Randal Turner makes network TV debut; Donizetti up next

Which Tristan would Isolde fall for?: Randal Turner (L) or Joseph Albert-Ludwig (R)

Barihunk Randal Turner made his network television debut this week in the premiere episode of "Elementary" on CBS. The show is a modern take on Sherlock Holmes with Jonny Lee Miller as the famed detective and Lucy Liu as his sidekick Watson. In the episode in which Turner appears, Holmes and Watson attend the opera where soprano Melissa Zapin and Turner are performing Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde." The next episode airs on October 4th on CBS.

 The CBS trailer of "Elementary":

Although Turner would look like an amazing Tristan, it's unlikely that he'll ever be seen in the role, which is written for a tenor. In fact, he'd look like a great Lohengrin or Siegmund, making us wonder if Wagner should have written those roles for baritone (who would look more the part). For the record, Turner does have one Wagner opera under his belt, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, which he performed in Darmstadt, Germany. 

Turner can next be seen on October 13th at the Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria where he'll be performing "The salon cantatas of the Bel Canto” with I Virtuosi ambulanti. Tickets are available online. You can hear Turner sing Donizetti's Canto XXXIII from a previous performance with I Virtuosi ambulanti on his website.

Randal Turner performs "Don Juan at 40"

American composer Julia Schwartz wrote the 10-minute scene "Don Juan at 40" for barihunk Randal Turner, who debuted the piece at his West Coast recital debut in December 2010. Until now, the piece was only viewable on the commercial DVD, but it's now available on the composer's YouTube site. The text is by Ron Butlin, the great Scottish poet, novelist, short-story writer, librettist, playwright, and journalist.

The concert also includes a set of Walt Whitman songs by Clint Borzoni, which were written for Turner, as well.

We should also mention that Randal Turner is featured in the promotional video for Lucy Liu's new TV show on CBS, "Elementary." He appears around the 3:26 mark. 

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