Stunningly beautiful Gianluca Margheri in Alceste

Gianluca Margheri as the High Priest of Apollo

Italian barihunk Gianluca Margheri just opened in the dual roles of the High Priest of Apollo and Apollo at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Gluck's Alceste. He has three remaining performances, which run through March 30th. Tickets and additional information is available online.

Christoph Willibald Gluck, who was largely self-taught as a composer, became known as one of opera's most historically signifigant reformers. His three "reform operas" were Orfeo ed Euridice, Alceste and Paride ed Elena, which eliminated many of the standard practices of the day, which Gluck felt impeded the drama.

''When I undertook to write the music for Alceste,'' Gluck wrote, ''I resolved to divest it entirely of all those abuses, introduced into it either by the mistaken vanity of singers or by the too great complaisance of composers, which have so long disfigured Italian opera and made of the most splendid and most beautiful of spectacles the most ridiculous and wearisome. I have striven to restrict music to its true office of serving poetry by means of expression and by following the situations of the story, without interrupting the action or stifling it with useless superfluity of ornaments ...Simplicity, truth and naturalness are the great principles of beauty in all artistic manifestations.''

Gianluca Margheri as Apollo

Alceste exists in two principal versions: the Italian original written for Vienna in 1767 and the French revision prepared for the Paris performances of 1776. The Teatro del Maggio Musicale is using the Italian version.

In Greek legend Alcestis, daughter of Pelias, was the wife of Athnetus, King of Pherae in Thessaly. She was the only person willing to die in place of her husband, but was brought back from the Underworld by Hercules. Gluck's opera is based on the play by Euripides, with Alcestis saved by the god Apollo. 

Gianluca Margheri backstage as Apollo

The story appears in varied forms, from Chaucer to Rilke and T. S. Eliot. Among the operatic versions of the legend are the tragedie en musique by Lully and Quinault, Alceste, ou Le triomphe d'Alcide (Alcestis, or The Triumph of Hercules) and the treatment of the myth by Wieland with the composer Anton Schweitzer, staged in Weimar in 1773. Alcestis herself is generally taken as the type of female virtue and conjugal love.

Margheri can next be heard as Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari in June and July. 

Last chance to watch Duncan Rock's shirtless Tarquinius

Duncan Rock in The Rape of Lucretia

This is your last chance to watch the broadcast of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera's production of Britten's The Rape of Lucretia, as it ends at midnight GST on August 16th. The opera stars über-barihunk Duncan Rock as Tarquinius, who sings are ravishing "Within this frail crucible of light." He also gets a chance to show off his amazing gym-toned body! Richard Fairman in the Financial Times described Duncan Rock's Tarquinius as "Schwarzenegger-like."

Duncan Rock in The Rape of Lucretia

The Rape of Lucretia was first performed at Glyndebourne in 1946. It tells the story of Lucretia, who is raped by the tyrant Tarquinius Superbus, ruler of Rome. Unable to live with the shame, Lucretia  commits suicide. The action of the opera is commented on throughout by a Male and Female Chorus who occupy another dimension, at times narrating the story and at times voicing the thoughts of the different characters.

The opera was not particularly well received by audiences or critics at the time, but the chamber opera has grown in popularity in recent years, with Glyndebourne bringing it back just two years after they performed it for the Benjamin Britten centenary in 2013.  The broadcast also stars Kate Royal as the Female Chorus, Allan Clayton as the Male Chorus, Matthew Rose as Collatinus, Michael Sumuel as Junius, Christine Rice as Lucretia, Catherine Wyn-Rogers as Bianca and Louise Alder as Lucia.

Duncan Rock in The Rape of Lucretia

Duncan Rock can next be seen at the English National Opera singing Marcello in Puccini's La bohème from October 16-November 10. He's returning to the U.S. in April to sing Billy Bigelow in Carousel at the Houston Grand Opera with Stephanie Blythe as Nettie Fowler and Andrea Caroll as Julie.

Did you know that Duncan Rock started his musical career playing the bagpipes, and that he also played basketball as well as the bass?

The final Glyndebourne stream on the Telegraph website for 2015 will be the new production of Donizetti's Poliuto beginning on Sunday, August 16th with tenor Michael Fabiano (and it's not to be missed!). 

Curtis Sullivan's sexy Pasha Selim at Opera Atelier

Curtis Sullivan Photo: Bruce Zinger

Photo: Bruce Zinger

Photo: Bruce Zinger

Curtis Sullivan Photo: Bruce Zinger

Opera Atelier, who we feel produces some of the most visually stunning opera in the world, is at it again with their revival of Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio. The production stars barihunk Curtis Sullivan, who is a regular with the company and appeared in the original production.

We don't know about you, but if the Pasha Selim looked like Curtis Sullivan, we're not sure why Konstanze would want to be rescued. We also may have run off with the Pedrillo, who in this production is Adam Fisher, who we must confess could distract us from the low voices.

The opera also featurees Lawrence Wiliford as Belmonte, Ambur Braid as Konstanze, Carla Huhtanen as Blonde, hunkentenor Adam Fisher as Pedrillo and Gustav Andreassen as Osmin. Also featured are the Atelier Ballet and the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra under the baton of David Fallis. There are three performances remaining on October 30 and November 1 and 2.

Vasil Garvanliev

Also appearing with Opera Atelier this season will be Vasil Garvanliev, who appears as our September feature in the 2014 Barihunks Charity Calendar. He'll be performing Divinité Infernale in Lully’s Persée, which will run from April 26 – May 3, 2014. You can order your calendar and help out young artists by clicking HERE. If you have suggestions for who should receive a charity donation post it on our Facebook timeline or Tweet #Barihunks2014. We will announce our first grantee later this week.

Zachary Gordin takes Count Almaviva to the Farm Country

Zachary Gordin as he appears in the 2014 Barihunks Charity Calendar

Visalia, California may be the least likely place to find great opera, and perhaps an even more unikely place to find one of the hottest barihunks in the business today. The city of 125,000 people sits in the heart of California's agricultural region and is known as the Gateway to the Sequoias, as it sits just 36 miles west of Sequoia National Park. 

We've always maintained that some of the most interesting opera happens off of the beaten path, where smaller, more agile companies are willing to take risks that often pay great rewards. The nascent Visalia Opera Company is just such a company. They've brought in Zachary Gordin to portray Count Almaviva in their upcoming production of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, which runs from November 8-10. They've even taken to Twitter (@VisaliaOpera) to promote his appearance on Barihunks. Apparently farm country ain't what it used to be.

Gordin, who is also a well-respected vocal coach in the San Francisco Bay Area, will also conduct a master class in voice on Tuesday, November 5th from 3:10-4:20pm. Gordin will work with selected students from the music program and coach them on their specific arias. This workshop is free and the public is welcome to attend.

Tickets for Le Nozze di Figaro are only $25 for adults and $15 for students. They can be purchased online.

You can enjoy Zachary Gordin all year around in our new 2014 Barihunks Charity Calendar. It's also a great way to support young artists. This year, we're letting readers tell us who should get the money. Post your suggestions on our Facebook timeline or tweet us using #Barihunks2014. Click HERE to purchase yours today.

Shirtless Italians: Stefano de Peppo and Andrea Concetti

Stefano de Peppo and Andrea Concetti

Bring your opera glasses if Andrea Concetti is performing one of his many roles where he's shirtless or in a various state being undressed. The 47-year-old Italian keeps getting better and sexier with age, much like his counterparts Nathan Gunn and Simon Keenlyside. His performances exude sensuality and sexuality that only enhance the stereotype of Italian men. His shirtless romp with fellow barihunk in Pier Luigi Pizzi's "Don Giovanni" has become legendary in opera circles and on the internet.

Interview with Andrea Concetti:

Concetti is returning to the Macerata Opera Festival in Sferisterio this year to perform Colline in Puccini's La boheme. Performance will run from July 21-August 10. The festival, which always has entertaining productions, will also be performing Bizet's Carmen and Verdi's La Traviata. Visit their website for additional cast and performance information.

Andrea Concetti as Leporello

We're amazed that Stefano de Peppo hasn't made it onto our site before. It's often difficult to gauge the sexiness of singers who are known for character roles.  He's established an international career singing regularly in Europe, the United States and Latin America. He recently wrapped up a run as Bartolo with the New Jersey State Opera. He will also sing Bartolo with the Miami Lyric Opera opening on August 18 and in Mexico City in October.

 Stefano de Peppo  sings Handel's "Ombra mai fu"

A native Italian, de Peppo began his musical career as a member of the Children's Chorus of Teatro alla Scala of Milan for seven years before taking up voice at the Civic School of Music in Milan. He has become associated with the character roles of Donizetti, Rossini, and Mozart, including Don Pasquale, Dulcamara in L’Elisir d’Amore, Magnifico in La Cenerentola, Mustafa in L’Italiana in Algeri, Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Alphonso in Cosi fan tutte.