Barihunks dominate 2014 International Opera Awards

Stéphane Degout and Duncan Rock

The nominations for the 2014 International Opera Awards have been announced and barihunks are dominated many of the categories. The awards ceremony features nineteen categories, including Best New Production, Best Chorus, Best Conductor, Best CD, Best DVD, Best Rediscovered Work and even Best Philanthropist. The awards are the work of British opera patron Harry Hyman and the the British magazine Opera.

The Best Male Singer category is dominated by barihunks Stéphane Degout, Peter Mattei, Luca Pisaroni and Ludovic Tézier, pitting some of the sexiest and most vocally gifted performers against each other.

Barihunks calendar model Duncan Rock has been nominated as Best Young Singer for the second consecutive year.

Christopher Maltman in ENO's 2001 production of Rape of Lucretia

In the Best DVD Category Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick conducted by Patrick Summers and featuring Morgan Smith leads the pack. The DVD was featured in our Best of 2013 feature in December as the best performance on disc. Also nominated was Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande with conductor Stefan and featuring Jacques Imbrailo and Britten's The Rape of Lucretia conducted by Paul Daniel and featuring the barihunk duo of Christopher Maltman and Leigh Melrose.

The Opera Awards will take place on Monday 7th April at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London. You can check out the entire list of nominees and categories at the Opera Awards website.

Erik Anstine spotted skiing in the Alps in a Barihunk tee shirt

Eric Anstine

Check out who was seen in the Swiss Alps sporting his Barihunk tee shirt! None other that former Los Angeles Opera Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program and Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program participant Erik Anstine. The bass-barihunk in now on the roster of the Opernhaus Zürich where he was cast this season as  Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, Biterolf in Tannhäuser, the Second Solier in Salome, Anfisa in the premiere of Eötvös’ Drei Schwestern, and Hausknecht/Wächter in a new production of Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtensk.

He opens tomorrow as one of the Knights of the Holy Grail in Wagner's Parsifal in a cast that includes Angela Denoke as Kundry, Evgeny Nikitin as Amfortas, Stuart Skelton as Parsifal and Jan-Hendrik Rootering as Gurnemanz. Performances run through April 1st and tickets are available online.

Eric Anstine

In the upcoming season, he can be seen as Masetto in Zurich's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni with fellow barihunk Peter Mattei in the title role, Ruben Drole as Leporello, and hunkentenor Pavol Breslik as Don Ottavio. He'll also be joining two other barihunks in a new production of Gounod's Faust. Anstine will be singing the role of Wagner alongside Elliot Madore and Kyle Ketelson. We can't wait to get a backstage picture of that trio!

Next season he can also be seen alongside the great mezzo Cecilia Bartoli in a Christof Loy production of Handel's Alcina.  Check out the entire 2013/2014 season at the Opernhaus Zürich website.

Opera returns to San Antonio; Hot Masetto spotted in Vienna (watch his complete La boheme)

Lucas Meachem to participate in gala for the San Antonio Opera

Earlier this year, we were saddened to report the very sudden demise of the San Antonio Opera. Just as we were preparing a post about their upcoming Don Giovanni, we learned that the Board of Directors had shut the doors due to a lack of cash flow.

We are pleased to announce that representatives for the company have announced that they have raised $500,000 to reopen the doors, scheduled a gala fundraising concert on May 23, 2013 and will announce a new 2014 season shortly. 

The $500,000 raised to date includes $228,000 from the city of San Antonio, contributions from the nine Opera Theater San Antonio board members and challenge grants from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation and the Tobin Endowment.

The gala concert will include barihunk Lucas Meachem along with Patricia Racette, Susannah Biller, Dolora Zajick, Daniela Mack, Jay Hunter Morris, Alex Shrader and Eric Owens

Alessio Arduini

Thanks to one of our loyal readers, we have learned of a new barihunk singing at the Vienna State Opera. Alessio Arduini, a native of Desenzano del Garda, Italy has joined the roster of the company and is currently singing Masetto opposite fellow barihunk Peter Mattei in Mozart's Don Giovanni. 

 

Upcoming performances include Schaunard in Puccini's La boheme at Covent Garden in December and Silvano in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at Milan's La scala in July 2013.

There are three performance left of Don Giovanni on October 14, 17 and 20, with additional performances in March 2013. Visit the Vienna State Opera website for additional information.

You can watch Arduini as Schaunard opposite Piotr Beczala as Rodolfo and Anna Netrebko as Mimi in a performance from the Salzburg below (complete opera):

A Plethora of Barihunks in High Definition from The Met

Mariusz Kwiecien

The Met: Live in HD series kicks off on October 13 with Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, starring barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien, Anna Netrebko and Matthew Polenzani in a new production by Bartlett Sher. If you haven't seen Kwiecien in this role, jump on line NOW and buy your tickets. He practically owns this role in the world of opera right now.

 The Met's Live in HD features a plethora of barihunks this season in addition to Kwiecien including, Simon Keenlyside, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Joshua Hopkins, Rene Pape, Peter Mattei and Guido Loconsolo:

• The Met premiere of Thomas Adès’s The Tempest  on November 10, starring Simon Keenlyside, conducted by the composer and directed by Robert Lepage. 
• A new production of Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera on December 8, starring Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Sondra Radvanovsky, Marcelo Álvarez and Stephanie Blythe. The opera will be directed by David Alden and conducted by Fabio Luisi.
• The Met premiere of Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda on January 19, starring Joshua Hopkins as Cecil and honorary barihunk diva Joyce DiDonato in the title role.
• A new production of Wagner’s Parsifal on March 2, starring barihunks Peter Mattei, and René Pape, who will be joined by tenor heartthrob Jonas Kaufmann and soprano Katarina Dalayman. The opera will be directed by François Girard and conducted by Daniele Gatti.
• A new production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare on April 27, starring Guido Loconsolo as Achilla, David Daniels Giulio Cesare and Natalie Dessay as Cleopatra. 

Guido Loconsolo sings "Verrà purtroppo il giorno" from Verdi's Un giorno di regno:

 Other offerings include:

• Verdi’s Otello on October 27, starring Johan Botha and Renée Fleming
• Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito on December 1, with Elīna Garanča, Giuseppe Filianoti, and Barbara Frittol
• Verdi’s Aida on December 15, starring Liudmyla Monastyrska, Olga Borodina, and Roberto Alagna
• Berlioz’s majestic Les Troyens on January 5, starring Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, and Marcello Giordani
• Verdi’s Rigoletto on February 16, starring Željko Lučić, Diana Damrau, and Piotr Beczala
• Zandonai’s rarely heard Francesca da Rimini on March 16, with Eva-Maria Westbroek and Giordani.

NY Times Review of Met's Don Giovanni: "Reckless in Seduction, if Not Onstage"

Peter Mattei (L) & Luca Pisaroni (R)

Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

New York Times critic Anthony Tommasi has written a review of the new Metropolitan Opera production of "Don Giovanni." Readers are well aware that this production was plagued by the last-minute injury of Mariusz Kwiecien, who New Yorkers had eagerly anticipated performing the role for the first time on the Met stage. Tommasini's review focuses a lot on Michael Grandage's production, which appears to suffer from many of the criticisms that beset his "Billy Budd" at Glyndebourne, which is an overly conservative and cautious portrayal of the opera. Much of the criticism's of Grandage's "Billy Budd" was that he stripped the sexual tension from the opera. We'll be curious if this Giovanni is different when Kwiecien, who along with Randal Turner is known as one of the most sexually charged Giovanni's, returns to the cast. [FYI: The Barihunks crew is attending the October 25 performance when Kwiecien returns].

Joélle Harvey as Zerlina and Kelly Markgraf as Masetto; Jason Hardy as Leporello and Daniel Okulitch as Don Giovanni NYCO's Sexy and Vivid Don Giovanni (Photo by © Carol Rosegg)

Tommasini points out that this production paled in comparison to the "vivid" and "sexy" Christopher Alden production that the New York City Opera produced in 2009. We were unabashedly enthusiastic about the City Opera's "Giovanni," which we thought was one of the best ever produced. With City Opera slowly rising from the ashes, it will be nice to see some renewed competition in the Big Apple.

However, he did single out and praise the performances of the singers. Here is what he wrote about the barihunks.

[Mattei] was superb, singing alternately with suave, seductive phrasing and menacing intensity. At 6-foot-4, he was lordly, cagey, heady with desire and glibly reckless.

The bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni was a dynamic Leporello, singing with a muscular voice, rich colorings and agility. Handsome and full of bluster, this youthful Leporello exuded resentment while bowing to his master’s commands. But for the accident of birth, Mr. Pisaroni’s Leporello would be the nobleman and lady-killer. And there was some intriguing sexual tension in Giovanni’s roughhousing with his servant. 

You can read Tommasini's entire review at the New York Times online site.

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Mariusz Kwiecien Taken to Hospital for Herniated Disc

Kwiecien as Don Giovanni at Covent Garden

As we did when barihunk Daniel Okulitch was involved in a car accident, we will try to keep readers apprised of developments concerning Mariusz Kwiecien's injury during a rehearsal of Don Giovanni. Here is the latest update from the New York Times.

By DANIEL J. WAKIN, NY Times

Mariusz Kwiecien, the Polish baritone who was cast in the title role of the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of “Don Giovanni,” which opens on Thursday night, underwent surgery for a herniated disk on Tuesday, his manager said. “The doctors feel that Mariusz’s prognosis is excellent,” said the manager, William Guerri, of Columbia Artists Management. But it was unclear when he might return to the stage. “It’s a wait-and-see proposition,” Mr. Guerri said. Mr. Kwiecien felt pain during the opening scene of Monday’s dress rehearsal, the manager said. He was taken by paramedics to a hospital, said the Met spokesman, Peter Clark. The Met tapped Peter Mattei, who was on hand for a production of Rossini’s “Barbiere di Siviglia,” to replace Mr. Kwiecien for the opening of “Don Giovanni.” The opera has 16 more performances into March, although Mr. Kwiecien was scheduled to be in the cast only through Nov. 11.

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Barihunks Mattei & Hvorostovsky: 2011 Opera News Honorees

Two barihunks are among the honorees for the seventh annual Opera News Awards, which will be presented on Sunday, April 29 at The Plaza in New York City. The awards, pay tribute to artists who have made an invaluable contribution to the art form. Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Peter Mattei will join sopranos Karita Mattila and Anja Silja, as well as director Peter Sellars as honorees.

The official announcement will appear in the September 2011 issue of Opera News, which is available on August 4 and features barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien on the cover. [We will post the cover tomorrow].

The Opera News Awards were created in 2005. They recognize five individuals each year for distinguished achievement in the field of opera. 

Here is Peter Mattei with Juan Diego Florez singing the Act 2 duet from The Barber of Seville:



Here is what Opera News wrote about Mattei and Hvorostovsky in announcing the awards. 

Pater Mattei as Billy Budd

From Managing Editor Oussama Zahr regardig Peter Mattei:

"Peter Mattei's lustrous baritone - firm and generously produced, with an appealing softness around the edges - sets him apart today as a marvelous singer. But it's his astonishing ability to inhabit a range of characters - from the frothiest comedy to the bleakest tragedy - that makes him an artist of the highest caliber."

Senior Editor Louise T. Guinther said of Dmitri Hvorostovsky:

"Dmitri Hvorostovsky's charisma, glamour, and vocal prowess are without peer. Equally persuasive on recordings, on the recital stage, and in the opera house, Hvorostovsky is a singer whose artistry speaks to everyone."

 Here are winners Karita Mattila and Dmitri Hvorostovsky singing "Là ci darem la mano" from Mozart's Don Giovanni.



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Peter Mattei as Yeletsky in Queen of Spades

Mattei & Mattila @ The Met

Peter Mattei is at The Met tonight in Tchaikovsky's "Queen of Spades" surrounded by an all-star cast that includes Karita Mattila, Dolora Zajick and Vladimir Galouzine. This has clearly been one of the major successes for the company this year. In addition to tonight's performance, it will be performed on March 21 and 26. Click HERE for tickets and additional information.

Mike Silverman, writing for the Associated Press, said of Mattei's performance:
 

As Prince Yeletsky, Lisa's jilted fiance, Peter Mattei sang his gorgeous Act 2 aria with the silky tone we are accustomed to hearing from this artist.

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Peter Mattei's Barber of Seville

Mattei, DiDonato and Florez

Perhaps the only downside of a site dedicated to baritones is that we sometimes need to find an excuse to showcase other great singers. We love Peter Mattei and we've featured him often on this site. He is certainly a great Onegin and Billy Budd, but we usually don't think of him as a Rossini specialist. So when we rewatched these 2006 clips of him with two of the greatest Rossini singers of our time, Joyce di Donato and Juan Diego Florez, we had to post them. From his solo Largo to his work duets and ensemble work, Mattei shows why he remains one of the most sought after baritones in the world while revealing his penchant for comedy. Met fans will recognize some of these clips from the Live from the Met telecasts. Beginning March 11, Mattei will be performing in Tchaikovksy's "Queen of Spades" at the Metropolitan Opera. Visit their website for additional cast and performance information.

It's a great way to start a 3-day weekend. When you're done with these clips, we suggest that you check out Joyce DiDonato's Yankee Diva blog, which is one of the best in all of opera.







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Vytautas Juozapaitis, Peter Mattei & Frank Sinatra singing "My Way"

Our recent post with Luca Pisaroni, Thomas Hampson and Frank Sinatra singing "Embraceable You" was popular with readers. So when we were sent this recent video of Lithuanian baritone Vytautas Juozapaitis we couldn't resist running another post of a few barihunks comparing their pop music skills with the Chairman of the Board Frank Sinatra.

Vytautas Juozapaitis is the most popular baritone in Lithuania right now is a regular fixture on television. He performs with the Lithuanian National Opera and the Kaunas State Musical Theater. His repertory includes Mozart, Puccini, Verdi Wagner, Lithuanian composers and Broadway musicals.



Here is Peter Mattei:



The great Frank Sinatra:



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Holiday Greetings from Peter Mattei

Peter Mattei

(Alex di Suvero - New York Times)

Barihunk Peter Mattei sings Sven Scholander's "Heldagskvall i Timmerkojan," which translates as "Evening in the Logging Camp."

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of our readers around the world.

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Barihunk-A-Week at The Met

Nathan Gunn, Gunther Groissböck, Paulo Szot & Simon Keenlyside

If you're in the New York area and you love barihunks, you might want to buy tickets to the next five performances at The Met. On Monday, the Met opens with a new Don Carlo featuring Simon Keenlyside that was featured in the Sunday New York Times. The article is a must read for fans of The Met or Verdi.

Fans of Nathan Gunn will be able to see him as Gugliemo in "Cosi fan tutte" and Papageno in the "Magic Flute" over the next few weeks. Not had enough? Carmen will alternate Escamillo's with John Relyea and opera's new superstar stud Paulo Szot. If you missed the sizzling hot Gunther Groissböck in La Boheme there is no need to worry, as Peter Mattei is about to join the cast.

You can purchase tickets and check casts at the Metropolitan Opera website.

David Adam Moore in Soldier Songs

Due to time constraints, we missed informing readers about tonight's performance of Peter Lieberson's rarity "King Gesar" featuring barihunk David Adam Moore. Moore now heads to Seattle for a run of the Barber of Seville on January 16, 21, 23, and 28. The December cast will feature barihunk José Carbó as Figaro.

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Imbrailo Says Barihunk Fans Will Be Disappointed WIth Glyndebourne "Billy Budd"

[Jacques Imbrailo]

Jacques Imbrailo has told The Times of London that Barihunks readers will be disappointed with his portrayal of Billy Budd at Glyndebourne. Click HERE to find out why.

[Bo Skovhus: Not afraid to look sexy!]


For those of you who still like a sexy Billy Budd, there are performances of the Benjamin Britten masterpiece coming up at Vienna with Adrian Eröd, Paris with Lucas Meachem, and Frankfurt with Peter Mattei. The Netherlands Opera, which is far more provocative than the somewhat stuffy Glyndebourne, has also booked Imbrailo to sing Billy Budd. Of course, the Netherlands Opera always has other barihunk options. They have Bo Skovhus singing in Eugene Onegin and Henk Neven in Romeo et Juliette.

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Peter Mattei's "Billy Budd"

A fan of Peter Mattei has posted a 10 minute highlight video of Peter Mattei's "Billy Budd" from Frankfurt in 2007.

[Phillip Ens and Jacques Imbrailo]


For those wishing to see Billy Budd live, there is a much anticipated production opening at Glyndebourne on May 20 and running through June 27. It will star South African barihunk Jacques Imbrailo. The production will feature the operatic debut of director Michael Grandage. It also features the great tenor John Mark Ainsley as Captain Vere and barihunk Phillip Ens' darkly evil Claggart.

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Peter Mattei in "From the House of the Dead"

[Above photo by Sara Krulwich/The New York Times]

[Above photo by Bebeto Matthews]

Janacek's operas may be the most unfairly neglected works on the American stage. Jenufa, The Makropoulos Case and Katya Kabanova are always dramatically rich experiences in the opera house. Suddenly, there are productions of the less famous "From the House of the Dead" running in both Basel and at the Metropolitan Opera, where these two photos are taken.

The entire cast is men, so you can be assured that there are always plenty of barihunks and other hunks on the stage. Although many productions of the opera can get racy, including shower scenes, the Met played it on the conservative side. Peter Mattei was the most notable barihunk in this production (he is seen in the bottom photo).

You can click HERE to read Anthony Tommasini's informative review in the New York Times or read James Jorden's review in the New York Post by clicking HERE.

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Peter Mattei as Don Giovanni

[Photo Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera]

This photo of Peter Mattei with Erin Wall from The Met's recent Don Giovanni may be the hottest picture we've seen of the Swedish barihunk.

He isn't reprising the role anytime soon, but you can catch him in two other barihunk operas. He'll be performing Shishkov at The Met this November and then Billy Budd in Frankfurt in May 2010.

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Peter Mattei in Onegin and Don Giovanni

This post is in response to the numerous demands for the Swedish baritone Peter Mattei. We've been reluctant to post him, but he is particularly sexy in the Onegin clip and sings quite beautifully.

Mattei studied at the Royal Music and Opera Academies in Stockholm and made his début in "La finta giardiniera" at the Drottningholm Court Theatre in 1990. He has appeared in leading rôles in The Bacchae (with Ingmar Bergman), Die Zauberflöte, The Maid of Orléans, Don Carlos, Yevgeny Onegin, Le nozze di Figaro, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Don Giovanni, La Bohème, Tannhäuser, and L’elisir d’amore at the Royal Swedish Opera.

He has recently sung both Giovanni and Onegin, but we're looking forward to his Billy Budd in Frankfurt in next year.

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