The amazing artistry of Simon Keenlyside -- Macbeth Coming to Theaters

Jennifer Larmore & Simon Keenlyside in the Met's Hamlet

There are certain singers on this site who have what can only be described as fanatical followers. Nathan Gunn, Mariusz Kwiecien, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Simon Keenlyside easily have the most rabid and devoted fans. Compared to the others, we probably don't post enough of Keenlyside, especially since he is not only one of the greatest opera singers in the world, but one of the best actors around on any stage. Oh yeah, and he's also a certifiable barihunk!

 Keenlyside can bring any role to life and his upcoming schedule will show off his wide range of repertory. In April, he will be performing Pelleas et Mellisande in Paris and London, followed by Verdi's Macbeth at Covent Garden and then the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro at Salzburg. Fans of Keenlyside will be able to view his Macbeth at theaters around the world in June. Visit the Opus Arte Cinema website for screenings in your area.

Simon Keenlyside singing "Ô vin, dissipe la tristesse"

 We've always felt that Keenlyside singing "Ô vin, dissipe la tristesse" is one of the greatest baritone moments captured on video. This is a four minute master class in how to sing French opera beautifully and make it exciting all at once. Following that is the confrontation between Hamlet and his mother Gertrude (sung here by Jennifer Larmore), in one of the most powerful scenes in all of French opera. Once again, few baritones in history have ever sung this better than Keenlyside.

Here is a sampling of Keenlyside's upcoming roles and some of his best singing in the French repertory:






To get a different sampling of his amazing French style, here he is singing Poulenc's "Hotel."



Here he is singing "Pietà, rispetto, amore" from Verdi's "Macbeth."



Here he is singing"Hai gia vinta la causa" from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro. We would challenge anyone to show us a singer who can bring this role to life more than Keenlyside.



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John Relyea: "Bass-baritone/opera hunk"

John Relyea: Bass-baritone/opera hunk

You have to love Nancy Guppy from the Art Zone show talking about barihunk John Relyea on the Seattle Channel. Guppy opens her segment with, "If you like opera or if you like really good looking men who can sing well..." Now that's an opening line!

Even the online teaser described John Relyea as a "bass-baritone/opera hunk."  
 

With teasers like those, we knew that this clip belonged on Barihunks, especially since the Seattle Opera remains one of our favorite opera companies. After all, they've brought us Mariusz Kwiecien, David Adam Moore, Jose Carbo and a host of amazing Seattle Opera Young Artists.

Relyea's segment begins at the 5:36 mark.

Seattle Channel Video can be played in Flash Player 9 and up

Relyea is performing Massenet's "Don Quixote" at the Seattle Opera through March 12. Visit their website for additional cast and performance information.


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"Hot Schrott" Has A New Website

Erwin Schrott's, who already had one of the best websites for an opera singer, has given his site an overhaul. It appears the redesign revolves around the release of his new recording "Rojotango," which will be released on April 17 at the new site. Check it out HERE.

Also, we're waiting for David Krohn's new website to launch today, as well. [UPDATE: An astute reader has pointed out that Krohn's website was scheduled for an update on March 4,, 2010, not 2011].

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Happy Birthday, Antonio Vivaldi

Ildebrando d'Arcangelo & Antonio Vivaldi

The "Red Priest" was born on this day in 1678, so we thought we'd celebrate with this wonderful video of Italian barihunk Ildebrando d'Arcangelo recording "Dov'e la figlia?" from the opera Bajazet.



Vivaldi claimed to have composed 94 operas. Fewer than 50 titles have been identified, of which the scores of 20 or so operas survive, wholly or in part.

Ildebrando d'Arcangelo can next be seen at the current center of barihunk performances, the Vienna State Opera, performing Don Giovanni. Performances run from April 30-May 11. 

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Seattle Opera's Young Artists to Perform Don Giovanni

Talented and Sexy: David Krohn

 The Seattle Opera's Young Artists Program will be performing Mozart's Don Giovanni from April 1-9 with two casts. The gifted singer David Krohn, who has been regularly featured on this site, will take on the title role on opening night opposite the Leporello of Erik Anstine. For a complete list of the cast and performance dates visit the Seattle Opera website.

Erik Anstine

Anstine, who is new to this site, was a 2008 finalist in the Central region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Here he is performing Mozart's "Ha! Wie will ich triumphieren" from Die Entführung aus dem Serail.



Here is Adrian Rosas, who is singing Masetto, performing "Black Max" at his Graduate Recital at Juilliard in September 2010.



Fans of Krohn will be pleased to know that he's planning on launching his new website on Friday, March 4th.

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Roald Reitan, Baritone Who Was First to Find Leonard Warren Dying on Stage, Dies

The great Leonard Warren

Roald Reitan, who as a young, aspiring baritone in La Forza del Destino, etched his place in operatic history when he was the first to discover that the great baritone Leonard Warren was dying on stage, has died at the age of 82. You can read the entire obituary HERE, but here is the original account of Roald discovering Warren's body by Raymond A. Ericson in Musical America:

In one of the most dramatic and tragic events to take place on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House, Leonard Warren was stricken with a cerebral hemorrhage and died during a performance of “La Forza del Destino” on March 4.

In the middle of Act II (as given at the Metropolitan), the duet for Mr. Warren and Mr. Tucker, “Solenne in quest’ ora” brought another crescendo of applause and bravos. Mr. Warren then was left onstage alone to sing the recitative that begins “Morir! Tremenda cosa!” (“To die! Tremendous moment!”). How ominous this phrase was to prove! Mr. Warren continued into the superb aria that follows, “Urna fatale” (0 fatal pages”), and he had never seemed in better form as his remarkable voice rode the long legato phrases and soared excitingly through the cadenzas to the climactic high notes. At the end, he stood quietly until the shouts of approval had died away. Moving to stage left he completed his next few lines of recitative and then fell forward heavily, as if he had tripped.

Roald Reitan, as the Surgeon, entered, singing his single phrase, “Lieta novella, e salvo” (“Good news I bring you, I saved him”). No response came from Mr. Warren, as Thomas Schippers, the conductor, waited with upstretched arms to bring the orchestra in.

Uncertainty and wonder gripped everyone for a few seconds, and the audience stirred uneasily. Mr. Reitan then went quickly over to Mr. Warren, knelt by his side. The audience did not know that Mr. Reitan raised Mr. Warren’s head slightly, that the stricken baritone uttered faintly the word “Help!” and then went limp. The audience was only aware of Mr. Reitan’s looking anxiously into the wings and at Mr. Schippers, and of a voice in the auditorium saying clearly, “Bring the curtain down!”

The great golden curtains came down. Mr. Schippers waited at his post and the audience waited in their seats for several minutes until Rudolf Bing, general manager of the Metropolitan, appeared before the curtains to announce that the performance would continue. Shortly thereafter, another member of the staff appeared, saying there would be an intermission until the replacement (Mario Sereni) who had been called to substitute for Mr. Warren arrived for the opera.

Backstage, meanwhile, the gravity of the baritone’s condition immediately became apparent. Dr. Adrian W. Zorgniotti, the house physician, who was in the audience, ran backstage, examined Mr. Warren and called for oxygen. An ambulance and a police emergency truck carrying oxygen were called. Oxygen supplies kept in the Metropolitan’s first-aid room were rushed backstage. Osie Hawkins, Metropolitan bass, and two staff attendants attempted to breathe into Mr. Warren’s mouth.

Mr. Warren’s wife, Agathe, had attended the performance and was at her husband’s side during his final moments. She alone, at one point, had seen a peculiar expression on Mr. Warren’s face and realized that all was not well with him. Also present was Mgr. Edwin Broderick, of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, who left the audience to come backstage and administer the last rites of the Roman Catholic Church. And at some point after 10 o’clock Mr. Warren died.

About 10:30, warning bells rang in the lobbies, and the audience filed back to their seats. Mr. Bing reappeared before the curtain, his expression grave.

“This is one of the saddest days in the history of opera,” he began. “I will ask you please to stand,” he continued, as the shaken audience uttered gasps of disbelief, in memory of one of our greatest performers, who died in the middle of one of his greatest performances.”After the audience had arisen, some of the members openly sobbing, Mr. Bing concluded: “I am sure you will agree with me mat it would not be possible to continue with the performance.” Slowly, a dazed and saddened public departed.

Leonard Warren, who was 48 years old, died at the height of a career in which he was acclaimed as one of the great operatic baritones of our time. Only four days before his death he had received some of the highest praise ever accorded a singer for his performance of the title role in a new production of Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra.”

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Watch Opera LIVE from the Teatro la Fenice

Luca Dall'Amico

What an amazing time we live in. In the past week we've seen broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera and the Royal Opera House in London (in 3D!!!). Now opera lovers can enjoy live broadcasts from the Teatro la Fenice which begin on March 8th with Puccini's La Boheme. The cast includes Barihunks regular Luca Dall'Amico as Colline. Here is a clip of Dall'Amico from another production singing "Vecchia zimarra."

We recently read that more people saw Domingo in the single telecast from the Met than saw Caruso in his lifetime.  Telecasts and opera at the movie theater have also made opera a richer and more cinematic experience, which is something that we love to promote on Barihunks. The productions from Fenice are all directed by Renzo Cerbo, who is best known for his work in film. We would like to wish the Teatro la Fenice great success in this endeavor.



Future broadcast from the Teatro la Fenice include Lucia di Lammermoor, Das Rheingold, Barber of Seville, Il Trovatore and Le Nozze di Figaro. Check out the More2Screen website for additional information.