Don Giovanni di Dijon Disappointing

It concerns me when the dramatic standouts in a performance of Don Giovanni are Zerlina and Masetto. 

This performance is beautifully sung, but not terribly engaging. I feel I must blame the director; I can’t imagine that all of these singers lack dramatic skills.

Smooth of voice, and easy on the eyes, Edwin Crossley-Mercer’s interpretation of the Don himself is rough-hewn and confined to a few stock facial expressions: mainly a sneer, a leer, a jeer, and just a little bit of fear. He does move nicely about the stage, he sounds marvelous, and as a bonus he is slender enough for Leporello to carry. But I feel he needs a good drama coach. He is so good at vocal interpretation, it’s kind of surprising to find him lacking in physical drama.

Edwin Crossley-Mercer is Don Giovanni

We just found out from our friends at Barihunks, that the video of Edwin Crossley-Mercer's Don Giovanni is finally available. They wrote:

Thanks to a heads up from an alert reader, we've learned that Edwin Crossley-Mercer just performed his first Don Giovanni in Dijon, France. He was joined by fellow barihunk Damien Pass as Masetto. If you missed the performance, you're in luck, as it's temporarily available on Medici.tv. Click HERE to watch the entire performance. 

What a lovely Easter present. We can't wait to see it! In the same post, Dreamy Casting: Barihunks on the air, they mentioned several other broadcasts already available or coming soon. Thanks, Barihunks Blog!

The Name’s Crossley-Mercer—Edwin Crossley-Mercer

I love it when coincidences conspire to bring diverse and interesting things (recordings, singers, organizations, music, events) to my attention. 

Last week, the Barihunks blog posted a review of a recital by French barihunk Edwin Crossley-Mercer. And it turns out they've been tracking him for a while. 

In fact, Barihunks named him Hottest Recitalist in their Best of 2010 and they averred that "it was as much for his artistry as his hunkiness." (prematurely gray, hyphenated name, easy on the eyes, and really big...hands—what's not to like? Oh, and he sings really really well, too!)