Yikes

What is going on with our sweet, sweet Giuseppe Filianoti? I know this has been brewing for a while, the La Scala thing, etc., but I hadn't really focused on it before listening to the Rigoletto b-cast today. I mean, he didn't pull any Heppners, but it was worse--Heppner of course sounds brilliant the entire rest of the time, while the the sound here was generally labored and off putting throughout.

Three years ago, after seeing one of those celebrated Lucias, I believe I referred to him as "some kind of kick-ass opera cyborg" due to his beautiful tone and inhuman breath control. Today? It sounds like he's been possessed by the spirit of bad night late stage Alagna.

The juxtaposition of his and RV's troubles is disturbing. I mean, won't anyone please think of the tenors? Why are these two brilliant voices essentially toasted before 40?

Rolandon't

J: dude
A: yes?
J: seriously disastrous Lucia tonight
A: oh no
J: Villazon is toast, man
A: brutal
A: sad
A: like, unpleasant, or seriously fucked up
J: like, Heppner bad
A: !!!
A: oh shit
A: that is so awkward
J: he bailed before act 3
J: and so did we
A: sometimes everyone just needs to walk away
J: he went for this one not-that-high note
J: at the end of the quintet
J: and he held it forever but it sounded like....sandpaper
A: christ jesus
J: and then
J: he just stopped
J: and Trebs was staring at him and the audience gasped
J: it was such good stuff
A: oh. my. god.
J: and then he just collected himself and did the note again!
J: and it was better
A: wha???
J: then he sorta fumbled to the finish
A: rolando
A: honestly
A: what the f
J: Rolandon't
A: Roland'oh
J: Trebs is so shitty in Bel Canto
A: eh
A: yeah
A: was she cute with the baby pudge?
J: she is cute
A: you missed the bonkers scene tho?
J: yeah, she didn't sound good in this and I bet people cheered for nine minutes
J: it would have been annoying
A: that's fair
A: well
A: i mean, back in the day, i.e. 2005
A: it was always like that doesn't sound comfortable but i guess he knows what he is doing
J: right
A: so the vocal chickens have come home to roost
J: the opera chickens.
J: welcome home.
J: oh no, Villazon's wife's name is Lucia
A: oops
A: did you go with greg?
J: yeah
A: are there many more?
J: there are 3 more
A: arg
A: why is she doing this stuff
A: one does a certain thing well
A: why not stick with it?
A: its not like a cop out
A: its just not doing stuff you KIND OF SUCK AT on the met stage
J: she should sing:
J: Suor Angelica
A: word
J: Manon
A: YES
J: which she does
J: Manon Lescaut
J: I want her to try Butterfly
J: it's a big voice
A: renaay don't own that no' mo'
J: esp on top
A: trebs can get in on that
J: and like...do Russian stuff!
A: OMG
A: yes
A: where is the russian stuff!?!?
J: like, that soprano role in Mazeppa
J: shed own that shit
A: damn
A: that would be rad
A: where was she for that mazeppa?
A: why did we have that random woman?
A: that could have been like a big time trebs show
J: I may need to put on that Mazeppa