Mariusz Kwiecien Stars In Two Met HD Broadcasts

Mariusz Kwiecien as the title character of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”

Photo: Nick Heavican/Metropolitan Opera

On Wednesday night, the Metropolitan Opera launched their latest installment of the Live in HD broadcasts to hundreds of movie theaters across the United States with Donizetti's Anna Bolena.

There are five more broadcasts and two feature barihunk mega-star Mariusz Kwiecien, who will be seen in June 27th performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni and the July 18th performance of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. The Don Giovanni is a barihunk lovers dream cast, as it also includes Luca Pisaroni as Leporello and Aussie Joshua Bloom as Masetto. The Lucia performance will feature Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala as the ill-fated lovers.

Mariusz Kwiecien and Luca Pisaroni (Leporello) in the Met's Mozart's "Don Giovanni"

Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

Additional broadcasts include Anna Netrebko in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann on July 11th,  hunkentenor Juan Diego Flórez in Rossini’s Le Comte Ory on June 20th and Renée Fleming in Der Rosenkavalier on July 25th.

All screenings will begin at 6:30 p.m. local time. You can click HERE to find the theater closest to you.

Fans of Kwiecien should be reminded that he'll be in Santa Fe performing Karol Szymanowski King Roger from July 21 through August 14th. Check out the Santa Fe Opera website to watch Kwiecien discuss the opera or to purchase tickets.

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Three Barihunks Photographed Together at Santa Fe Opera Reception in NY

The Three Barihunks? Luca Pisaroni, Mariusz Kwiecien & Thomas Hampson

If you were going to copy the famous Three Tenors format and use superstar barihunks, you couldn't do much better than Luca Pisaroni, Mariusz Kwiecien and Thomas Hampson. The three singers were recently photographed at a party for the Santa Fe Opera in New York City. All three baritones will be performing with the opera company this summer.

Is it just us, our do Pisaroni and Hampson appear to be wearing shirts with matching patterns? Perhaps the family did some shopping in Santa Fe's famous downtown. 

Pisaroni will be performing the title role in Rossini's underperformed masterpiece Maometto II, which also features soprano Leah Crocetto, a voice you won't want to miss! Pisaroni's father-in-law Thomas Hampson will be displaying his sinister side as Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca. International sensation Mariusz Kwiecien will be taking on one his favorite roles, King Roger, in the opera of the same name by fellow Pole Karol Szymanowski. The three men are some of the most popular singers on this site and we're thrilled that all be together at one of the greatest music festivals in the world. If you haven't been, book your travel plans today.

The season opens with Tosca and June 29th. Visit the Santa Fe Opera website for additional information.

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Lee Poulis as Enrico (Photo by Rod Millington/Sarasota Opera)

Sometimes the sexiest pictures don't show any skin at all. This photo of Lee Poulis as Enrico in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at Sarasota is a great example of someone cutting a sexy figure in a period costume with lots of fabric.

The production opened on February 18th, but there are additional performances on February 23, 26 and March 2, 7, 9, 17 and 23. Visit the Sarasota Opera website for ticket information.

The sextet from Lucia at the Met with barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien and Anna Netrebko:

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Rumor Mill: Kwiecien & Florez to Perfom "Pearl Fishers"

Juan Diego Florez & Mariusz Kwiecien sharing the stage?

The hottest rumor floating around the internet is that two of the hottest singers in opera are pairing up for opera's classic shirtless duet. If rumors are true, barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien will be teaming up with heartthrob tenor Juan Diego Florez for a run of Bizet's "Les pecheurs de perles" (The Pearl Fishers" at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria off the coast of Africa. The run is rumored to start on June 18, 2012 and appears on Florez's calendar as well as soprano Patrizia Ciofi's website, but with very few details.

We will be following this story with great interest.

UPDATE: The Pearl Fishers' cast at Las Palmas in June 2012 will be: Patricia Ciofi (Leila), Juan Diego Florez (Nadir), Vasily Ladyuk (Zurga)


The Pearl Fishers' cast at Teatro Real Madrid (concert version) in March 2013 will be : Patricia Ciofi (Leila), Juan Diego Florez (Nadir), Mariusz Kwiecien (Zurga)

Matthew Polenzani & Mariusz Kwiecien sing "Au fond du temple saint" 

from The Pearl Fishers: 

Since we've featured a tenor today, we have to admit that tenor Michael Fabiano looks pretty barihunk-ish as a sex-crazed Duke of Mantua at the Florida Grand Opera.

Nadine Sierra & Michael Fabiano

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Coverboy: Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Dmitri Hvorostovsky: Feb 2012 Opera News & June 2011 BBC Music

We're really loving the trend of putting barihunks on the cover of leading music magazines. We've recently seen Luca Pisaroni, Mariusz Kwiecien, Nathan Gunn, Simon Keenlyside, Greer Grimsley and Christopher Maltman all grace the covers of major periodicals. Opera News has certainly been leading the way and not just with baritones, as hunky tenors Jonas Kaufmann and Roberto Alagna, as well as San Francisco Opera conductor Nicola Luisotti.

We particularly enjoyed the recent article on Dmitri Hvorostovsky by Ousamma Zahr. Unlike many puff pieces in music magazines, Zahr covered the "Siberian Hunky's" successes, as well as his challenges, including a recent vocal crisis. Both Zahr and the singer also deftly handled the issue of Hvorostovsky's good looks. In an age of press agents, media hypes and fan sites, it always seems disingenuous when singers deny any awareness about their sex appeal. It's refreshing when a singer like Hvorostovsky completely owns it. Here's are some excerpts from the article:

With his great looks and magnetic presence, Hvorostovsky seems tailor-made for the Live in HD craze...Long before Nathan Gunn, Erwin Schrott and Mariusz Kwiecien were baring their chests for their art and their audiences, Hvorostovsky was named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People," back in 1991.

Hvorostovsky flexing his muscles on Facebook

Hvorostovsky...is pragmatic on the subject of sex appeal. "In a way, it's part of my package - the way I look, that's the way I sound, actually. You can draw the parallel," he says. "I was working against it in the beginning, I was opposing the media approach of me as a sex symbol - red-hot, Siberian express and blahdy-blahdy-blah. I said, "Look and listen at what I'm performing! What am I singing about? And it really was a little distracting to begin with, because I was young and ambitious. Then soon I realized that you just have to get along."

It's worth noting that the one time Hvorostovsky went shirtless on the Met stage in 2007, it wasn't in Don Giovanni or some other predictable barihunk vehicle but in that jewel of a crown of a Russian opera, Eugene Onegin. [Read the remainder of the article at Opera News].

Verdi figures prominently in Hvorostovsky's 2012 schedule. He begins the year singing Don Carlo in Ernani at the Met, the title role of Simon Boccanegra at the Vienna State Opera and then Germont père in La traviata at the Met.

Hvorostovsky sings "Gran' Dio!... Oh, de'verd'anni miei" from Verdi's Ernani:

Hvorostovsky's performance of Ernani will be broadcast on the radio as well as part of a Live in HD broadcast on Saturday, February 25 at 1 PM EST/10 AM PST.

Don Giovanni: Good News, Bad News

Mariusz Kwiecien & Ryan Kuster starring in exciting new Don Giovanni in L.A.

It's no secret that Mozart's "Don Giovanni" is one of our favorite operas at Barihunks. With the potential to have four barihunks in a cast and a plot full of sex and sexual innuendo, productions of Don Giovanni often provide a feast for the eyes and ears.

We were thrilled when we learned that conducting wunderkind Gustavo Dudamel was performing the opera at Disney Hall in May 2012. The production team might be one of the greatest ever assembled for an opera, headed by legendary architect Frank Gehry, who will design the sets (and who designed Diseny Hall). The costumes for the production will be made by designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy, who created the costumes for the movie "Black Swan." The performance will be directed by Christopher Alden, who had previously had great success with the opera. In the title role will be barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien and the Masetto will be Ryan Kuster. Hunkentenor fans will be thrilled to learn that the Don Ottavio will be Pavol Breslik.

Click HERE for tickets and performance dates. 

We also have some bad news concerning Don Giovanni. The San Antonio Opera is the latest classical music organization to suffer financial hardship. The current cash crunch has forced the company to cancel the February performances of the Mozart classic and close their offices. A brief announcement from the company stated:

The San Antonio Opera Board of Directors announced today that it has cancelled the February production of "Don Giovanni".

San Antonio Opera will use the hiatus to attempt to address the organization's financial obligations with creditors as well as plan for the next phase in the future of the regional opera company.

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Don Pasquale Debuted Today in 1843

Mariusz Kwiecien in Don Pasquale - Seattle Opera 2003

On this date in 1843 Gaetano Donizetti's comic masterpiece debuted in Paris at the Théâtre Italien. We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate than with the amazingly funny John Del Carlo and barihunk  Mariusz Kwiecien singing the duet ''Cheti,cheti immantinente,'' which was encored every night during their Metropolitan Opera run.

Upcoming performances of the opera include a new production at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées starring Alessandro Corbelli and Lorenzo Ragazzo as Don Pasquale and Gabriele Viviani as Dr. Malatesta. For those of you who love hunkentenors, check out the March 2012 run of Don Pasquale with tenor Charles Castronovo and the baritone coupling of John Del Carlo and Jeff Mattsey.

Tenor Charles Castronovo looking Barihunkish

Don Pasquale was the 64th of Donizetti's 66 operas. It was composed shortly after he was appointed music director and composer for the imperial court of Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. After its opening in Paris, performance quickly followed in Milan and London. The opera had its U.S. premiere in New Orleans at the Téatre d'Orleans on January 7, 1845.

If you're looking for a barihunk Dr. Malatesta, you'll have to head to the Rhein River valley, where Reinhold Schreyer-Morlock is taking on the role in Wiesbaden. We've not featured him on this site before, but he's certainly worth watching.

"Well, hello!" Reinhold Schreyer-Morlock

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Kwiecien, Kelly, Varnier, Trevino and a dose of Don Giovanni

Mariusz Kwiecien on Polish TV

For you legions of Mariusz Kwiecien fans, there are two videos of the Hot Pole on Polish television. One of the clips includes extensive performance footage and backstage shots. Even if you don't understand a lick of Polish, these are worth watching. (WARNING: We had a hard time getting the videos to work. Click on the STOP button and then hit PLAY). You can watch both videos at Dzień Dobry TVN. Kwiecien is currently in Poland singing Halka and Don Giovanni.

La Scala

A few of our readers have written in to inform us that the Don Giovanni from La Scala that we posted about yesterday will be broadcast today on Italian radio at RAI 3. The broadcast begins at 6 PM Milan time (Noon EST/9 AM PST).

Doppelgängers? Franz Liszt and Michael Kelly

The gifted young barihunk Michael Kelly will be joining sopranos Victoria Browers and Mary Mackenzie tonight at the WMP Concert Hall in New York City for a night of music by Franz Liszt. We couldn't help but notice a bit of a similarity between the striking composer and the equally eye-catching Michael Kelly. Liszt songs include "Was Liebe sei?," "Freudvoll und Leidvoll," "Die Lorelei",  and"Die Fischerstochter, " as well as music by Debussy, Wolf and Rachmaninoff. Visit the SongFusion website for additional information.

Jérôme Varnier

French barihunk Jérôme Varnier will be performing a recital on Thursday night at the Temple Saint Marcel in Paris, France. The program includes lieder by Mozart, Schubert, Ravel, Ibert as well as Argentinian music from de Ginastera, Buchardo and Aguirre. Visit the Musicatem website for additional information.

We have to give a shout out to one of our favorite low voices, Matthew Treviño, who received rave reviews for his performance as Sarastro. The role seldom gets singled out in a review, but Treviño majestic bass caught the attention of Terence Blain in the Irish Theater Magazine:

"But it was Texan bass Matthew Treviño who truly galvanised attention: his Sarastro was magnetically sung and acted, an eerily hermetic presence with an insinuatingly malevolent agenda (he manhandles Pamina creepily during one aria). Sarastro’s part goes very low musically, but Treviño’s bottom Fs were unpinched and beautifully supported, his sonorous, burnished tone and clear enunciation a source of constant pleasure."

 You can see Treviño in our 2012 Barihunks charity calendar. Copies are still available HERE. But now before they're either all gone or January 1, 2012 has rolled in. You won't want to miss one day of this sexy calendar.

The "Flexin' Texan" Michael Mayes & The "Hot Pole" Mariusz Kwiecien

Michael Mayes' Barihunks Calendar Shot

We've raved about Michael Mayes' podcast, the Texapolitan Opera Roadshow podcast, for years and it remains one of the most entertaining shows on the web. His podcasts are often fueled by either heavy doses of caffeine or liberal servings of alcohol. Michael makes sure that no topic is off limits. Some of the recent topics include "Country Music is 3 chords and the truth," "The shared lexicon of opera and addiction," "Sleeping against the pole~ not the Polish guy, but the actual pole," "Singing opera in the mobile home" and "Heterosexual countertenors sure let you know."

Mayes is currently in Nashville reveling in his country roots. One thing that we can say with certainty is that Michael Mayes is an unabashed country boy and Elvis Presley fanatic. It's so refreshing to meet an opera singer who remains authentic to who he is and doesn't start talking in the "international opera accent."

Mayes is performing Silvio in Pagliacci with the Nashville Opera, which continues to be one of the most interesting and creative smaller opera companies. Mayes' Silvio has been greeted with critical acclaim and there is one more performance on Sunday, December 4th. Get your tickets HERE.

We've been eagerly awaiting to hear when Mariusz "the hot Pole" Kwiecien's new CD of "Slavic Heroes" would be released. We've now learned that it will available in the U.S. on January 10, 2012. The album includes arias by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Smetana, Dvoák, Moniusko, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Szymanovsky. Included is Apollo's Hymn from Szymanovsky's "King Roger," which he will be singing at the Santa Fe Opera this summer from July 21 to August 14.

Mariusz Kwiecien

Kwiecien is wrapping up 2011 in his native Poland with performances of Moniuszko's Halka and Mozart's "Don Giovanni." He opens 2012 at the Bavarian State Opera performing the Marquis de Posa in Verdi's Don Carlo, which we've been told is SOLD OUT. The cast is one of the best that we've seen assembled at any opera house. It includes René Pape as King Philipp II, Jonas Kaufmann as Don Carlos and Anja Harteros as Elisabeth.

If you want to enjoy photographs of talented young artists like Michael Mayes all year long, you can purchase our 2012 Barihunks Charity Calendar by clicking HERE. You'll also be assisting the next generation of young singers, as all of the proceeds will go to young artist programs. We're announcing our first two beneficiaries next week.

Please feel free to contact us at Barihunks@gmail.com with your tips, comments, praise and occasional corrections.

Happy Birthday (Wszystkiego Najlepszego!), Mariusz Kwiecien

The Hot Pole: Mariusz Kwiecien still sizzling hot at 39

There probably wouldn't be a Barihunks site if Mariusz Kwiecień wasn't brought into this world on November 4, 1972 in Kraków, Poland. In a story we've told numerous times, the Polish barihunk was one of the major inspirations for this site (which briefly was envisioned as a Kwiecien fan site).

Kwiecien's signature role has become Mozart's Don Giovanni, which he is currently singing at the Met. He has also performed the role at the Vienna State Opera, Bilbao Opera, Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Warsaw Opera, Royal Opera House in London, and the Seattle Opera. When he briefly had to withdraw from the Met performance due to a herniated disc in his back, the opera world and his fans almost went into a meltdown. After all, this was his Met debut in the role and it was scheduled to be broadcast into theaters across the globe. Unwilling to disappoint his fans, he miraculously returned to the stage thrilling audiences at the Met and in movie houses.

At the age of 26, he started winning or placing in major vocal competitions in Europe and represented Poland in the  1999 Cardiff Singer of the World competition. He has sung everything from Purcell to Szymanoski on the stage to great acclaim. He has been hailed as one the new generation of singers who take their acting and stage presence as seriously as their singing, making him the perfect Barihunk. We also have heard from singers, directors, conductors, fans and staff at various opera houses that he is one of the nicest guys in the business.

Mariusz Kwiecien sings Frédéric Chopin's "Narzeczony" (The Bridegroom's Return):



After his Met run, Kwiecien returns to his native country to perform Don Giovanni at the Opera Narodowa and then Janusz in Moniuszko's "Halka." He returns to the Met in March to perform Belcore in Donizetti's "L’elisir d’amore."

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Don't forget to order your 2012 Barihunks calendar. Click HERE to order. All proceeds go to support young artists and young artist programs. It's a great gift and an easy way to support our next generation of baritones. You can read more about our calendar at this previous post.

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Barihunk Role Announcements; Happy Birthday, Vincenzo Bellini

We've learned that Dmitri Hvorostovsky aka "The Siberian Hunky," will be singing Iago at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2015/16 season. We'll have more on this as the date approaches.

Since today is Vincenzo Bellini's birthday, here is Hvorostovsky singing a jaw-droppingly beautiful version of "Ah, per sempre io ti perdei" from "I Puritani."



The other big news regarding roles comes out of Santa Fe. Thomas Hampson and Mariusz Kwiecien will be bringing roles to the U.S. that that received critical acclaim in Europe. Hampson will be singing Scarpia in Puccini's "Tosca" and Kwiecien will be performing his sizzling hot portrayal of King Roger in Karol Szymanoski's opera of the same name. Visit the Santa Fe Opera website for additional cast and performance information.

Here is Hampson singing the Te Deum from Tosca in Zurich:



You can watch an entire performance of King Roger with "The Hot Pole" on YouTube. Here is the Part 1 of 10:



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Don't forget to order your 2012 Barihunks calendar. Click HERE to order. All proceeds go to support young artists and young artist programs. It's a great gift and an easy way to support our next generation of baritones. You can read more about our calendar at this previous post.

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Kwiecien & Pisaroni in rehearsal and on Met Feature; Teddy Tahu Rhodes on Barihunks

Mariusz Kwiecien backstage at the Met

Mariusz Kwiecien, Luca Pisaroni and Barbara Frittoli were featured on the Metropolitan Opera's recent HD broadcast of Don Giovanni in movie theaters across the globe. Here is the intermission feature with Renee Fleming talking to the singers. The video includes some great video from the final dress rehearsal.



Teddy Tahu Rhodes is on a concert tour of Australia with tenor David Hobson, which we've covered in a previous post. The Gay News Network recently caught up with the singer and asked him about Barihunks. Here's what he had to say.

Whereas Hobson has a more wholesome public image, Rhodes is often painted in the media as the bona fide rock star of the opera. He’s never been afraid of whipping his shirt off at a moment’s notice, which has earned him a certain kind of internet idolatry as well coverage in sundry dubious blogs like ‘Barihunks’, dedicated to the noble pursuit of documenting ‘the sexiest baritone hunks for opera’.


“I know! People bring it up all the time!” Rhodes sighs. “I swear I have never looked at it, but believe me, I know about that site. [Editor comment: Gotta love the Gay News Network calling us a "dubious blog"]

We're not sure we believe that Rhodes has never seen the site. We saw another interview with a singer from Down Under who was featured on the site who also said that he'd never looked at Barihunks. That, of course, begged the question of who was sending us all those emails with his name and photos attached.

Don't forget to order your 2012 Barihunks calendar. Click HERE to order. All proceeds go to support young artists.

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NY Times: Baritone Returns to Fighting Trim for Met ‘Don Giovanni’

  Mariusz Kwiecien and physical therapist Rebecca Blanchard (Sara Krulwich/The New York Times)

Just two weeks after back surgery, Polish barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien, is slated to return to the Metropolitan Opera in the title role of Mozart's "Don Giovanni." Read the entire article at the New York Times website.

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NY Times Review of Met's Don Giovanni: "Reckless in Seduction, if Not Onstage"

Peter Mattei (L) & Luca Pisaroni (R)

Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

New York Times critic Anthony Tommasi has written a review of the new Metropolitan Opera production of "Don Giovanni." Readers are well aware that this production was plagued by the last-minute injury of Mariusz Kwiecien, who New Yorkers had eagerly anticipated performing the role for the first time on the Met stage. Tommasini's review focuses a lot on Michael Grandage's production, which appears to suffer from many of the criticisms that beset his "Billy Budd" at Glyndebourne, which is an overly conservative and cautious portrayal of the opera. Much of the criticism's of Grandage's "Billy Budd" was that he stripped the sexual tension from the opera. We'll be curious if this Giovanni is different when Kwiecien, who along with Randal Turner is known as one of the most sexually charged Giovanni's, returns to the cast. [FYI: The Barihunks crew is attending the October 25 performance when Kwiecien returns].

Joélle Harvey as Zerlina and Kelly Markgraf as Masetto; Jason Hardy as Leporello and Daniel Okulitch as Don Giovanni NYCO's Sexy and Vivid Don Giovanni (Photo by © Carol Rosegg)

Tommasini points out that this production paled in comparison to the "vivid" and "sexy" Christopher Alden production that the New York City Opera produced in 2009. We were unabashedly enthusiastic about the City Opera's "Giovanni," which we thought was one of the best ever produced. With City Opera slowly rising from the ashes, it will be nice to see some renewed competition in the Big Apple.

However, he did single out and praise the performances of the singers. Here is what he wrote about the barihunks.

[Mattei] was superb, singing alternately with suave, seductive phrasing and menacing intensity. At 6-foot-4, he was lordly, cagey, heady with desire and glibly reckless.

The bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni was a dynamic Leporello, singing with a muscular voice, rich colorings and agility. Handsome and full of bluster, this youthful Leporello exuded resentment while bowing to his master’s commands. But for the accident of birth, Mr. Pisaroni’s Leporello would be the nobleman and lady-killer. And there was some intriguing sexual tension in Giovanni’s roughhousing with his servant. 

You can read Tommasini's entire review at the New York Times online site.

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Mariusz Kwiecien Returning to Met Opera's "Don Giovanni"

Mariusz Kwiecien backstage

Scores of Mariusz Kwiecien fans are celebrating the news that the Metropolitan Opera has announced his return to the cast of Mozart's "Don Giovanni." The Polish barihunk recently underwent surgery for a herniated desk and rumors were flying that he would not only cancel the rest of his run of Giovanni at the Met, but he would be canceling his December run in Krakow, as well.

Mr. Kwiecien, his surgeon and manager all reported that “his recovery is progressing at a remarkable pace.” The Met is reporting that he will return on October 25 and that he is expected to carry out all the stage action, with the possible exception of climbing down a ladder in the opening scene. Kwiecien went under the knife on Tuesday.

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Mariusz Kwiecien Taken to Hospital for Herniated Disc

Kwiecien as Don Giovanni at Covent Garden

As we did when barihunk Daniel Okulitch was involved in a car accident, we will try to keep readers apprised of developments concerning Mariusz Kwiecien's injury during a rehearsal of Don Giovanni. Here is the latest update from the New York Times.

By DANIEL J. WAKIN, NY Times

Mariusz Kwiecien, the Polish baritone who was cast in the title role of the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of “Don Giovanni,” which opens on Thursday night, underwent surgery for a herniated disk on Tuesday, his manager said. “The doctors feel that Mariusz’s prognosis is excellent,” said the manager, William Guerri, of Columbia Artists Management. But it was unclear when he might return to the stage. “It’s a wait-and-see proposition,” Mr. Guerri said. Mr. Kwiecien felt pain during the opening scene of Monday’s dress rehearsal, the manager said. He was taken by paramedics to a hospital, said the Met spokesman, Peter Clark. The Met tapped Peter Mattei, who was on hand for a production of Rossini’s “Barbiere di Siviglia,” to replace Mr. Kwiecien for the opening of “Don Giovanni.” The opera has 16 more performances into March, although Mr. Kwiecien was scheduled to be in the cast only through Nov. 11.

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Barihunk Switch: Mattei Replacing Kwiecien in Met's Don Giovanni

Mariusz Kwiecien

The Metropolitan Opera has announced that Peter Mattei will replace Mariusz Kwiecien in Don Giovanni after the Polish barihunk injured his back at the final dress rehearsal. We first heard about the switch from some disappointed Kwiecien fans who were looking forward to him singing the title role at the October 13 performance. New Yorkers have yet to experience him in what is arguably his greatest role. He's performed the role in Seattle, San Francisco, Munich, Italy and Poland, but not on the of the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. Current plans are for Kwiecien to only miss opening night.

Peter Mattei (Photo NY Times)

Rodion Pogossov will replace Mattei in the October 11 and 14 performances of Barbiere, as well as continue with his previously scheduled performances as Figaro on October 26, 29, February 4, 8, 11, 15 and 18. 

The Met's new production of Don Giovanni is directed by Michael Grandage and will be conducted by the company's principal conductor Fabio Luisi. The performances star Marina Rebeka in her company debut as Donna Anna, Barbara Frittoli as Donna Elvira, Mojca Erdmann as Zerlina, Ramón Vargas as Don Ottavio, Štefan Kocán as the Commendatore and barihunks Luca Pisaroni as Leporello and Joshua Bloom as Masetto.

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Sexy Barihunk Trio in Met's "Don Giovanni"; Don't Miss It!

Mariusz Kwiecien: Met promo photo (L); In Krakow Giovanni (Top); From NY Times society pages (Bottom)

New York opera fans have been consumed with Anna Netrebko's portrayal of Anna Bolena and it has often overshadowed some other good offerings at the Met. Mainly, the barihunk-laden performance of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" that is running through November 11th.

Luca Pisaroni is Leporello & Joshua Bloom is Masetto

Polish barihunk Mariusz Kwiecien, one of the world's greatest and most dramatically interesting Don Giovanni's is leading the cast. If you haven't seen "The Hot Pole" perform this role, then you haven't seen the opera. He brings an intensity and sexual energy to the role that few others have ever mustered. His sidekick is another regular from this site, Italian barihunk Luca Pisaroni. The bumpkin Masetto is performed by Australian barihunk Joshua Bloom, who would make one wonder why Zerlina would even think about being unfaithful. Visit the Metropolitan Opera website for additional dates and performance information.

Here is a Met Opera preview from WQXR's great program Operavore. It starts with Anna Netrebko and includes her singing Anna Bolena's "Mad Scene," but later in the video you'll be treated to Luca Pisaroni singing Leporello's Catalogue Aria [At 43:30 minute mark].



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Can Barihunks Sing?

Dmitri Hvorostovsky: The perfect barihunk package?

The wonderful Dutch opera site Place de l'Opera recently wondered if barihunks were just sexy guys who were getting jobs because of their looks and couldn't really sing. Basia Jaworski rated seven singers that have appeared on the site and ranked them for looks and singing ability.

In her article, Jaworski also points out that many roles in opera actually require a lot of charisma and sexuality to make the role work.  She also points out that the site appeals to more than gay men, which if our email is any indication is more than accurate. About half our mail and photo submissions come from women. What is interesting is how some singers seem to appeal to women and others to men, while others seem to have a more universal appeal.

Also, we pride ourselves in posting singers who not only look good, but who can sing. This is why we tend to highlight singers who are winning vocal competitions and are being hand-selected by composers to premiere their works. After all, we like our barihunks to be the complete package.

Here are her rankings. Feel free to share your thoughts in the COMMENTS section:

Erwin Schrott: Looks 9, Singing 6

Bo Skovhus: Looks 9, Singing 9

Rod Gilfry: Looks 9, Singing 9

Simon Keenlyside: Looks 9, Singing 10

Dmitry Hvorostovsky: Looks 10, Singing 10

Mariusz Kwiecien: Looks 8, Singing 7

Nathan Gunn: Looks 8, Singing 8

You can read Basia Jaworski's complete article on the Place de l'Opera website.

Bo Skovhus sings Robert Schumann's "Stille Tränen"



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AVA's Mock "Vanity Fair" Photo Shoot

The Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) in Philadelphia featured a wonderful mock version of Vanity Fair's photo of sexy opera singers that included barihunks Mariusz Kwiecien, Nathan Gunn and Erwin Schrott. AVA low voices include Scott Conner and Wes Mason, who has been a regular on this site.

From left to right: Mariusz Kwiecien, Polish baritone; Maija Kovalevska, Latvian soprano; Rolando Villazón, Mexican tenor; Nathan Gunn, American baritone; Danielle de Niese, Australian-born soprano; Erwin Schrott, Uruguayan bass; Anna Netrebko, Russian soprano. Photograph by Wayne Maser; styled by Sarajane Hoare.

Just a few of the exciting artists AVA audiences can look forward to hearing this year.  (l-r) Alexandra Maximova, Scott Conner, Maria Aleida, Nelson Ebo, Wes Mason, John Viscardi, and Chrystal Williams (Photo by Paul Sirochman)

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