CULTURE CORNER: SIZZLING HOT OPERA STAR!

[trilingual]

Naked hard-on? Please tell MORE! And in Geneva? Calvin must be positively whirling in his grave! :7

 

There are lots of other sexy hunks in opera. Thomas Hampson and Wolfgang Brendel come to mind as hunks during the 70s and 80s, as was Samuel Ramey. I recall seeing Brendel at the San Francisco Opera in probably the most homoerotic moment in 19th Century grand opera -- the undying love/friendship duet between Posa and Carlo in Verdi's "Don Carlos." You could have heard a pin drop in the opera house, except for the whir of a thousand opera glasses rapidly focussing on the unknown German hunk singing Posa and making a thousand guys in the audience wishing he was singing at them!

 

When it all clicks, as it did in that performance, there's nothing as gripping as opera! The toothsome new singers certainly add interest!

 

Here's a shot of the very handsome Florez, who's TCFW (too cute for words) and the very model of a modern bel canto tenor:

 

http://www.associatedentertainment.com/aec/images/main/Juan-Diego-Florez.jpg

[whipped guy]

I have never seen Nathan Gunn, but did see Florez at the MET in "L' Italiana in Algeri". He is a very athletic performer... that he could sing and not miss a beat or get out of breath while running or jumping around the stage was phenomenal. From what I hear he is only getting better... If you can, check out his his performance in "Matilde di Shabran" from Pesaro 2004 <see pic above>... definitely orgasmic! His 2005 Pesaro "Barbiere" is supposed to be a knockout as well...

[uwsman2]

Watch out for the NY City Opera production of Handel's Acis & Galatea coming up this season. I was startled when I saw this production the first time around to note the strongly implied gay subtheme, and the male lead that time around was real eye candy. The City Opera frequently scores over the Met in having younger casts.

This Sunday I saw their first performance of The Mines of Sulpher by Richard Rodney Bennett, which included at least two hunks and one "hunklet" in the cast, and one of the hunks got to play most of Act II bare chested (and worth seeing) in a rather sexually explicit role of the young hero ravishing the young heroine. The music is on the modernist side (and I found Act I rather forgettable) but the second act is dramatically gripping.... There are several more performances.

[whipped guy]

Also Orestes and Pilades in Gluck's "Iphigenie en Tauride" looked like good buddies a few seasons back at NYCO!

[JT Brooklyn]

Good Buddies??? This must involve BDSM??? lol :+

[uwsman2]

Especially when they were all huggy and kissy and skimpily clad.

There was a time back in the 90s, when gay Christopher Keene was the music director at NY City Opera, when it seemed almost every new production had some interesting flesh on view. And even the Met, earlier in the Levine regime, could do some fancy stuff with the men in the corps de ballet... Remember the orgy in Samson and Dalila, which seems to have been toned down alot in recent years. I also seem to recall some splendid sights in Les Troyens...

[whipped guy]

Check out the MET DVD of "Semiramide". There ae two hunks that appear with Marilyn Horne at her entrance... and accompany her at various points in the action... I guess they are supposed to symbolize that that Arsace has the upper hand over Assur (Ramey) who is escorted by two wimpier looking fellows...

[NASAguy]

Speakng of DVD's, check out the classic Boulez/Cheneau production of Wagner's DIE WALKUERE. In it, Siegmund is portrayed by blond German hunk Peter Hoffman. He is total shirtless during the Act 2, Todesverkuendgung Scene with Bruennhilda. Mmmmm I bought this about 10 yrs ago and love watching him.

[liubit]

>Naked hard-on? Please tell MORE! And in Geneva? Calvin

>must be positively whirling in his grave! :7

 

Yes, Calvin whirled and whirled until he left town }( The hard-on was impressive and for real (Viagra, anyone?) An exciting production by gay Mr. Py that made Tannhauser a real blockbuster: most (if not all) performances were sold out, and the crowd was not your usual Wagnerites.

[dfw2sfo]

Any time you see Billy Budd being performed, there's usually going to be a hot guy in the lead.

[Guest alanm]

Just a reminder on Nathan Gunn.

 

He is starring at the Met in the world premier production of "An American Tragedy" starting Friday evening. Gunn is also the star of

Paris Bastille Opera DVD of Prokofiev's "War and Peace."

 

Juan Diego Florez will appear at the Met in March & April in "Don Pasquale." Anyone know if he's done any operas that made it to DVD?

 

It will be interesting to see how Gunn compares to Montgomery Clift in the film version of the same story. The conservation Met audience does not usually buy tickets to new operas, so here is a great chance to see Nathan Gunn in person.

[NASAguy]

Juan Diego Florez has appeared in a DVD of Verdi's Falstaff singing the role of Fenton. He is also in a new DVD of the Barber of Seville, just released.

[Guest alanm]

Thanks for the information on Florez.

 

On Peter Hoffman, I did standing room 20 years ago at the Met to see Hoffman in the lead role in "Parsifal." He did not take off his shirt, but it was great to see someone that attractive and age appropriate in the lead. It was worth standing for 5 hours at a Saturday matinee.

 

(I may be 20 years older but also stood for many hours at Madison Square Garden last Tuesday night to see U2 and Patti Smith. Great concert.)

[whipped guy]

RE: Juan Diego Florez

 

I picked up the Florez "Barbiere" a couple of days ago but have not yet watched it. The picture on the box cover shows Florez in his soldier's disguise with a silly painted on moustache.

 

Regarding other Florez DVDs, if you are into non-commercially available material, Premiere Opera Ltd. http://st60.startlogic.com/~premiere/ lists a number of live Florez performances. I can’t vouch for the quality of this admittedly pirated material other than to say that I have been satisfied with a number of audio CD recordings I have purchased from this source.

 

Incidentally, I have heard a rumor that the 2004 Pesaro performance of Rossini’s “Matilde di Shabran” might be commercially released on DVD. (The CD from Premiere Opera is a knockout!) If so, it would provide a opportunity to see Juan Diego decked out in Leather...

:9

[Guest alanm]

RE: Juan Diego Florez

 

I saw and hear Juan Diego Florez last night in the Met's excellent new production of "Don Pasquale." Opera fans know that "Don Pasquale" is a near sellout because of Florez and his costar, Anna Netrebko.

 

Florez had to leave Friday's first performance after the second act because of an "allergic attack." He didn't seem quite himself last night either, but give him an A+ for eye candy. Anyone who can get a ticket should, because all the other cast members are superb and the production brings out the humor in the opera as well as any cast I have ever seen. Great evening & am sure that Juan Diego Florez will shake off the

"allergic attack."