French barihunks in Vichy's Magic Flute

Nicholas Courjal (left) and Benoît Arnould (right)

Opera de Vichy will be presenting Mozart's Die Zauberflöte on September 19 and 21 with Nicholas Courjal as Sarastro and Benoît Arnould as Papageno. The cast also includes the charming Tamino of Shawn Mathey, the thrilling coloratura soprano Burcu Uyar as the Queen of the Night, Camille Poul as Papagena and Raffaela Milanesi as Pamina. The Orchestre d’Auvergne will be conducted by Roberto Fores-Veses.

After this run, the French bass-barihunk Nicholas Courjal will appear in Rossini's Moise et Pharaon at Opera de Marseilles from November 8-16. In 2015, fans of  Courjal will get to see him outside of France, as he appears in Ravel's L’enfant et les sortilèges on February 12 at Festival Hall in London and then at the Royal Opera House from June 17-29 in Rossini's Guillaume Tell.

Benoît Arnould sings Fauré's Libera me domine:

Benoît Arnould, who is new to this site, graduated from the Conservatory in Metz and also received a Licence in Musicology from Sorbonne University.  In a short time, he has become recognized for his interpretations of baroque music and Mozart. He has performed Charpentier’s Médee,  Ascalaphe in Lully’s Proserpine, Christ in Bach’s Passions, Mozart’s Masses, Anténor in Rameau’s Dardanus and Requiem, and Lucifer in Handel's La Resurrezione. He has also recorded Les Grands Motets by Desmarest, Lully’s Proserpine and Missa Assumpta Est Maria de Charpentier, Cavalli’s Ormindo, Jesu Christi by Schütz, Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri  and Weckman’s Cantatas.

Catch Erwin Schrott in a theater near you

Erwin Schrott as Jean Procida in Les vêpres siciliennes

Last month we chose the performance of Verdi's Les vêpres siciliennes at Covent Garden as the production that we'd most like to see during the Verdi bicentenary. The cast was lead by barihunk Erwin Schrott as Jean Procida, along with an amazing cast that includes tenor Bryan Hymel as Henri and soprano Lianna Haroutounian as Helene under the baton of Antonio Pappano.

The opera is now being screened worldwide during the month of December for opera lovers across the globe to enjoy. You can find a performance close to you by clicking HERE. 

Erwin Schrott sings "Et toi, Palerme" from Les vêpres siciliennes:

Les vêpres siciliennes is in five-acts and was originally written in French for the Paris Opéra. It was translated into Italian shortly after its premiere in June 1855.  The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Charles Duveyrier from their work Le duc d'Albe, which was written in 1838 and offered to Halevy and Donizetti before Verdi agreed to set it to music in 1854.

The story is loosely based on a historical event, the Sicilian Vespers of 1282, using material drawn from the medieval Sicilian tract Lu rebellamentu di Sichilia. After its June 1855 Paris premiere, an Italian libretto was quickly prepared using a new title because Verdi realized that it would have been impossible to place the story in Sicily. Based on Scribe's suggestions for changing the location, it became Portugal in 1640 while under Spanish control. This version was first performed at the Teatro Regio in Parma on December 26, 1855.

Schrott can next be seen in his signature role of Dr. Dulcamara in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore at the Vienna State Opera, Teatro Real in Madrid and Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Luca Pisaroni on BBC before Covent Garden debut; Upcoming US dates

Luca Pisaroni on BBC's "In Tune" singing Schubert

Luca Pisaroni appeared on BBC's "In Tune" to talk about his Covent Garden debut as Figaro in David McVicar's "Marriage of Figaro." You can listen to the interview and hear him sing Schubert's "An die Musik" on BBC Radio 3 until September 19th.

Performances of the opera will run from September 16-October 7 and include fellow barihunk Christopher Maltman as the Count. The opera will be conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. The opera will be revived in May 2014 with barihunk Alex Esposito as Figaro and the sensational Gerald Finley as the Count. Tickets for all performacnces are available online.

Pisaroni actually made his opera debut in 2001 as Figaro in Klagenfurt, Austria after completing his studies at the Verdi Conservatory in Milan, and later in Buenos Aires and New York. He'll be reprising the role again at the Wiener Staatsoper in January 2014 opposite the Count of fellow barihunk Simon Keenlyside.

San Francisco's restored Nourse Theater, site of April 1, 2014 Luca Pisaroni recital

His fans in the United States will have to wait until 2014 to hear him live. He'll be performing recitals on opposite coasts, beginning in Washington D.C. on January 31 with the Vocal Arts DC series and then at the beautifully restored Nourse Theater in San Francisco on April 1. In between those recital, he will return to the Met as Caliban in The Enchanted Island from February 26-March 20. 

"Hot Schrott" and Alex Esposito Heat Up London

Erwin Schrott heating up Covent Garden as the Don

We blogged about the current Don Giovanni at Covent Garden awhile back, because it features an amazing cast. Erwin Schrott as Don Giovanni and Alex Esposito are about as close to dream casting as possible today. We've always maintained that Esposito practically owns the role of Leporello on the world stage today and his performances at Covent Garden have done nothing to alter that assessment. 

Here's what George Hall worte in The Stage:

"...in Barbara Lluch’s spry revival of Francesca Zambello’s production, the staging comes over with more vitality and point than it has on previous occasions. Partly this is the result of Alex Esposito’s flawless byplay with Schrott as Leporello, in what is opera’s greatest double act. His rough-edged singing and plebeian manner provide the perfect foil to Schrott’s super-confident aristocrat.

The stunning Kate Lindsey as Zerlina with Schrott

Mark Ronan wrote in his theatre review:

Erwin Schrott was a remarkable Don, good looking, devilishly charming, but with a nasty streak hidden by an insouciant devil-may-care attitude. And his singing was equally remarkable, with an easy casualness as if he were simply talking. As his counterpoint and servant, Alex Esposito as Leporello sang and acted the part with utter conviction. His Madamina aria, where he recounts to the lovesick Elvira all Giovanni’s conquests had a wonderful leering quality, and his stage actions were always expressive but never over the top.

Erwin Schrott: Sexy and sensuous

We highly recommend reading Rupert Christiansen's profile on Erwin Schrott in the Telegraph. Performance with the current cast run through February 29th and their are still some seats available at the Royal Opera House website.

Alex Esposito sings "Madamina":

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Erwin Schrott Tries Out Some New Hairstyles on Twitter

Erwin Schrott with dreads, blue hair and looking a bit matronly

Erwin Schrott apparently passed his time during rehearsals of Don Giovanni in London by going on Twitter and testing out some new hairstyles with his fans. Maybe we're biased, but we think he's every bit as good looking as a Dame Maggie Smith type, a cartoon or Lenny Kravitz's brother.

Schrott Hair onstage and off

Of course, Schrott has been known to try out more hairstyles than Hillary Clinton when she was First Lady. We think he looks pretty damn hot with any hair. Here he is singing "Oblivion" shortly after he cropped his hair and dyed in blonde.

For those who want to check him out live, he's opening as Don Giovanni in London February 3rd opposite the equally hot Leporello of Alex Esposito. Most of 2012 will be in Europe with a heavy dose of Mozart and a series of concerts with his wife Anna Netrebko.

Why we call him "Hot Schrott"

You can follow Erwin Schrott on Twitter at @erwin_schrott.

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

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. 

The amazing artistry of Simon Keenlyside -- Macbeth Coming to Theaters

Jennifer Larmore & Simon Keenlyside in the Met's Hamlet

There are certain singers on this site who have what can only be described as fanatical followers. Nathan Gunn, Mariusz Kwiecien, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Simon Keenlyside easily have the most rabid and devoted fans. Compared to the others, we probably don't post enough of Keenlyside, especially since he is not only one of the greatest opera singers in the world, but one of the best actors around on any stage. Oh yeah, and he's also a certifiable barihunk!

 Keenlyside can bring any role to life and his upcoming schedule will show off his wide range of repertory. In April, he will be performing Pelleas et Mellisande in Paris and London, followed by Verdi's Macbeth at Covent Garden and then the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro at Salzburg. Fans of Keenlyside will be able to view his Macbeth at theaters around the world in June. Visit the Opus Arte Cinema website for screenings in your area.

Simon Keenlyside singing "Ô vin, dissipe la tristesse"

 We've always felt that Keenlyside singing "Ô vin, dissipe la tristesse" is one of the greatest baritone moments captured on video. This is a four minute master class in how to sing French opera beautifully and make it exciting all at once. Following that is the confrontation between Hamlet and his mother Gertrude (sung here by Jennifer Larmore), in one of the most powerful scenes in all of French opera. Once again, few baritones in history have ever sung this better than Keenlyside.

Here is a sampling of Keenlyside's upcoming roles and some of his best singing in the French repertory:






To get a different sampling of his amazing French style, here he is singing Poulenc's "Hotel."



Here he is singing "Pietà, rispetto, amore" from Verdi's "Macbeth."



Here he is singing"Hai gia vinta la causa" from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. We would challenge anyone to show us a singer who can bring this role to life more than Keenlyside.



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Kyle Ketelsen Talks About Nick Shadow

KYLE KETELSEN IN DON GIOVANNI

KYLE KETELSEN

Here is the Kyle Ketelsen interview from Music OMH. Ketelsen discusses his first Nick Shadow in the Rake's Progress at Covent Garden opening on January 22, 2010.

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Don Giovanni and Leporello

Just how close are Don Giovanni and his sidekick Leporello? In the libretto Leporello is at times hopelessly devoted to his master, but at other times seems quite willing to reveal him as the rake that he is.

Perhaps the second cast of Mozart's masterpiece at the Royal Opera House in London can help us answer that age old question.

Clearly, in the top photo Don Giovanni (Mariusz Kwiecien) and Leporello (Alex Esposito) seem to be sharing a particularly intimate moment. Later, at the current call, Esposito seems to be curious about what was poking at him earlier in the night.

Alex, did no one warn you about the Hot Pole? If you want a better look, check out this old Barihunks post: http://barihunks.blogspot.com/2008/05/guess-crotch.html