Sunday, February 26, 2012

The 2012-13 Met Season: A Barihunk View



We weren't going to post about the new Metropolitan Opera season, because we figured everyone has already written about it. We received a couple of emails asking us why we hadn't posted about it, but we still thought that there were better stories. Then we got this email, "I don't want to read about the Met season in the Times, which always leads with the predictable '[fill in soprano name] to open new Met season.' Why aren't you guys letting us know which barihunks are being cast? I've discovered Kyle Ketelsen because of your site and jumped online to buy tickets for his Leporello."

How can we resist that plea?

Mariusz Kwiecien in the Met's Don Giovanni this season
Mariusz Kwiecien does a little strip tease in Elisir:

On September 24, Mariusz Kwiecien will open the season in Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore" opposite Anna Netrebko. The performance will be broadcast live in HD on October 13.

Simon Keenlyside (left) as Prospero menaces Ian Bostridge's Caliban in The Tempest.
Image © 2004 Royal Opera House of Covent Garden
Simon Keenleyside (Prospero) and Christopher Lemmings (Caliban) in a scene from Act 1 of 'The Tempest' recorded at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden:

Undoubtedly, one of the hot tickets will be Simon Keenlyside portraying Prospero in Thomas Adès' "The Tempest." By the way, the entire cast is a bit of eye candy, with Audrey Luna (who is married to barihunk Jordan Shanahan) as Ariel, Isabel Leonard (who is married to barihunk Teddy Tahu Rhodes) and tenor hunks Alek Shrader, William Burden and Toby Spence. The opera will be broadcast in HD on November 10.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky: Sexy onstage and off
Dmitri Hvorostovsky sings Eri Tu from Un Ballo in Maschera:

The ageless and man on seamless legato, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, will open Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera" on November 8 as Anckarström opposite Karita Mattila. The opera will be broadcast in HD on December  8.

Peter Mattei


Wagner gets into the barihunk act, as well, when Parsifal opens on February 15, 2013 with the amazing René Pape as Gurnemanz and Peter Mattei as Amfortas. The Live in HD broadcast will be on March 2, 2013.

Guido Loconsolo

On April 4, 2013, the Met goes baroque with Handel's "Giulio Cesare" with Guido Loconsolo as Achilla and countertenor David Daniels in the title role. The Live in HD broadcast will be on April 27, 2013.

Here is Guido Loconsolo singing the catalogue aria from Don Giovanni:

CONTACT US AT Barihunks@gmail.com

1 comment:

  1. Will never forget meeting Dmitri backstage probably 20 years ago after a recital in Miami. He had changed to jeans and t-shirt. I shook his hand and without thinking grabbed his arm. I thought I had touched steel and his whole presence in those tight jeans made me swoon enough that I almost fainted right there. I had to walk out of the room fast. I wasn't the owner of my emotions at that point and I could have surely committed a faux-pas...ahem.

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