Comments on: Buzzworthy

By: GayGiovanni

GayGiovanni — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:42:41 +0000

I think Terfel is much better as Leporello than the Don. Would love to see more of Peter Mattei here in London. looking forward to Figaro next summer, with Mariusz and Erwin Schrott on the same stage

By: parpignol

parpignol — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:43:29 +0000

yes, Siepi! yes, Mattei!
but am I the only one who thought Terfel was a great Don Giovanni?

By: richard

richard — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:32:58 +0000

I think Peter Mattei is very sexy in a very relaxed,
unselfconscious kind of way. I love his singing too.

I’m hoping to get into NYC next week to see From the House of the Dead with him.

By: louannd

louannd — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:07:15 +0000

So glad to hear someone say that Polenzani “sang like a God” and that Peter Mattei IS just sexy sexy sexy. Sigh…This lesbo loves them.

By: Liana

Liana — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:17:38 +0000

#45 I think he behaves like most of celebrities here; in private, he is openly gay, and of course friends and insiders know about it, but he never talks about it in public; so far, we’ve had very few coming outs of famous people (two B-class actors, one writer, I think, and no one among the real stars). The same goes for politicians; many (even among the conservatives) are gay, but nobody risked a coming out.

By: chiusosciopero

chiusosciopero — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:59:47 +0000

#44 I’ve wondered about that because when I had drinks with him and another couple back in May, told us all about the different clubs in Krakow and he was very sure to tell us about all of the gay clubs there. So who knows how open or hidden he is at home. He’s very charming and seems very comfortable in his skin.

By: Liana

Liana — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:52:18 +0000

Perhaps Kwiecien is openly gay, but certainly not in Poland. I read quite a few of his interviews in polish papers, and he never once mentioned being gay. In fact, whereas Beczala often talks about his wife and his private life, Kwiecien never does; the most private statement I read was something like “Whatever I do, I do it with passion, be it cooking, making love or anything else”. But he seems to be very careful to leave his sexual orientation out of the picture, and the interviewers never ask.

By: CruzSF

CruzSF — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:33:31 +0000

The info I found on Kwiecien’s Don Giovanni in San Francisco says June 2007. I hope he returns in something else soon.

By: Cassandra

Cassandra — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:05:05 +0000

There was a quite extensive discussion of his relationships when his Tomassini profile was in the Times a couple of seasons ago. He mentioned his long time boyfriend, a bass named Daniel Borowski, in the article. At the time the article was written, they had been broken up a few years. They were together for almost a decade. They are both Polish and met when they were young and very early in their careers well before they were known in the US. He is currently with a man he’s been with for several years. Although it was not mentioned or discussed in the Times (which was a point of contention I brought up), Mariusz is openly gay, and this is well known throughout the business, and to the public if they care to ask.

By: Oralia Concepcion

Oralia Concepcion — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:31:44 +0000

#20–Marius sang Don Giovanni in San Francisco–I have no idea about Santa Fe.

This web page is not dated. My memory says it was last spring, but some reviews I found online suggest–to my dismay–that my memory for dates is not entirely reliable.

By: GayGiovanni

GayGiovanni — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:24:24 +0000

Apologies Cassandra, I must have missed those discussions. Any more gossip about him?

By: Quanto Painy Fakor

Quanto Painy Fakor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:20:16 +0000

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:34:14 +0000

@37, CruzSF, your research may provide some genetic clues re: Mauriusz’s more provocative production photographs.

By: Cassandra

Cassandra — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:14:51 +0000

Mariusz is gay, as has been previously discussed here.

By: CruzSF

CruzSF — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:52:55 +0000

I will definitely have to look into this. For research purposes.

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:51:34 +0000

@34, CruzSF, the DVD is mostly Chopenis, including the tumscent violinist who plays the fiddle between the kielbasa sequences.

By: CruzSF

CruzSF — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:55:54 +0000

Jay, I’m guessing that’s not a biopic of Chopin and Liszt…

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:42:51 +0000

To check out some gay Polish “talent” rent the “Polish Pleasures” DVD. The sequence in the train compartment is sooooooo hot.

By: CruzSF

CruzSF — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:23:27 +0000

OK. That’s a relief, in a way, for me. The Don G run from several years ago was before I became an opera fan, so I’m not terribly upset that I missed it. I wished I’d seen it — don’t get me wrong about that! But if it had been just last year, I would have kicked myself.

By: mj

mj — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:01:03 +0000

#20, Kwiecien did sing Don G in San Francisco, not last year but a few years ago, during the summer season. I believe he was sick for at least part of the run.

By: GayGiovanni

GayGiovanni — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:16:13 +0000

Thank you Will – very interesting news. You should listen (and watch) Mariusz as King Roger, some really superb singing there. The added bonus is that he is in his underwear for half the opera

By: Quanto Painy Fakor

Quanto Painy Fakor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:51:03 +0000

As for Polish homophibics:

By: Will

Will — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:11:31 +0000

GayG–as I hear it, Mariusz’s boyfriend accompanies him to most gigs. I’m not sure how this plays in Poland which perhaps only slightly more homophobic than the Vatican and the head offices of the Mormon church combined, but I’ve heard it from several sources and I don’t think it’s wishful thinking.

I’m of two minds about his singing. Originally, I thought it was great, a beautiful, smooth lyric baritone. As the years have gone on I hear more and more forcing for size of voice and dramatic “expression.” His Enrico the first season of the Zimmerman production of Lucia at the MET had me seriously concerned, and some reviews from other venues do not offer reassurance.

And yes, the guy’s cute and very pretty..

By: GayGiovanni

GayGiovanni — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:13:28 +0000

Mariusz is an effortlessly sexy man, and he knows his own worth. This production shows the Don, Leporello and Don Ottavio minus trousers!
Clearly he likes excitement. Has anyone seen him naked – he did a quick flash in the London Don G a couple of years ago, which I missed? There are rumours that he is gay – any comments?

By: Krunoslav

Krunoslav — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:53:42 +0000

Blancas is a Fachless Wonder with no idea how to produce her top, just like her mother Angeles Gulin.

Perhaps Blancas and Montserrat Marti should pair off as Elektra and Chrysothemis,m with Anne Sofie von Otter continuing her catastrophic (but soft peddled by critics) traversal of dramatic roles?

By: MontyNostry

MontyNostry — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:42:20 +0000

#22 — Do we give enough credit to Ramey for being a great singer, whether surrounded by Muppets or not?

By: Quanto Painy Fakor

Quanto Painy Fakor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:15:58 +0000

There was prolonged booing (amidst huge applause) for the regisseur and for Nagano immediately after the last note of the Munich premiere of the new Giovanni production! The announcer reported it just as it was. Sounded like a football game!

By: Buster

Buster — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:32:58 +0000

@3 Blancas just did Rachle in La Juive. Very odd sound, the intensity of it all was great, but not very pleasant to listen to, and the effort it took her was all too visible/audible.

By: Quanto Painy Fakor

Quanto Painy Fakor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:47:58 +0000

By: ilpenedelmiocor

ilpenedelmiocor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:33:58 +0000

Regarding the audio clip of the booing at the premiere: I *L*O*V*E* me German audiences. They’ll sit and listen in utter and respectful silence the entire time (and woe betide you as an audience member if you make so much as a rustle during a performance), but that’s because they’re listening intently and in a very discriminating fashion. They’re so smart that you can’t get away with anything, so when it’s over, well, you hear what you get. Have to say the Regisseur does sound like he’s completely full of shit in the clip. He says he resisted directing opera for a long time but got talked into it. Maybe he should have just kept resisting. And could the male voiceover translator possibly be any gayer?