Do I really have to say why? ;)
Seriously, I do feel a little sorry for Kaufmann, waging an eternal war against the people who look only at his face (and hair) and don't focus on his singing. Because frankly, I'd love his voice even if he didn't look the way he does. But only a little sorry: if he really didn't want to be a sex symbol, he could cut his hair differently.
Actually, at the concert in Saarbrucken in June, he didn't actually look all that fantastic-The Curls were wilted and he looked miserably brave in full concert dress. But then, it WAS about a thousand degrees in that "hall", so I can't hold it against him. It was nice to see him looking human. Indeed, that's what I like about Kaufmann: he seems so down to earth about himself and everything around him.
Day Thirty: Opera I'd sell a kidney to see
Fidelio with Jonas Kaufmann as Florestan, hands down. Preferably in a really fierce production, one that was all blood and guts emotion and brutality. The second act is so agonizing, with Leonore's being forced to dig her husband's grave, the threatened murder, the dramatic rescue, and then, finally, the reunion between the separated lovers. I'd have loved to see the Johan Simmons' production in Paris, as it looked suitably dangerous. Weird dialogue (and what is the problem with the original singspiel, I ask you?), and strange sets, but powerful in how it deals with Florestan. And he needs to be dealt with powerfully.
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