You are about to see Erwin Schrott's briefs!

Legal briefs, that is. According to Tom Service on the Guardian blog, Schrott is being sued for having canceled two performances.

It's just been confirmed that Erwin Schrott, the beefcake of the international baritone world, and the man that many straight male opera-lovers love to hate (he's affianced to the Russian diva du jour Anna Netrebko), is to be issued with High Court proceedings by Ian Rosenblatt.

Schrott is being sued as he cancelled not one, but two appearances as part of the Rosenblatt Recitals series; the first three years ago, the latest this spring.

Where many promoters would simply grit their teeth and pander to the suddenly indisposed star, Rosenblatt instead asked Schrott to make a donation to charity for the same amount that he'd cost the series after the last cancellation, a concert with the Philharmonia that should have taken place in June. Schrott refused.

Rosenblatt's reaction was uncompromising: "I was disgusted by Mr Schrott's previous disregard for his audience and his contractual obligations, but to then turn down an offer to settle by making a payment to charity is a new low even for him. Therefore, proceedings have now been issued in the High Court and we await his return to the UK so that they can be served".

He's also been reported saying, "He's a fool. He refused to explain why he was cancelling. Now he's hiding from me, but I'm going to hunt him down."