Opera Chic

André Rival Keeps Banging It Out For Deutsche Oper Berlin

(C: André Rival/Deutschen Oper Berlin)  

It started a couple years ago with Deutsche Oper Berlin's high-impact photo campaign by André Rival for their 2008/09 season, featuring German (former) supermodel Nadja Auermann, awesomely mixing two of OC's passions -- the gloss of fashion photography with our coolest opera divas.

Deutsche Oper Berlin dipped back into André Rival goodness for this season's campaign, and this time, it's all about the men, posing German fashion designer Wolfgang Joop as five male opera leads that go onstage in the 2010/2011 season. Above, Joop poses as Tristan from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde (premieres in March 2011 with ^The Runnicles^ conducting Peter Seiffert's Tristan).

 

Above, Don Giovanni as a punk rocker -- from Mozart's Don Giovanni (premieres in October with Roberto Abbado conducting Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as the Don) (C: André Rival/Deutschen Oper Berlin)

 

Above, 

Samson from Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila (premiers in May 2011 with Vesselina Kasarova and Jose Cura in the leads)

(C: André Rival/Deutschen Oper Berlin)

Midas from Strauss' Die Liebe Der Danae (premiers in January 2011 with Matthias Klink as Midas) (Credit: André Rival/Deutschen Oper Berlin)

And a slightly NSFW (Puritans!) shot of Énée from Berlioz's Die Trojaner (premieres in December with ^The Runnicles^ conducting Ian Storey as Énée and Kate Aldrich as Didon) (Credit: André Rival/Deutschen Oper Berlin)

But we saved the best for last! Click the link below for an insane Joop-as-Giovanni that will pretty much blow your previous conceptions of Don Giovanni out of the water.

André Rival Keeps Working it for Deutsche Oper Berlin

Remember supermodel Nadja Auermann's super-hawt photo campaign for Deutsche Oper Berlin's 2008/09 season, where fashion photographer André Rival styled the leggy supermodel in a series of glam'd-up fantasias of our opera divas?

Rival unveils another shot (seen above) for Deutsche Oper Berlin's classical calendar, Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten, opening September 27. German actress and TV presenter, Barbara Schöneberger, poses as the woman without a shadow, which we think is pretty bad-a$$...

But not quite as bad-a$$ as what he's done with MD Donald Runnicles. The Scottish jack of all trades poses with a sword, in reference to Wagner's Tannhäuser that he'll be conducting next week.

The Highlander. There can only be one.

Click the link below to see the two shots in promos.

Supermodels to One Day Replace Fallible Opera Singers? Why Not?

(Above: A sexed-up, depraved Carmencita -- as only supermodel Nadja Auermann can do)

Nadja Auermann, the former German supermodel who possibly has the longest legs in the world (@ 112 cm/44 inches long) recently collaborated with Deutsche Oper Berlin in an ad campaign promoting the 2008/09 season.

Shot by Berlin fashion photographer André Rival, Auermann modeled herself as four opera divas in the current season: Bizet's Carmen [shown above], (to be sung by Angelika Kirchschlager & Kate Aldrich); Tannhäuser's Venus (to be sung by Nadja Michael); Puccini's Turandot (to be sung by Lise Lindstrom & Maria Guleghina); and Strauss's Helena (to be sung by Ricarda Merbeth). At this point we're starting to think that the future of live opera will simply feature supermodels lipsynching Mozart & Puccini on stage in couture gowns while the real singers stand in the pit with the musicians and sweat it out in A&F hoodies, stuffing themselves with burgers and comparing inferiority complexes. Conducting will be Honda's humanoid robot ASIMO, natch. /Humungoid hat tip to a dear friend for the scoop.

(Above: Nadja Auermann is Strauss's Helena in Die ägyptische Helena)

(Nadja Auermann is Venus from Wagner's Tannhäuser.)

(Above: Auermann as a princess Turandot in Puccini's Turandot.)