg Festival. In 2006, La traviata garnered a Grammy nomination and both La Traviata and “Duets” were awarded Klassik Echo Awards as Germany’s best-selling albums in 2006 and 2008 respectively. The tenor received a further Klassik Echo Award in 2007 for the DVD of the 2006 Waldbühne concert. 2008 saw his highly acclaimed first solo release with Deutsche Grammophon, an album of rare Italian arias entitle “Cielo e mar”. In 2009, he released a complete recording of Puccini’s La bohème in addition to an acclaimed album of Handel arias in collaboration with renowned specialists Paul McCreesh and his Gabrieli Players. To date, all of his albums have been best-sellers, earning gold and platinum status in Germany and Austria. His recording “Duets” claimed the top spot on the Billboard classical chart shortly after its release in the U.S., and in Europe set a record for the best debut ever for a classical album, climbing to the top of the pop charts in several countries. His recording, “México!”, featuring new arrangements of classical Mexican songs, was released on DG in September 2010 and was awarded with the ECHO Klassik in 2011. In spring 2012 a critically acclaimed complete recording of Werther conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano was released, followed by complete recordings of Don Giovanni also in 2012 and of Cosi fan tutte in 2013, the first and second installments of a seven-part Mozart cycle conceived by the tenor and conductor Yannick Nézet-Seguin. On the occasion of Giuseppe Verdi’s 200th anniversary, Rolando Villazón released a recording of arias by the composer, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Early 2014 sees the release of a recording of Mozart’s Concert Arias for tenor, recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano.
 
In 2011, Rolando Villazón made his debut as a stage director with the critically and publically acclaimed production of Massenet’s Werther with the Opéra Lyon. In 2012 he directed Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. In the same production, labeled a “double triumph” and broadcast on international TV in December 2012, he also sang the part of Nemorino. Rolando Villazón will make three further directorial debuts in the 2014-15 season.
 
Rolando Villazón has been profiled in numerous international newspapers and magazines and featured on television shows such Germany’s Wetten, dass..? and Musical Showstar and the UK’s Royal Variety Show; documentaries on him have been televised in Austria, Germany, the UK and France. In 2010 he became mentor and juror of the UK’s Pop Star to Opera Star, a role he repeated in the second series in 2011. He is regularly presenting TV-programmes for the BBC and ZDF, where he is the host of the ECHO Klassik Gala as well as fronting a number of cultural programmes. He has his own series “Stars von morgen” on Arte, televised in France and Germany and is a frequent guest, both as mentor and juror, on KiKa’s “Dein Song”. In the fall of 2008 and throughout 2009, he starred in a feature film release of Puccini’s La bohème, directed by Oscar- and Emmy-nominated director Robert Dornhelm. In 2013, Rolando Villazón’s debut novel “Malabares” was published in Spain. German and French translations of the novel are slated for publication in 2014.
 
Rolando Villazón begins the 2013-14 season with performances as Mozart’s Lucio Silla with the Musikfest Bremen, conducted by Mark Minkowski. Mozart dominates the tenor’s season throughout: he performs Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at the Berlin Staatsoper, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, and the Vienna Staatsoper, followed by his return to Milan’s Teatro alla Scala for performances as Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte in a new production directed by Claus Guth and conducted by Daniel Barenboim, before closing the season with his role debut as Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Festspielhaus Baden-Baden to be recorded for release on Deutsche Grammophon. He performs Mozart’s Concert Arias for tenor with the Basel Chamber Orchestra on a European tour which takes him to Berlin, London, Paris, Dortmund, Prague and Vienna. Vienna audiences can also hear him as Lenski in Eugene Onegin, a role which is also the vehicle for his return to New York’s Metropolitan Opera. The tenor joins Emmanuelle Haim and her Le Concert d’Astrée for Monteverdi-themed concerts in Baden-Baden and Paris and can be heard in recital in Graz, Regensburg, Bremen and at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala.
 
Born in Mexico City, he began his musical studies at the National Conservatory of Music before entering young artist programmes in Pittsburgh and at San Francisco Opera. A recipient of many prestigious awards, Rolando Villazón has been named a Chévalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, one of the highest awards in the fields of arts and literature in France. Rolando Villazón acts as ambassador for the Red Noses Clown Doctors International charity. He is a member of the Collège de Pataphysique Paris.