CAST CHANGE: Riccardo Fassi replaces Robert Gleadow as Don Giovanni

Riccardo Fassi

Barihunk Riccardo Fassi will replace Robert Gleadow in the upcoming performances of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Theater Basel. This will complete a role trifecta for the singer, as he has previously performed the role of Masetto in Don Giovanni at Teatro Municipale Valli di Reggio Emilia and the Teatro Fraschini and Leporello at the Circuito Lombardo in Italy.

He'll be joined in Basel by Biagio Pizzuti as Leporello, Nicholas Crawley as Masetto, Kiandra Howarth as Donna Anna, Anna Rajah as Donna Elvira, Maren Favela as Zerlin, Simon Bode as Don Ottavio and Michael Hauenstein as The Commendatore. There are upcoming performances on January 27 and 29, as well as February 5, 10, 12 16, 16 and 25.

Riccardo Fassi sings Aprite un po'quegli occhi from Le nozze di Figaro:

The Milan native, who studied chamber music and voice at the Verdi Conservatory, is new to this site.  In 2014, he won the Associazione Lirica Concertistica Italiana competition for young European opera singers.    

He recently debuted the roles of Conte Rodolfo in Bellini's La Sonnambula and Samuel in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at the Teatro Jovellanos in Gijon, Spain. He recently performed Pistola in Verdi's Falstaff at the Vienna State Opera and the title role in Le nozze did Figaro at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna.

Cast Change: Jeremy Carpenter replaces Peter Coleman-Wright in ROH's Gloriana

Jeremy Carpenter

Australian baritone Peter Coleman-Wright has withdrawn from singing the role of Sir Robert Cecil for all performances of Britten's Gloriana. The role will now be sung by British baritone Jeremy Carpenter, marking his debut with The Royal Opera.

Jeremy Carpenter studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under the tutelage of Ellis Keeler, Rudolf Piernay and David Pollard. He began the 2010/2011 season singing the role of Gérard in Andrea Chénier at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm with tremendous critical acclaim, followed by Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with the Angers Nantes Opéra. The last season included Escamillo in Carmen at the Royal Swedish Opera, followed by the same role at the Malmö Opera. During the current season he has returned to the Royal Swedish Opera for Carmen and sang Talpa in concert performances of Puccini's Il tabarro with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Daniel Harding. During the current spring he appears as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly at Grand Théâtre de Genève followed by Sir Robert Cecil in Britten's Gloriana at the ROH Covent Garden.

Tickets for Richard Jones’s new production of Gloriana went on sale last week and are available online. The production stars soprano Susan Bullock and tenor Toby Spence. Performances run from June 20th– July 6th.

Cast Change: Alex Lawrence to close Pagliacci in Zurich

Alex Lawrence

Barihunk Alex Lawrence, who also happens to the be the son-in-law of barihunk Rod Gilfry, is stepping in as Silvio in the closing night performance of Pagliacci at the Opernhaus Zürich. The performance will be on Saturday, January 12 at 7 PM and also features Elena Moșuc as Nedda, Zoran Todorovich as Canio and Lucio Gallo as Tonio.

Tickets are available online. 

Lawrence scored a huge success as Sam in Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti in Zurich last November. 

Barihunk Switch: Mattei Replacing Kwiecien in Met's Don Giovanni

Mariusz Kwiecien

The Metropolitan Opera has announced that Peter Mattei will replace Mariusz Kwiecien in Don Giovanni after the Polish barihunk injured his back at the final dress rehearsal. We first heard about the switch from some disappointed Kwiecien fans who were looking forward to him singing the title role at the October 13 performance. New Yorkers have yet to experience him in what is arguably his greatest role. He's performed the role in Seattle, San Francisco, Munich, Italy and Poland, but not on the of the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. Current plans are for Kwiecien to only miss opening night.

Peter Mattei (Photo NY Times)

Rodion Pogossov will replace Mattei in the October 11 and 14 performances of Barbiere, as well as continue with his previously scheduled performances as Figaro on October 26, 29, February 4, 8, 11, 15 and 18. 

The Met's new production of Don Giovanni is directed by Michael Grandage and will be conducted by the company's principal conductor Fabio Luisi. The performances star Marina Rebeka in her company debut as Donna Anna, Barbara Frittoli as Donna Elvira, Mojca Erdmann as Zerlina, Ramón Vargas as Don Ottavio, Štefan Kocán as the Commendatore and barihunks Luca Pisaroni as Leporello and Joshua Bloom as Masetto.

Contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com
 

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