Dmitri Hvorostovsky cancels upcoming concert

The following notice appeared on the website of the National Concert Hall where barihunk Dmitri Hvorostovsky was scheduled to perform on April 29th.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky deeply regrets that he must cancel his recital due to a change in the schedule for his cancer treatments.

Information about the concert has been removed from the Hvorostovsky’s official website, but his manager says that the Russian singer still plans on performing in a gala concert in Toronto on April 25th along with soprano Anna Netrebko and her husband tenor Yusif Eyvazov.

Hvorostovsky was diagnosed with a brain tumor in the summer of 2015 and subsequently cancelled concerts in Kaliningrad, Minsk and Vienna, as well as performances in the Met's current production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. He was replaced by fellow barihunks Peter Mattei and Mariusz Kwiecien.

Nathan Gunn and Anna Netrebko to debut in Ring Cycle

Nathan Gunn to take on shirtless Wotan

Metropolitan Opera diva and reigning empress of the singing world, Anna Netrebko, announced yesterday that she will debut as the iconic Valkyrie, Brünnhilde, closing the latter half of the Met’s 2018-19 season. Other cast members will include James Valenti as Siegfried and Kristine Opolais as Sieglinde. Nathan Gunn, will make his role debut as operas most famous patriarch, portraying a very chiseled Wotan. 


While the general design for Die Walküre has not yet been released, sources close to Peter Gelb have leaked that Nathan Gunn will be shirtless for the majority of the production, regardless if his character is on stage. Die Walküre will be directed by Rolando Villazon.

Her debut as Brünnhilde will come just three years after her maiden voyage into the Wagnerian repertoire, as Elsa in Lohengrin (coming this May in Dresden), Netrebko says that she will be ready to tackle this mogul of the rep. "Elsa is much lighter, but it is still Wagner. She and Brünnhilde are sisters in a way...you just have to know how to use your voice and feel comfortable with the production."

Anna Netrebko to debut as Brünnhilde

Walküre co-star Nathan Gunn has attested to Netrebko's Germanic prowess, having been viewing rehearsals over Skype. He reportedly wants to give himself enough time to become familiar with Netrebko's approach to Wagner so that he may scale down his execution to match. Dresden has teased that it will stage Lohengrin to the backdrop of Disney's Frozen in order to attract younger audiences.
 With role debuts of Norma and Aida on the way, sources close to the soprano say that after her acclaimed, if not successful Lady Macbeth, she feels confident that audiences will love her in almost anything. Of course, accompanying the buzz that followed yesterday’s announcement came speculation as to what could possibly follow such a mammoth undertaking in her catapulting career. 

YouTube comments under various repostings of her Act I aria from Macbeth mused at everything from a return to ingénue roles, to rumors of her role debut as Isolde opening the 2019-20 season at the Royal Opera.  Covent Garden has declined to comment, but friends of the soprano have, for now, attempted to dispel the rumor, hinting that after her 11 performance run as Brunnhilde, the soprano plans to step away from the Wagnerian rep for at least 7 months to preserve her voice.


[HAPPY APRIL FOOLS' DAY...and kudos to barihunk Zachary Luchetti for the text]

Dmitry Hvorostovsky returns to stage on September 25

Dmitry Hvorostovsky in Il Trovatore and the Anvil Chorus

Dmitry Hvorostovsky makes his return to the stage on September 25th in the Met's Il Trovatore  after being treated for brain cancer in London. He'll be joined by Anna Netrebko as the heroine Leonora, Dolora Zajick as the gypsy Azucena, Yonghoon Lee as Manrico and Štefan Kocán as Ferrando. He'll perform through February 13th when he'll be replaced by Vitaliy Bilyy for the remaining performances. Tickets and additional cast information is available online.

Dmitry Hvorostovsky in Il Trovatore

The October 3 performance will launch the tenth season of the Met’s Live in HD series when it is transmitted to more than 2,000 movie theaters in 70 countries around the world.  Hvorostovsky has sung Count di Luna in two previous seasons at the Met, including the premiere of  David McVicar’s staging. He made his Met debut in 1995 as Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades. Since then, he has sung over 170 performances with the company including Verdi roles such as Anckarström in Un Ballo in Maschera, Rodrigo in Don Carlo, the title role in Rigoletto, Germont in La Traviata, and Don Carlo in Ernani.

Later this season, he will sing a recital at Carnegie Hall and star as the title character in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden.

Barihunks team up for open air concert

Dmitri Hvorostovsky: One of the inspirations for Barihunks

Barihunk Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who was one of the original inspirations for creating this site seven years ago, seems to just get sexier with each passing year. His voice and breath control have also remained in perfect condition, even as he has ventured into slightly heavier repertory.

The Siberian singer has a few events coming up that fans should know about. On July 6th, he'll be singing in another one of his popular open air concerts at the Pavlovo Podvorie shopping and entertainment center in Moscow. We're hoping that this gets posted on YouTube like some of his other shows and we promise to keep you posted.

Ildar Abdrazakov

Slightly more intriguing is a concert with fellow barihunk lldar Abdrazakov that was just added to his calendar. The duo will join three other operatic heartthrobs for an outdoor concert at Munich’s Königsplatz on June 27, 2015.  Soprano Anna Netrebko, tenor Jonas Kaufmann and mezzo Elena Zhidkova will complete the quintet for a night of arias, duets, trios and opera scenes by Verdi, Puccini and Tchaikovsky. Although it's a year away, we thought readers would want to purchase tickets now, as this will surely sell out faster than a Beyoncè concert. Click HERE for tickets.

Hvorostovsky will return to the opera stage at the Opéra National de Paris from September 8-24 as Giorgio Germont in Verdi's La traviata.

Anna Netrebko & Dmitri Hvorostovsky perform at Moscow's Red Square:

Ildar Abdrazakov wraps up a run as Banquo in Verdi's Macbeth tonight at the Bavarian State Opera and now head to the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden for the Mariinsky Theatre's staging of Verdi's Don Carlos. He will be singing Filippo II and performances are on July 3 and 5. Oddly, the website does not include additional cast information.

Met Season opens with Mariusz Kwiecien as Onegin

Mariusz Kwiecien & Anna Netrebko

Tonight the Metropolitan Opera opened its 2013-14 season with Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin," starring barihunk Maurisz Kwiecien, soprano Anna Netrebko and tenor Piotr Beczala. Valery Gergiev will conduct Deborah Warner's new production directed by Fiona Shaw. The opera was last performed at the Met in 2009 in Robert Carsen's minimalist production.

Performances of "Eugene Onegin" will run through October 19, with the October 5 performance being transmitted in Live in HD in movie theaters around the world. On Nov. 23, the opera will be revived with barihunk Peter Mattei, soprano Marina Poplavskaya and tenor Rolando Villazon in the lead roles.

Mariusz Kwiecien as Onegin at the Bolshoi in 2008:

Anna Netrebko will be teaming up with her barihunk husband Erwin Schrott at The Met, opening in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore on January 9, 2014. 

On September 28, another popular barihunk will take the stage, as Paulo Szot opens as Kovalyov in Shostakovich's The Nose.

Watch the entire Anna Netrebko/Dmitri Hvorostovsky concert from Red Square

Anna Netrebko and Dmitri Hvorostovsky

A lot of our U.S. readers were disappointed when we posted that the Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Anna Netrebko gala concert from Red Square in Moscow would not be available to American audiences. Well, thanks to YouTube and some alert readers, we now have the entire concert for you to enjoy. 

Here is the entire program:
1. Giuseppe Verdi - La forza del destino
Overture (Orchestra)
2. Giuseppe Verdi - I vespri siciliani
Merce, dilette amiche (Anna Netrebko)
3. Giuseppe Verdi - Don Carlo
Io morró, ma lieto in core (Dmitri Hvorostovsky)
4. Giuseppe Verdi - Il trovatore
Vedi! Le fosche notturne spoglie (Anvil Chorus) (Chorus)
5. Giuseppe Verdi - Don Carlo
Tu che la vanitá (Anna Netrebko)
6. Giuseppe Verdi - Il trovatore
Il balen del suo sorriso (Dmitri Hvorostovsky)
Udiste? Come albeggi... Mira, d'acerbe lagrime (Anna Netrebko/Dmitri Hvorostovsky)
7. Giacomo Puccini - Tosca
Va, Tosca (Te Deum) (Dmitri Hvorostovsky/Chorus)
8. Umberto Giordano - Andrea Chenier
La mamma morta (Anna Netrebko)
9. Giuseppe Verdi - Nabucco
Va, pensiero (Chorus)
10. Giuseppe Verdi - Rigoletto
Cortigiani, vil razza dannata (Dmitri Hvorostovsky)
11. Francesco Cilea - Adriana Lecouvreur
Io son l'umile ancella (Anna Netrebko)
12. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin
Bolyat moyi skori nozhenki so pokhodushki...Uzh kak po mostu, mostochku (Peasants' Chorus and Dance) (Chorus)
Polonaise (Act III, No. 19)
Final scene (Anna Netrebko/Dmitri Hvorostovsky)

Hvorostovsky/Netrebko concert from Moscow's Red Square to be broadcast

When we posted about Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Anna Netrebko's upcoming concert in Moscow's  Red Square last month, we promised that we've have additional broadcast details upon availability. We have particularly good news for you if you're in Europe or Russia, but disappointing news for everyone else.

The June 19th concert will be broadcast live across Russia beginning at 20:30 Moscow time on Russian State TV's cultural channel - RUTV. Audiences in France and Germany can enjoy the performance two hours later on ARTE. Four days later on June 23, the concert will be shown during prime time by Germany's ZDF. SKY Arts will broadcast the performance in the United Kingdom in October 2013, with cinecast details to be announced at a later date. Release in the U.S. is still a possibility, so stay tuned.

Hvorostovsky and Netrebko will sing music from Puccini's Tosca, Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, Giordano's Andrea Chenier, Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Verdi's I vespri siciliani, Verdi's Rigoletto, Verdi's Don Carlo and Verdi's Il trovatore. The singers will be accompanied by conductor Constantine Orbelia and the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia.

Thomas Hampson named to Gramophone Hall of Fame

Thomas Hampson

Über-barihunk Thomas Hampson has been named to the Gramophone Hall of Fame, along with fellow singers Montserrat Caballé, Renée Fleming, Anna Netrebko, Leontyne Price, Bryn Terfel and Fritz Wunderlich.

The Gramophone Hall of Fame celebrates those performers, producers, engineers and label executives whose contributions to classical music recording, whether through artistic excellence, innovation or imagination, have proved the most influential and inspiring.

For a complete list of both the 2013 inductees and a list of everyone previously inducted, please visit the Gramophone website.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky's busy Verdi schedule; Red Square broadcast with Anna Netrebko

Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Rigoletto (left)

Dmitri Hvorostovsky's anticipated reprisal of the title character of Verdi's classic operatic tragedy Rigoletto is happening on Friday, May 17 at the Teatro di San Carlo. Gilda will be sung by Desirée Rancatore and performances run through May 25. Fellow barihunk Christopher Margiera is also in the cast as Marullo.

From June 2-12, the "Siberian Hunky" joins the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia for concert performances of Verdi's Un ballo in maschera under the baton of music director Antonio Pappano. The concerts also feature Liudmyla Monastryrska and the thrilling Ulrica of Dolora Zajick.

On June 19, Dmitri will star in a spectacular open-air concert at Moscow's Red Square. Led by Constantine Orbelian, Hvorostovsky will be joined by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko for the landmark performance. The concert will be televised live on RUTV, with broadcasts scheduled on the Arte network and ZDF. We'll have additional details in a future post.

Netrebko, of course, is the wife of barihunk Erwin Schrott. They will be performing together at the Red Ribbon Celebration Concert in Vienna on May 24th.

Opera returns to San Antonio; Hot Masetto spotted in Vienna (watch his complete La boheme)

Lucas Meachem to participate in gala for the San Antonio Opera

Earlier this year, we were saddened to report the very sudden demise of the San Antonio Opera. Just as we were preparing a post about their upcoming Don Giovanni, we learned that the Board of Directors had shut the doors due to a lack of cash flow.

We are pleased to announce that representatives for the company have announced that they have raised $500,000 to reopen the doors, scheduled a gala fundraising concert on May 23, 2013 and will announce a new 2014 season shortly. 

The $500,000 raised to date includes $228,000 from the city of San Antonio, contributions from the nine Opera Theater San Antonio board members and challenge grants from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation and the Tobin Endowment.

The gala concert will include barihunk Lucas Meachem along with Patricia Racette, Susannah Biller, Dolora Zajick, Daniela Mack, Jay Hunter Morris, Alex Shrader and Eric Owens

Alessio Arduini

Thanks to one of our loyal readers, we have learned of a new barihunk singing at the Vienna State Opera. Alessio Arduini, a native of Desenzano del Garda, Italy has joined the roster of the company and is currently singing Masetto opposite fellow barihunk Peter Mattei in Mozart's Don Giovanni. 

 

Upcoming performances include Schaunard in Puccini's La boheme at Covent Garden in December and Silvano in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at Milan's La scala in July 2013.

There are three performance left of Don Giovanni on October 14, 17 and 20, with additional performances in March 2013. Visit the Vienna State Opera website for additional information.

You can watch Arduini as Schaunard opposite Piotr Beczala as Rodolfo and Anna Netrebko as Mimi in a performance from the Salzburg below (complete opera):

Benefit Concert for Hot Schrott's Foundation

As we've previously reported, barihunk Erwin Schrott and his lovely wife Anna Netrebko have created the Anna and Erwin Schrott 4Kids Foundation. The foundation has already supported children in Austria, Russia, Spain and Germany with donations to SOS Children's Villages, a children's hospital in Saint Petersburg, the Austrian organization "Our Child" and the Spanish A.Va.Pa.Ce.nell.

On October 10th at Halle E in the MusemsQuartier in Vienna, Schrott will perform a benefit concert of his successful "Rojotango" program. Tickets are available online. If you can't make the concert, but would like to donate, you can get more information HERE.

Here is Hot Schrott talking about the concert:

 

An exclusive dinner-reception will be held after the show. For more information contact either Giorgia Meschini at info@annaanderwin4kids.com or Miriam Tenner at m.tenner@ikg-wien.at.

Erwin Schrott & Anna Netrebko Create Children's Foundation

Anna Netrebko, son Tiago and Erwin Schrott

We have a particular fondness for singers who use their celebrity for good causes. Few singers do more for humanitarian causes than barihunk  Erwin Schrot and his soprano wife Anna Netrebko. They stepped it up a notch this week when they announced the formation of the  "Anna and Erwin Foundation - Anna Netrebko and Erwin Schrott for Kids."

Schrott & Netrebko sing "Bess, you is my woman now..." from Porgy & Bess:

The two singers said that they want to use their popularity "to help children in need" and called it "a dream come true." The first projects to benefit from the foundation's support will be SOS Children's Village, a children's hospital in St. Petersburg, the Austrian charity "Unser Kind," and the Spanish foundation A.Va.Pa.Ce.


You can follow them on Twitter  @AnnaErwin4Kids

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

Celebrating Charles Gounod's Faust, which premiered on this date in 1859

Erwin Schrott as Méphistophélès

Today we celebrate Charles Gounod's Faust, which premiered on March 19, 1859. We love the opera because it is one of a select group of operas that can feature three barihunks in a single evening. The roles of Méphistophélès, Valentin and Wagner are all cast with baritones. Méphistophélès is often cast with devilishly sexy baritones like John Relyea, Rene Pape or James Morris.

The opera got off to a rough start, initially being rejected by the Paris Opera and then not quite catching on with the public. It was revived in 1862 with a ballet added for the Parisians and became an instant hit. It has gone on to become one of the most popular operas in the standard repertory, opened the original Metropolitan Opera in 1883 and has been translated into 25 languages. It is currently the 35th most performed opera in the world.

Rene Pape sings Méphistophélès' aria "Le Veau d'Or":

The opera is loosely inspired by Goethe’s legendary story and timeless tale of the devil (Méphistophélès) who appears to the old scholar Faust, promising him the elixir of youth in exchange for his soul. Faust is transformed into a young, handsome man and sets out with his devious companion to experience the pleasures of the world. Faust seduces the beautiful and innocent Marguerite, only to abandon her before she gives birth to his child. Her reputation destroyed, but not beyond redemption, Marguerite calls upon the angels for salvation. Faust receives no such escape and is condemned to his devilish fate in this spiritual conflict between heaven and hell.

Gino Quilico sings Valentin's aria "Avant de quiter ces lieux":

Some of the greatest singers ever have taken on the role of Méphistophélès, including George London, Rene Pape, Sam Ramey, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Jerome Hines, John Relyea, Bryn Terfel, Boris Christoff, Jose Van Dam and Feodor Chaliapin.

Other famous operas based on the same story include Boito's "Mefistofele," Berlioz's "La Damnation de Faust," and Busoni's "Doktor Faust." Boito's opera is probably closest to Goethe's original story.

There was some concern when the opera first premiered, as French censors were worried that church officials would be highly offended by the appearance of the devil in a church. Gounod invited a concerned clergyman to attend a rehearsal of the scene. The clergyman declared that he found the scene not at all offensive and, in fact, was quite complimentary of it. The censors were mollified and the scene was allowed. Gounod never told them that the clergyman was blind and could not tell that the scene took place inside a church. The "Church scene" from Gounod's opera, in which Méphistophélès torments the already distraught and guilty Marguerite by telling her that she is eternally damned for giving herself to Faust, is the dramatic crux of Gounod's opera.

The final trio from Faust with Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann and Erwin Schrott:

Although this site is dedicated to baritones, we'd be remiss to not show you this clip of tenor Alfredo Kraus singing Faust, which is one of the great moments in recorded operatic history.

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Erwin Schrott Stars in "3 Superstars in Berlin" & Don Giovanni in London

Three of the most beautiful performers in opera have teamed up for "3 Superstars in Berlin," an evening of music from opera and musicals. Barihunk Erwin Schrott is joining forces with his wife Anna Netrebko and hunkentenor Jonas Kaufman for a concert that will be shown in movie theaters worldwide on January 26 and February 3. The performance is being taped at the Berlin Waldbuhne, the city's gorgeous 23,000 seat outdoor theater set in the heart of a forest.

The trio will be peforming selections from Bernstein's "West Side Story," Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess," Puccini's "Manon Lescaut," Gounod's "Faust," Mozart's "Don Giovanni" and tangos. You can click HERE for tickets and showtimes. 

Erwin Schrott in Don Giovanni

Schrott returns to the opera stage on February 3rd at the Royal Opera House in London as Don Giovanni. His Leporello will be fellow barihunk Alex Esposito. Performances run through February 29th and tickets are available HERE.

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Keith Miller: Jock, Singer and now Youth Mentor and Professional Trainer

Keith Miller: From Buffaloes to Barihunks

We've featured American barihunk Keith Miller before and his story of "football player to opera singer" has been well-documented. He continues to draw attention and praise everywhere he goes. He was in the cast of Donizetti's Anna Bolena that featured Anna Netrebko and received international press coverage. He will return to that production in 2012. 

Miller will also perform in Billy Budd at the Met next year, with fellow barihunk Nathan Gunn in the title role.  Performances in other venues include a recital at the Breckenridge Music Festival in Colorado and singing the role of Riolobo in the production of the late Daniel Catán's opera "Florencia en el Amazonas" at Opera Colorado.

When we first featured shirtless photos of Miller, it created quite the sensation and the photos remain some of the most popular with our readers. Because of his own athletic training and how much it has contributed to his success as a singer, Keith has also founded Puissance Training (Meaning “Power” in French), a progressive new way of looking at opera today that helps singers train for physically demanding roles and scenes. And in yet another sign of how football and opera can mix, he’s doing the training with the help of a business partner, one of his former football trainers.

Of course, at Barihunks we love the idea of singers looking fit, as well as believable, on stage. We hope that his new venture takes off as fast as his singing career. His press release said it best"

"He's a perfect fit in the new world of opera where singers are expected to look like movie stars and where fitness is a non-negotiable requirement."   

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Andrew Garland, Alex Esposito & Ryan Kuster Updates; Schrott Out in Dresden

Ryan Kuster (L), Andrew Garland (C) and Alex Esposito

Today is a miscellaneous Friday for us, which we're going to use to update you on four of our favorite barihunks. They also happen to be three of the most talented singers to be making their mark in the opera world today.

Our favorite redhead, Andrew Garland, recently finished recording "American Portraits" for GPR records, which is due out in 2012. He can next be heard in Handel's "Messiah" with the Boston Baroque on December 9 and 10.  Here he is singing "A Reverie" from the song cycle 'Battle Pieces' by Paul Phillips, which is based on poems by Herman Melville. The world premiere was on October 16, 2011 with the Pioneer Valley Symphony in Greenfield, Massachusetts.



We have deservedly dubbed Alex Esposito the greatest Leporello in the world today and it continues to be a major role on his schedule. His work as a Mozart specialist in general has been recognized by the most prestigious opera companies in the world, who keep engaging him for the master's leading roles. He's keeping a busy schedule singing his signature role as Don Giovanni's sidekick with a recent run at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin and now taking it to the Vienna Staatsoper, which opens on December 11. He then switches Mozart roles, singing Papageno at La Scala in February and Guglielmo in Toulouse in May 2012. For a change of pace, here he is singing the aria "Accusata di furto" from  Gioachino Rossini's "La gazza ladra," which is best known for its overture. The performance is from a gala at the Deutsche Oper Berlinon November 5, 2011.



Fans of Ryan Kuster in San Francisco were treated to this amazing singer at the San Francisco Opera's "The Future is Now: Adler Fellows Gala Concert." The first-year Adler Fellow continues to generate a genuine buzz among opera cognoscenti and he didn't disappoint last night with a rousing and vocally eloquent performance of "Aprite un po' quegli' occhi" from Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro." He was then given the unenviable task of singing opposite Leah Crocetto, who many believe will be the next reigning Verdi soprano. The duo sang "Il padre tuo...Tu piniscimi" and literally brought down the house.

And speaking of duos...

If you think the Germans are upset at having to carry the load of the European debt crisis, you should have seen the reaction when the Semperoper Dresden announced that Anna Netrebko and barihunk hubby Erwin Schrott would not be performing in two New Year's Eve Concerts. Opera's most famoust couple were replaced by sopranos Angela Denoke and Ana Maria Labin.  The two concerts were sold out, but the ticket office is being besieged with refund requests. The change was made with little fanfare, as Netrebko and Schrott's names mysteriously disappeared from the website overnight.

We're going to announce our first two recipients for a charitable donation from our our 2012 Barihunks calendar in the next few days. We appreciate everyone's enthusiastic support for the calendar, but encourage those who haven't purchased one to do so now, so we can support additional programs. Also, it's not to late to write us at Barihunks@gmail.com and tell us why your young artist program is deserving of a donation from the calendar.

Schrottko to Perform Rossini in Russia

Erwin Schrott & Anna Netrebko

There is a noticeable gap in Erwin Schrott's official schedule from the time that he wraps up Mefistofele in Monte Carlo in November until his January concert in Hannover, Germany with his wife Anna Netrebko.

We've learned that the favorite opera couple of the paparazzi are headed to Netrebko's native Russia for two concerts together. They will begin at the Grand Hall of Moscow Conservatory on December 24. They will Rossini’s Stabat Mater with  the State Symphony Orchestra "New Russia" under the baton of Claudio Vandelli. On December 28th they will head over to the Svetlanov Hall at the Moscow International Music House and perform with the National Philarmonic of Russia under Vladimir Spivakov.

Since we just celebrated the anniversary of the first performance of "Porgy & Bess" here is Schrottko as an unlikey couple from the opera:



The couple then heads off for their concert in Hannover, with additional stops in Mannheim, Lucerne and Stuttgart. Schrott's next stage appearance will be as "Don Giovanni" at Covent Garden from February 16-29 with our favorite Leporello, Alex Esposito. 

Sexy Barihunk Trio in Met's "Don Giovanni"; Don't Miss It!

Mariusz Kwiecien: Met promo photo (L); In Krakow Giovanni (Top); From NY Times society pages (Bottom)

New York opera fans have been consumed with Anna Netrebko's portrayal of Anna Bolena and it has often overshadowed some other good offerings at the Met. Mainly, the barihunk-laden performance of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" that is running through November 11th.

Luca Pisaroni is Leporello & Joshua Bloom is Masetto

Polish barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien, one of the world's greatest and most dramatically interesting Don Giovanni's is leading the cast. If you haven't seen "The Hot Pole" perform this role, then you haven't seen the opera. He brings an intensity and sexual energy to the role that few others have ever mustered. His sidekick is another regular from this site, Italian barihunk Luca Pisaroni. The bumpkin Masetto is performed by Australian barihunk Joshua Bloom, who would make one wonder why Zerlina would even think about being unfaithful. Visit the Metropolitan Opera website for additional dates and performance information.

Here is a Met Opera preview from WQXR's great program Operavore. It starts with Anna Netrebko and includes her singing Anna Bolena's "Mad Scene," but later in the video you'll be treated to Luca Pisaroni singing Leporello's Catalogue Aria [At 43:30 minute mark].



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Desert Heat in Arizona: Kaduce & Gregory; Jonathan Beyer Broadcast Tonight

Lee Gregory & Kelly Kaduce Gregory

The "opera couple" phenomenon is getting increasingly popular, especially in Europe where photographers follow around Erwin Schrott and Anna Netrebko like the U.S. press follows around Paris Hilton. One of our favorite opera couples is barihunk Lee Gregory and his equally beautiful and glamorous wife Kelly Kaduce Gregory. Fans in the Great Southwest are in luck, as they are appearing together at the Arizona Opera on October 7 & 9 in Phoenix. Tickets and additional cast information can be found on the company's website.

Jonathan Beyer (photo by David Bachman)

If you're craving some great baritone singing today, check out Jonathan Beyer's recital Sibelius, Rimsky-Korsakov, Dvorak, and American songs, which we be broadcast live at WUOT radio in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you're a connoisseur of great singing  make sure to catch this broadcast tonight.

Beyer has taken the opera world by storm by winning opera competitions and delivering excellent recital programs. Check out his record of winning competitions.

• National Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition
• 1st Place Winner at the Marian Anderson Prize for Emerging Classical Artists
• Won the George London Foundation Competition
• Won the McCammon Competition
• Won the Sullivan Foundation Grant
• Won the Irma M. Cooper Competition
• Wont the Violetta DuPont Competition
• Won the Rochester's Classical Idol
• Won the New Jersey Verismo Competition
• Won the Philadelphia Orchestra's Greenfield Competition
• Won the Astral Artist Auditions
• Won the Pittsburgh Concert Society Auditions
• Won the SAI Competition
• Won the American Opera Society Competition
• Won the San Antonio Opera Competition
• Won the American Prize in Art Song and Opera
• Won the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation Competition
• Won the Bel Canto Foundation
• And he's received these additional awards: Gerda Lissner Foundation, Jensen Foundation, Solti Foundation, Charles Lynam Competition, Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation, National Opera Association, Anna Sosenko Foundation, George Solti Foundation, Mario Lanza Foundation, Dresden Opera Competition, NATS, Giulio Gari Foundation, Palm Beach Opera, Jose Iturbi Foundation, Shreveport Singer of the Year, Liederkranz, Orpheus Competition, the Loren L. Zachary, Irene Dalis, Connecticut Opera Guild, and Neue Stimmen competitions.

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Schrott and Netrebko Nixed From Salzburg

Hot Schrott & Anna Netrebko

Erwin Schrott is in the middle of a successful run of Mozart's "Le nozze di Figaro" at the Salzburg Festival. He is playing Figaro opposite the Count of fellow barihunk Simon Keenlyside. The performance was broadcast worldwide yesterday to great acclaim and Schrott remains a fan favorite in the Austrian city.

So it came as a surprise when Schrott and his soprano wife, the equally beautiful Anna Netrebko, gave an interview to the German magazine NEWS and revealed that they are being nixed from future performances after Netrebko's upcoming Boheme.

NEWS: Weshalb kommt in Ihren Plänen für die nächsten Jahre Salzburg nicht vor?
Schrott: Ganz einfach deshalb, weil in ­Pereiras Plänen kein Platz für mich ist. Aber ich habe viele andere Projekte ­anderswo.

NEWS: Aber Sie, Frau Netrebko, singen nächstes Jahr die Mimi in Puccinis „Bohème“. Wie geht es dann weiter?
Netrebko: Danach gibt es auch für mich keine Projekte in Salzburg.

NEWS: Schmerzt das nicht?
Netrebko: Ja, das tut es.
Schrott: Ja, das tut es.

The worst part of the interview is that they both said that the obvious slight hurts. Netrebko and Schrott are not only rock stars in Austria and at Salzburg in particular, but they have become global ambassadors for the art form. If you want to see Schrott in what appears to be his final performances at Salzburg for awhile there are still limited tickets available for August 4, 11 and 13.

Schrott with the Susanna of Marlis Petersen at Salzburg

The couple also revealed that they plan on opening up a restaurant in Vienna in the near future. The couple joked that they didn't know yet if the menu would include Churrasco from Schrott's native Uraguay or Borscht from Netrebko's Russia.

Here is Schrott at Covent Garden performing "se vuol ballare":



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