La traviata - Giuseppe Verdi - Act II O mio rimorso! - Rolando Villazón as Alfredo Germont

O mio rimorso, sung by mexican lyric tenor Rolando Villazón. He's got great histrionic skills IMO.

La traviata - Giuseppe Verdi - Act II
Alfredo and Violetta are living in a country house near Paris, where he praises their contentment ("De' miei bollenti spiriti"). But when the maid, Annina, reveals that Violetta has pawned her jewels to keep the house, Alfredo sings O mio rimorso and then leaves for the city to settle matters at his own cost.


O mio rimorso!
O infamia!
Io vissi in tale errore!
Ma il turpe sono a frangere
Il ver mi balenò.
Per poco in seno acquetati,
O grido dell' onore;
M'avrai securo vindice;
Quest' onta laverò.
O mio rossor!
O infamia!
Ah, sì, quest'onta laverò.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Opera
• Music
• Traviata
• Mexican
• Tenor
• Rolando
• Villazon

[Alizluca93]

when was this record made?

[AntalyaSamborzec]

@Alizluca93 I think is from 2006, but not 100% sure. Ms. Fleming performed Violeta's role.

[jaketaz]

If you want to know how this aria is actually supposed to end, simply type two words into the YouTube search bar: "kraus" and "rimorso".

[AntalyaSamborzec]

@jaketaz hm... as an Opera fan myself, I already know the way this aria ends. Thanks tho!

[maferreira1984]

@jaketaz : Oh, yes, I agree about Kraus' techinique (and how not to, as the man sung La Fille du Regiment onstage until he was 59?).

I commented about the high C because your words were "how this aria is supposed to end", I thought you meant the line of singing, not technique and phrasing.

As to Villazón's (lack of) technique, the video speaks for itself.

A pitty, though, as I kinda like his timbre. He could have had an interesting career.

[jaketaz]

@maferreira1984

Agreed on the c, & the aria does seem incredibly difficult to sing.

This version isn't worse because of the ending, it's worse due to his inferior technique. Villazon had vocal nodes & canceled many performances, while Kraus sang in tune, supported, & with consistent vibrato up until age 70, never having nodes or other vocal problems. Every high note here is flat, & neck veins bulge to compensate for bad technique. Vocal nodes don't lie, & neither does his persistent flatness.

[maferreira1984]

@jaketaz: not really, as Verdi both did not write a high C (it's a middle C in the score) and hated such unnecessary notes.

Trust me on this one, this cabaletta is already VERY hard to sing the way it was written, leave alone with the high C (ALL tenors that sing the high ending omit pretty much all the final lines).

Personally, I enjoy both ways, if well sang.

[Alizluca93]

@AntalyaSamborzec Thanks!

[jaketaz]

@ozzcasale

It comes down to personal taste, no one can tell you what to like. Villazon's fans really love him. People picture Kraus in Rossini roles because of his vocal timbre, but he has done far more Verdi, Donizetti, and French things. Over the course of a professional career lasting more than thirty years, including many recordings, he has done around 45 different roles and only ONE Rossini role. Since he lasted so long singing other music, obviously his voice was suited for that music.

[ozzcasale]

@jaketaz you're absolutely correct, but i love villazon...no matter how bad his voice gets through time. In the case of kraus, i love him too, but i think he's more for rossinian roles, as jdf is today, IMO! cheers!!!

[jaketaz]

@ozzcasale

You are correct, but despite the two different fachs, these two have sung many of the same roles. I don't believe this version is worse just because of the ending, I believe the entire thing is worse due to his inferior technique. Villazon has had vocal nodes and canceled many performances, while Kraus sang well up until age 70, while never having nodes or other vocal problems. Every high note here is flat, and neck veins bulge to compensate for bad technique. Vocal nodes don't lie.

[ozzcasale]

@jaketaz first, they're different kind of tenors, Rolando sings as a Tenor Lirico Dramatico mostly, when Kraus was a Tenor Lirico Leggero, second: the last note is placed an octave up, so, a High C, or C5 is to be put in the last note. But as a lirico dramatico, and with the two "lavero" before, his air was empty to hit the pasaggio and take the high C, notice that kraus passes this two "laveró" to finish the aria in c5, so, for me, it's out of comparison.