Jānis Apeinis Strips for Mozart

Jānis Apeinis

An astute reader found these new video clips of Jānis Apeinis doing a little strip tease during the duet "La ci darem la mano"and walking around in his skivvies during "Ah, fuggi il traditor." The clips are from a recent performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Latvian National Opera. 

Gunta Davidčuka & Jānis Apeinis sing "La ci darem la mano":

Jānis Apeinis graduated from the vocal department of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in 2002 and received his Masters in 2004. Jānis Apeinis made his debut at the Latvian National Opera in 2003. He made his debut in the title role of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at the Tiroler Landestheater in 2008 and returned to the Tiroler Landestheater as Carlo Gerard in Giordano's Andrea Chenier in 2010.

 Jānis Apeinis in skivvies as Asmik Grigorian sings "Ah, fuggi il traditor":

His roles include Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades, Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen, Sharpless in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Marcello in Puccini's La Bohème, and Joseph in Ešenvalds's Joseph Is A Fruitful Bough. He can next be seen in the title role of Rossini's Barber of Seville at the Riga Opera Festival opening on June 12th. 

Jānis Apeinis sings Les Misérables:

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Dominik Köninger Dresses Down for Bach

Dominik Köninger as Jesus (Foto: Johanna Sterner)

We love our readers for a million reasons, but mostly for the great photos that they send to us. Our best material comes from our readers, like this picture of Dominik Köninger perfoming Jesus in director Tobias Kratzer's current production of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion (Johannespassionen) at the Värmland Opera in Karlstad, Sweden. The production also includes barihunk Johan Rydh as Pilatus and runs every Saturday until April 8th.

Dominik Köninger as Jesus (Foto: Johanna Sterner)

Köninger's career has taken off since he won First Prize at the Wigmore Hall/Kohn Foundation International Song Competition last year. On April 15-16, he joins conductor Christopher Hogwood, the Limburg Cathedral Boys Choir and the Bremen Philharmonic Orchestra for performances of Mozart’s version of Handel’s Ode to St. Cecilia.

This year, Köninger will join the ensemble of Komische Oper Berlin in Berlin, where he will perform Guglielmo, Il Conte, Orfeo and Orest in Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride. In 2013, he makes his debut as Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte at New National Theatre in Tokyo.

Dominik Köninger sings Mozart's "Hai gia vinta la causa":

Köninger also just released his first recording, a performance of Orff’s Carmina Burana in the version for two pianos and percussion on SONY Classical. We've also learned about another proposed recording project that we'll post when have additional information.

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A "Don Giovanni" So Sexy It Was Banned By Google Ads

Duncan Rock (L & R) and Opera Poster Banned by Google Ads

If you think opera hasn't caught up with movies, films and the theater in terms of raw sex appeal, then you haven't heard about "Don Giovanni: The Opera." The production, which will open at London's famous nightclub Heaven on April 15 is a modern retelling of Mozart's classic tale of sexual pursuit set in the heyday of the Eighties club scene and inspired by New York's legendary Studio 54.  "Don Giovanni" is still a lecherous playboy and licentious nightclub owner, who pursues men as well as women.  In this production the sopranos become tenors and baritones become mezzos (except for the Don).

  

This production was originally seen on the Main Stage at Trafalgar Square for London Pride in 2009 and was huge success. After the run at Heaven, the opera will be shown at the 2012 World Pride celebration. 

Barihunk Duncan Rock (photo by Daniel Swerdlow)

The production is already causing waves in London three months before their opening. First, Google Ads rejected the producers ad [see top photo], because it was deemed too racy. Then they snagged one of the hottest young talents in England (in terms of looks AND voice), the sexy strawberry blonde Duncan Rock. Tickets will be available at Ticketmaster. 

Duncan Rock sings Billy’s aria from Britten, Billy Budd:

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Barihunk Craig Verm's Rock Hard Pecs Coming to Steel City

Craig Verm (left), Hotter than the ad model?

American barihunk Craig Verm is returning to the Pittsburgh Opera as Zurga in Bizet's "The Pearl Fishers." The role of Zurga made Nathan Gunn's pecs famous and helped launch the term "barihunk" into general usage. We have a feeling that Verm's Zurga is going to make him a household name. How often is the singer in a role as hot or hotter than the model used by the marketing department?

Internationally-renowned fashion designer Zandra Rhodes who wowed audiences in San Francisco with her Aida has been brought on to design the costumes for one of opera's most exotic spectacles.

Verm returns to the Pittsburgh Opera after a successful run in Ricky Ian Gordon's "The Grapes of Wrath" in 2008. Verm will be joined by tenor sensation Sean Panikkar in the famous duet “Au fond du temple saint.”

Craig Verm

Performances run from November 12-20 and tickets are available on the Pittsburgh Opera website. 

Here is the now legendary performance of the duet from The Pearl Fishers with Nathan Gunn and William Burden:



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