Barihunk duo in Komische's Giulio Cesare

Günter Papendell & Dominik Köninger (Photos: Iko Freese)

The barihunk duo of Dominik Köninger and Günter Papendell is back together at the Komische Oper in Berlin as Julius Caesar and Achille respectively in Handel's Giulio Cesare in Egitto. We first featured them together in the company's Monterverdi Trilogy. The Komische ensemble members have also alternated the role of Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte.

There are two runs of Giulio Cesare in Egitto, the first which opened on May 31 and runs through July 4th. The two then return in their respective roles from September 11 through October 31.  The rest of the cast includes Valentina Farcas/Mirka Wagner as Cleopatra, Theresa Kronhalter as Sesto, Anna Bernacka as Tolomeo, Alexey Antonov as Curio and Ezgi Kutlu as Cornelia.

Köninger is singing a role that has historically been sung by a countertenor. In fact, two of the worlds greatest countertenors will take on the role in other German cities this season, as Andreas Scholl sings it in Frankfurt and David Hansen in Dresden.

Valentina Farcas & Dominik Köninger (Photos: Iko Freese)

This season,  Dominik Köninger can be seen as Agamemnon in Le Belle Hélène, the young Hoffmann in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Papageno in The Magic Flute and Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro.

Günter Papendell can be seen as Peter in Hansel and Gretel, Pollux in Castor and Pollux and the tile characters in Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi and Eugene Onegin.