Rolando is back

At the end of this performance of Jacques Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann Mexican tenor Rolando Villazón was greeted by thunderous applause and stamping. He could not hide his satisfaction and nervously thanked the audience for their enthusiasm since both the Royal Opera audience and Villazón had good reason to celebrate. When the tenor came in June to sing Don Carlo, he received a far less noisy ovation and was given lukewarm reviews in the papers. Then he came out to take his bow apologetically, knowing all too well that he was not at the top of his game. Worryingly, his substandard rendition of Don Carlo was his awaited come-back, after a few months of resting that had fed rumours about an irremediable decline. Indeed, many thought Villazón's career was done for.Only five months later he has come back to re-assert himself as one of…