Watch Mattia Olivieri in La Favorite

Mattia Olivieri as Alphonse XI (right)

You can watch Italian barihunk Mattia Olivieri as Alphonse XI in Donizetti's La Favorite from the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, which was taped earlier this year. Click HERE to watch it on OperaVision. The performance is of the French version rather than the more commonly performed Italian version La Favorita, which differs in various melodic parts and has a revised finale.

La Favorite, which premiered at the Académie Royale de Musique in Paris on December 2, 1840 is one of the most important works in Donizetti’s French period. The opera is the second work in the genre composed after Les Martyrs and before Dom Sébastien, roi de Portugal, and was a huge success with Paris audiences. 

The story revolves around a love triangle involving the King of Castile, Alfonso XI, his mistress ('the favorite') Leonora, and her lover Fernando. The story unfolds against the background of the Moorish invasions of Spain and power struggles between church and state.

Olivieri will return to the role in July, when he alternates the role with fellow barihunk Markus Werba at the Liceu Opera House in Barcelona. Additional information is available online.

Erwin Schrott is acting devilish

Erwin Scrott as Mefistofeles

Erwin Schrott has been acting a bit devilish lately and it has nothing to do with his wife Anna Netrebko. He recently wrapped up a run at the budget strapped Liceu opera in Barcelona where they performed a "semi-staged" version of Gounod's "Faust" to save money. The press dubbed it "champagne singers and a beer bottle budget," as he was joined by tenor Piotr Beczala, soprano Krassimira Stoyanova and baritone Ludovic Tezier.

He's now keeping in character as the devil, but switching composers, as he's performing Boito's "Mefistofele" at l'Opéra de Monte Carlo on November 13 and 16. Visit their website for additional information.

Here he is singing "Le veau d’or" from Faust in Barcelona:


Here is the Act 1 duet with Piotr Beczala, also from Barcelona:


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Hot Schrott Gets Devilish

Hot Schrott as Mefistofeles in Vienna

It's rare that we aren't the first site to post pictures of barihunks, but the above picture of Erwin Schrott as Mefistofeles in Faust from Vienna went viral on the internet as soon as the pictures appeared. Our contributor from Germany attended the opera and said it was one of the sexiest performances that she's ever seen.

For those of you who missed the performance, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that Scrott is scheduled to reprise the role in October at the Liceu in Barcelona. The bad news is that because of severe budget cuts the performance is now in concert version. So to satisfy your appetite for more Schrott, here are some additional pictures.

Devilishly Hot

We are also accepting submissions for an upcoming post on reader suggestions of barihunks who haven't appeared on this site before. You can send them to Barihunks@gmail.com.

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Gunther Groissboeck as Il Commendatore

I've received a few emails asking me what role Gunther Groissboeck is portraying in the photo from the previous post. He's playing Il Commendatore from the Liceu's production of Don Giovanni with fellow barihunks Simon Keenlyside and Kyle Ketelsen (which previously appeared on this site).

Here is the video of the final scene with the first bare chested Commendatore I've ever seen.

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Kyle Ketelsen Drops His Pants

[Top photo - ScreenCap from Royal Opera House in London; Bottom photo with Erwin Schrott at L.A. Opera, photo by Robert Millard]

American Bass-Baritone Kyle Ketelsen has deserved a place on Barihunks for some time. But dropping your pants in a production is a sure fire way to get posted. Here he is in Barcelona this year singing the Catalogue Aria from Don Giovanni.

He studied at the prestigious vocal school at Indiana University and later won First Prize in several international vocal competitions, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council.

Ketelsen's only other Barihunk role is Escamillo.