Threenewreleasesthismonth(March)featuretenorRolandoVillazon--aCDofZarzuelaarias,oneofworksbyMonteverdi,andthisnewDVDofaperformanceattheViennaStateOperain2005ofDonizetti'sL'Elisird'amore.Villazonisaremarkablyversatiletenorandheputshisindividualstamponeverythinghedoes.Nemorinowasaroleintherepertoireofall"threetenors"inthe1970sand'80s:Domingobroughtacertainsmoothnesstoitearlyinhiscareer,buthisvoicesoongrewtooheavy;Pavarottiwassimple,affectionate,andbright-toned;andCarrerashadvulnerabilityandwarmth.Villazonhasitall.Thevoicegleamsatthetop,thebaritonalbottomaddstendernessinintrospectivemoments,andhehandlesthecoloraturahandsomely.He'sevenamasteratmessadivoce--thatgloriousaffectinwhichanoteisattackedsoftly,swelledtoalmostforteandthendrawnbacktopianissimo--andheusesitatthecloseofhisbigaria,"Unafurtivalagrima".AftertwominutesofapplausefromthenormallyreticentVienneseaudience,herepeatsthearia,withevengreaternuance.VillazonmakeseverythingthebumpkinNemorinosaysanddoesseemspontaneous.Withhismop-tophairandbigeyesheseemstobechannelingHarpo,Chico,andChaplinatonce.He'sabornham--hejugglesthreepiecesoffruitwhilesingingonearia--andheoffersoneofthemostdelightfulportrayalsoftheroleever.ThegorgeousRussiansuperstarAnnaNetrebkoishisbelovedAdinaandsheseemslikewiserelaxed;sheexecutesendlessstreamsofcoloraturawithbeautifultoneandease,andshe'strulyalertandappealing.Thetwoshareaone-minute-longkissthathastheaudienceeruptinginapplause.BassIldebrandod'Arcangelomakesanicelysnide,mellifluous,younger-than-usualquackDr.Dulcamara,andveteranbaritoneLeoNuccistillhasitastheboastfulsoldier,Belcore.ConductorAlfredEschwéclearlyrealizeshehasstruckgoldwiththecasting(apparentlyVillazonandNetrebkowerethrownintotheshowonacoupleofweeks'notice),andheleadsanenergeticandtightreadingofthescore.Thetraditionalsetsandcostumes(from1980,byJürgenRose)arecharming,andthedirectionforbothstageandTVisfine.ChoiceofDTS5.0Surround,Dolby5.0Surround,andLPCMStereo;subtitlesinEnglish,Spanish,French,ItalianandGerman.Arealtreat.--RobertLevine,ClassicsToday.com
