Customer Reviews

Mozart - Don Giovanni / Fischer-Dieskau, Fricsay

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Being a Mozart Opera fanatic at times can be quite a daunting task, especially faced with such a multitude of available choices :) Of Don Giovanni, which is my favorite of all (thematically speaking, at least), it has been much harder to find the most flawless recording. I was able to zero in on the perfect Figaro (Bohm), Zauberflote (Klemperer) and Cosi (Bohm again), but the Don has proved ever so elusive. Gullini, Davis and Krips, among others, were all lacking something, IMHO. Luckily, I have enough public libraries in my area to be able to sample before purchasing...

The Opera itself a cautionary tale for adults, so to speak, a tale of extreme hubris and its consequences. My own interpretation of DG was always that of a dark, demonic, almost DeSadian personification of the unbridled male id. In other words, the Don is no softie - he is a beast, just as the other characters refer to him, and if he is sung by a light, tenor-like voice, it just doesn't ring true to me. Dieskau's casting is as close to the DG I envision as it gets. I find his voice powerful and nuanced - he can be sinister, arrogant, falsely and seductively romantic all at the same time, an astounding range. Just listen to his delivery of "La Ci Darem la Mano", and you'll understand exactly what I mean. The only (minor) issue here is that he sings so boomingly that he almost drowns out the Commendatore in the final scene, making it seem like a meeting of equals. Still, when Dieskau stands up to the big guy with his unrelenting "Parla, parla", it never ceases to produce goosebumps.

Another great advantage of Fircsay's version over others is the absolutely superb mix , loud and clear. All the minute subtleties of the music can be heard - not muddled at all - and as a result we get the most spine-tingling Overture I've ever heard. Thus, I fully concur with the previous reviewer on the merits of the orchestra here. It keeps the listeners on the edge of their seats at all times, transports them right into the heart of the story.

Allright, now for the less sublime: Maria Stader does sound a bit less graceful than other famous Donna Elviras, but she embodies the hurt and slight madness of her character so well that I don't mind that much. If only Kiri Te Kanawa was present, this recording would indeed be absolutely flawless... And yes, the German cast often pronounces their "qua's" as "kva's", etc, and Kohn, as Leoprello, even manages to glitch up the Catalog aria by one syllable (incidentally, in a reference to his native country :)). But that can be easily overlooked, given the other merits of this undeniably fantastic recording.

So if you've been dissatisfied with the Don Giovannis you've heard or own, or are simply curious to explore some interesting and compelling alternatives - I encourage you to seek the Fricsay out - if anything, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Conductor Ferenc Fricsay has made a terrific Don Giovanni, by far my favorite opera. Although I own several recordings, this one is for me the second best. Coming in at Number 1 is Lorin Maazel's version with Ruggero Raimondi and Kiri Te Kenawa, while Erich Leindorf's version starring Cesare Siepi, Birgit Nilsson and Leontine Price is my third choice. This one is the second best for me. It is right on the money as far as how the opera should sound if you prefer the traditional Don Giovanni. Usually, the "tradition" of Don Giovanni is to have a melodrama sung to beautiful music that can be just at home in a comedy. Mozart's greatest opera is supposed to be Don Giovanni. The shameless, unrepentent libertine is an Enlightenment anti-hero, refusing to change his ways even when the threat of being sent to Hell.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is regarded as the greatest bass-baritone singers. Without a doubt, he has a beautiful and lyric baritone voice. There is no snarl or sinister note to his portrayal of Don Giovanni, but he gets into the "anti-hero" mood. The Don is after all, only being himself. We as an audience should not root for him because all he does throughout the opera is to attempt to seduce and steal other men's fiancees. But we should admire his spirit and freedom. His greatest flaw is excess and hedonism, which he took too far and abused. This is what I feel Dieskau has in his voice and interpretation, from every recitative to his "Finch'al del vino" aria to his serenade "Vieni Ala Finestra"- everything is sung with a hedonistic pleasure. It is a great portrayal that no one should miss. And that Commandatore/Dinner Scene is incredible !

Meet the women in Don Giovanni's life- Dona Ana, engaged to Don Ottavio, an aristocratic lady whose father is a Commander of the navy. As the opera begins, it's suggested that the Don has attempted to rape Dona Ana. He had sneaked into her bedroom, she confused him for her fiance Don Ottavio. Screaming for help, her father the Commandatore arrives only to duel with the Don and is killed. This very dark deed will come back to haunt the Don and bring him to hell. Dona Ana is distraught and seems never to stop mourning her father, even postponing her marriage to Ottavio. Dona Ana should be sung by a dramatic soprano, with lyric ability or a spinto soprano. It is a diva role and many sopranos have taken it under their belt- Maria Callas, Birgit Nilsson, Leontine Price, Anna Tomosawa Sintow, Edda Moser, Carol Vanness, Beverly Sills and Renee Fleming among others. Sena Jurinac has an astoundingly dramatic and high voice. She gets into the tortured character very well. I really love her performance. Sena Jurinac has had success as the Composer in Strauss Ariadne of Naxos and as Leonora in Fidelio. Zerlina is a peasant girl that the Don attempts to seduce and steal from her fiance Masetto. She is usually a light soprano/soubrette or mezzo soprano, a performance that is light-weight, sweet, clever and charming is suitable. Dona Elvira by far is the most colorful of the women. The soprano singing Elvira on this version is awesome, and by far the greatest interpretor. She is furious, she is vengeful, emotional, torn between her love for the Don and for the hate she has of his wild and reckless life. Dona Elvira has moments that are both dramatic, hysterical as well as beautiful. "Me Tradita Il Ilma Ingrata" you may note is soft and melancholy in comparison to the tirade that is "Fuggi Il Traditore". This is a great album with the perfect cast.

This is the best amongst the 5 Don Giovanni recordings I have.
It is in Stereo. A rarity in Maria Stader's opera recordings.
Probably Because of Maria Stader I think this is just wonderful.
Do not miss it. Even if you are not a Do Giovanni fan this recording will make you one.

Ferenc Fricsay, the Hungarian conductor who is a Mozart specialist, really passed away far too soon. I remember owning a LP of his Mozart's two last Symphonies, and the reading was absolutely unsurpassable, even by Karl Boehm.
So much for the symphonies.
This Don Giovanni, however much you may criticise the singers for being non-Italianate in their dictions, is a true masterpiece, masterfully conducted by Fricsay. Not only do the singers perform splendidly (yea, the women trio is truly great), but the orchestral backing is so dramatic and aspirited that the listener is virtually forced to wander back and forth into the blissfully beautiful orchestral backdrops during each major aria for fear of missing out something. This is astounding.
As for the singers, F-D isn't really a bad Don. It is a matter of characterisation predominant in 1958, and if Cesare Siepi then was the pre-eminently Italiante Don G, F-D's is the Austro-Germanic counterpart. Both Dons are mature and villainly, one more Italian and romantic, the other more bullish (similar quality is found in Giulini's Don portrayed by Austrian bass baritone Eberhard Waechter). Kohn is an effective Leporello, singing out the pathos as well as the clownish substance of the character.
Sena Jurinac is a very convincing Dona Anna, like Elisabeth Gruemmer in Furtwangler's version. Both sopranos found a rightful successor in Sutherland in Giulini's version, but both are difficult to surpass in their own rights.
Irmgard Seefried is one of the greatest soubrettes of all times. What really surprises is Maria Stader's Dona Elvira, a hysterical and hurt noble woman. Perhaps slightly less noble than Schwarzkopf's famous versions for Furtwangler and Giulini, but nonetheless highly effective and movingly sung.
Despite its age, this recording proves to be invaluable. Even if you miss out Krip's version or Giulini's version, you are still well advised to get this version by Fricsay, one of the greatest Mozartians of all times.

To me, the Amazon reviewer hits the nail on the head. This is an outstanding Don Giovanni in every way, with conducting from Fricsay that was decades ahead of its time in 1958--compare his modern, incisive, fleet approach to Furtwangler's extremely old-fashioned approach recorded just a few years before for EMI. I also agree that the three women, Seefried, Jurinac, and especially the Swiss soprano Maria Stader (also a staandout in Fricsay's Verdi Requiem) are wonderful, particularly when they blend in ensembles.

And the men? Unlike the Amazon reviewer I admire most of them--the Leporello, Ottavio, and Masetto are fine, and like the women, their abiltiy to blend in ensembles is outstanding. I don't find Kohn dour, and he can keep up with Fischer-Dieskau in the fast duet passages at Fricsay's energetic speeds (which aren't, however, as zipy as period performances from Gardiner and Ostmann). So we have a perfect setting for a great Don, and there's the rub. Fsicher-Dieskau is who he is, wit millions of fans who adore him despite his quirks--he barks, he hectors, he overemphaizes consonants. Above all, he isn't remotely sexy or Italianate. Who would follow this Don anywhere but the firing range?

In the end, each listener will have to decide according to personal taste. I can't tolerate Fishcer-Dieskau's mannerisms in this role, so there's no question for me. But if you do buy this set, know that the remastered sonics are birght and the voices very close. I am not sure the Amazon reviewer is right to call this a 'legendary' Don, but it has tons of virtues and a huge hole in the middle.

As Chairman of my local chapter of the I-Hate-Fischer-Dieskau Club, I'll just say this performance shows why that noble institution necessarily exists. (The best interpretation of DonG on record IMHO is Tito Gobbi's disdainful, Jago-capable snarl.)

There are other serious problems here as well. Karl Christian Kohn sounds old and lacks humor. Sena Jurinac is out of control on the high notes and seems to be trying to compensate for the fact that she's not big enough for Brunhilde. (She's really a mezzo anyway.) Walter Kreppel sounds weak and watery which is inexcusable in his role.

On the plus side, Maria Stader is very beautiful and she puts in just the right amount of overacting for her character. Irmgard Seefried gives a fine ten-millionth performance of her role. Ferenc Fricsay gets excellent, sensitive teamwork from his singers, and preserves the lightness which is always in danger of getting lost in this piece. That makes it worth hearing once or twice.