One of the best things about this site is the enthusiasm of the readers for certain singers. Everyone seems to have a favorite Don Giovanni, but Scott in Australia sent us this picture of Sam Dundas who is singing the role at the Victorian Opera in Melbourne through March 14 (www.victorianopera.com.au).
He's worth sharing despite the Bee Gees hairdo that he's been subjected to.
Don't forget to vote in our Sexiest Don Giovanni poll.
1. Our current runaway leader in the hottest Don Giovanni contest is Randal Turner, whose portrayal of the role from Teatro Verdi di Pisa is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUkzUq8clZw and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoVZ2cY6IKA. Since we don't have photos of Turner from the production in Pisa and the video is dark, we've posted a photo of him in Streetcar. Turner brings an amazing physicality to the role and shows some skin along the way. 2. Mariusz Kwiecien brings a lot of raw sexuality to the role. He is the ultimate seducer on stage. He has earned his nickname of Hot Pole in some photos of him in tight pants during portrayals of Don Giovanni. Check out the picture at http://barihunks.blogspot.com/2007/11/mariusz-kwiecien.html and click to enlarge. 3. Simon Keenlyside set the opera world on fire when he appeared nude at the end of a performance of Don Giovanni at the Royal Opera House. You can check out the screen cap at http://barihunks.blogspot.com/2008/11/simon-keenlyside-nude.html.
Voting is still going on, so make sure that you cast your vote.
I've received some email asking me what the Don Giovanni candidates in our poll look like. One can always search in the box on the upper right hand corner of the site for whomever you're looking for. It has already been pointed out to me that I left off Erwin Schrott, which was completely inadvertent. I'll make up for it by posting some great photos in the near future.
Make sure to vote. Here are out contestants from top to bottom:
1. Christopher Maltman as Don Giovanni
2. Mariusz Kwiecien as Don Giovanni
3. Randal Turner in Cosi
4. Simon Keenlyside as Don Giovanni
5. Cesare Siepi as Don Giovanni
6. Ildebrando d'Arcangelo in Le Nozze di Figaro
7. Daniel Okulitch as Don Giovanni
8. Martin Achrainer as Don Giovanni
9. Mark Stone as Don Giovanni
[Top photo from Rossini's Mose; Bottom photo from Streetcar Named Desire]
In the first act of Don Giovanni, Leporello sings about his master's conquests as a seducer.
My dear lady, this is a list Of the beauties my master has loved, A list which I have compiled. Observe, read along with me.
In Italy, six hundred and forty; In Germany, two hundred and thirty-one; A hundred in France; in Turkey, ninety-one; But in Spain already one thousand and three.
In recent years, sexy portrayals of the Don have made this sexual conquest list a lot more believable. Barihunks like Christopher Maltman, Mariusz Kwiecien Simon Keenlyside Erwin Schrott and Ildebrando d'Arcangelo have electrified audiences with their sexy portrayals. As hot as they are, I can't think of a sexier Don than Randal Turner in this performance from Pisa.
Not many baritones could get away showing this much skin and some MTV moves, as well. Poor Leporello never has a chance with this Don wooing the girls.
It's still amazing to me that no label has snapped up the super sexy Randal Turner and put him on DVD. He is clearly in the class of the aforementioned barihunks both vocally and in hotness. Check out more pictures at his website at www.randalturner.com where you can also listen to some stunning audio and view more videos.
Chris Herbert, one of our favorite singers at Barihunks, recently was awarded a special merit award at the Grand Concours de Chant competition in Austin, Texas. Herbert will be featured in a recital in Paris this November along with the other winners, Jeffrey Hill, Matthew Hayward and Benjamin Sieverding.
Also, Chris Herbert received twice as many votes on the online voting poll for best singer. Thanks to all of you who voted!
We would like to congratulate all of the winners, but we know who is going to look the hottest in a tux.
[Top photo of Ágúst Ólafsson; Bottom photo of Gregory Gerbrandt]
Perhaps the memory of opera’s most famous redhead, Beverly Sills, is going to live on in the world of barihunks. Gregory Gerbrandt and Ágúst Ólafsson are two thrilling young redheads who Ms. Sills would have loved.
Gerbrandt voice is probably too low to land a bunch of traditional barihunks roles, but he’s been acclaimed as a Marcello (see video), Silvio, Almaviva in Nozze and as a concert artist. He also is a volunteer firefighter, which makes it all the more likely that Bubbles would have loved him. Sills released an album called “Up in Central Park” with a Sigmund Romberg song entitled “The Fireman’s Bride.” The song was full of sexual innuendo: she “clings to the hose” and “lies flat on her hide,” because she is the “naughty Fireman’s bride.”
Our other carrot top is Ágúst Ólafsson, who is a regular with the Icelandic Opera. He studied with the great Jorma Hynninen and Sauli Tiilikainen at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. He went on to win second prize in the international Hugo Wolf Academy Lied competition. Ólafsson, like Gerbrandt has also scored a huge success in the crossover title role of Sweeney Todd (Does anyone else think these two look like brothers?). On the opera stage Ólafsson is becoming a bit of a Mozart specialist, so we expect to see more of him on this site.
