11 feb 2012

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ROLANDO VILLAZÓN (BY JOANNA)



Este es un comentario que Joanna ha dejado en el post anterior. Como ha sucedido otras veces, lo pongo en un post propio, para darle más relevancia...¡y que nadie se quede sin leerlo y disfrutarlo!


It's so exciting to see all of the wonderful new projects on the horizon for Rolando! More Mozart, the sublime Requiem in the U.S., and now the festivals!

But, wait! This is just the beginning. There is so much more to come!

A Day in the Life of Rolando Villazón

5:00 am: Wakened by a loud alarm clock and catapults out of bed.

5:05 Breakfast consisting of a banana and another banana and a big bowl of Coco Puffs.

5:10 Off to the study to read something bright and cheerful to start the day; can’t decide between Nietzsche, Kant, and Schopenhauer.

6:10 Joggling Lalique crystal goblets up and down the steps of Sacré-Cœur; not challenging enough; decides to do it blindfolded; backwards; now THAT was fun.

8:02 Call from Maestro Nézet-Séguin to discuss the upcoming Requiem at Carnegie Hall and whether the choreography is really necessary at all. Joint decision that, well, it’s America, and they always expect a big production number.

8:45 Begins work on his latest directorial project, a new opera based on "The Origin of Species." Decides that he will also star as Darwin, but is having problems casting the Galapagos turtles.

9:30 Twiddling his thumbs, looking for something to do.

9:31 Preparing his new reality show, "Rapstar to Operastar," which coincides with the release of his new CD, "Rappin’ with the Notorious RO-LAN-DO." Yo, Gangsta.

12:11 pm: Walks into the kitchen reading "L'Être et le néant" in one hand and "Extreme Balloon Sculpture" in the other; bumps into the refrigerator; unloads a string of expletives (bad ones); relieved that the wife and kids aren’t home; resolves not to walk and read at the same time.

12:20 Lunchtime: Considers the metaphysical implications of making a sandwich.

12:50 Wonders if Socrates ever washed a single dish in his life.

1:50 Accepts the title role in a sparkling new comic opera entitled "Fear and Trembling: The Life and Times of Søren Kierkegaard"; excited about the hip hop spin.

2:01 Gazes into the existential void; time for tequila.

3:00 Wakes up; not sure where he is.

3:35 Works on his autobiography, "My Life on the Chain Gang."





4:00 Decides that being fluent in five languages is for babies; learns Old Norse in case someone writes an opera in that language.

4:32 Walks into the study reading "Ten Things Your Mother Never Told You about Cartesian Dualism" in one hand and "Phenomenology Jokes for All Occasions" in the other; trips over a laundry basket; flies headlong into a stack of books two meters high that he intended to read that evening; blistering expletives in Old Norse; resolves not to walk and read at the same time.

5:30 Ponders life’s eternal questions: Is there a God? Is there life after death? Corona or Dos Equis? 

5:46 Decides that in the new production of Hoffmann, he will direct, design the set, the lighting, and the costumes, and play not only Hoffmann but also Olympia, Antonia, and Giulietta; realizes that the REAL challenge will be getting in and out of those damned corsets fast enough; will also do catering.

7:00 Dinner consisting of bananas, Captain Crunch cereal, and a couple of Coronas.

7:42 Reviewing several new stagings of Werther; intrigued by the version set in 18th-century Polynesia; extremely delighted with the grass skirts and coconut brassieres; decides that the costumes will look particularly lovely on the French villazonistas, especially the ladies.

8:50 Reads the Blog Villazonista; basks in the glow of unconditional love; needs to lie down to recover.

9:30 Receives the fiftieth call that day from yet another opera house begging for him to bring his Nemorino to their stage; currently booking the role out to the year 2035. 

10:00 Decides to read the dictionary; disappointed he can’t get past “p” because he has to take out the trash.

11:00 Starting to feel a bit tired.

11:01 Collapses in a blissfully profound sleep; dreams about flying...flying...flying...towards the sun.







imágenes 1-2: web Rolando Villazón - 3: dibujo "Rolando flying"




15 comentarios:

  1. Ha, Ha, Ha, Joanna, j'adoreeee !!! you are the best !!!!

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  2. Extraordinaire Joanna !!!
    Imagination fertile ,le véritable emploi du temps de Rolando doit ressembler fortement au vôtre :o)))
    L'été va être bien rempli pour notre cher ténor ,de nouveau rôle prévu.
    Merci pour votre humour !!

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  3. Muy divertido el post de Joanna. Agotador!
    Una buena caricatura de Rolando que retrata muy bien su talante.
    Siempre me pareció, y creo que lo he comentado en alguna ocasión, que este chico tiene todos los signos de haber sido un niño hiperactivo.
    Como lo habrán pasado sus padres. Pobrecitos...!

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  4. Joanna, you must be a professor for creative writing courses! Full of ideas and imagination! Reading this diary is really fun. Do you offer correspondence courses?

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  5. ;-DDDDD!!!!! Joanna, como he echado de menos tus brillantes posts, un estallido de cómplice risa, de chispeante ternura, de pícaro humor!!!! Pero, just in case, no le des más ideas a Rolando, ja, ja!

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  6. Joanna dear, I am convinced that the real day of Rolando does look like you described. Were you maybe a little bee buzzing around our Rolandino, just to inform us about his private life? I guess you are.
    Your reportage gives us a good inside look in his daily occupations. Physically and mentally.Very visual, very inventive, very intellectual , I dare even say very highbrow!! You certainly must have a degree in Rolandiology. And you followed undoubtedly a post graduate course in witty writing.
    You are unique. And thank you for giving us such precious treats!!! It all is fantastic!
    and please........give us more and more and more!!

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  7. This is so creative and funny and on the mark... Joanna, you are brilliant. Rolando's doing so much (in real life) it's making me dizzy. As long as joy holds it all together.

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  8. jajaja muy entretenido este post, casi puedo ver a Rolando concentradísimo leyendo un diccionario y dando vueltas sin parar por toda la casa, o meditando profundamente sobre esas preguntas importantísimas a las 5:30... haha no paro de reír con estas ocurrencias de Joanna, siempre tan original.
    Saludos.

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  9. Thank you, Danièle, Claudine, Isabel, Kris, Judit, Mariù, Leonie, and Fernanda! Glad you liked it!

    Thank you, Teresa, for the perfect drawings. Just perfect.

    And, heavens, no, I do not teach creative writing. That would interfere with my dual careers as a bounty hunter and flying trapeze artist.

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  10. Catherincita12/2/12, 9:03

    La verve tellement originale et réjouissante de Joanna nous offre toujours un plaisir incomparable et n'a d'égal que le dynamisme infatigable de notre Rolandito.
    Thank you very much and congratulations....à tous les 2 : l'auteur et sa.... muse (!!)

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  11. Thank you, Catherine! Ah, Rolando, the human dynamo! How can we keep up with you?

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  12. Thank you Joanna and Teresa. I love the idea of Rap Star to Opera Star! Don't think I will ever be able to banish the image of Rolando in a corset furiously making sandwiches!

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  13. Thank you, thesilverrose! Rolando's talents know no bounds. :-)

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  14. I didn't mention the adorable drawings that go with the story-- I took them for granted. Thank you, Rolando.

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  15. I'm worried about that last date in May at the Zurich Operahouse, the 17th , before Rolando does his production of 'L'Elisir' in Baden-Baden-- it's awfully close. Hopefully his production team will be well on their way before the Zurich run starts. You're going to have to be ridiculously organized, Rolando. I know you can do it. Sending you hugs.

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