Customer Reviews

Mozart - Don Giovanni

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Since the memorable Giulini's version recorded in 1961, I had never heard a so well balanced production of Mozart's best opera. The title role is wonderfully performed by the acclaimed Swedish baritone Peter Mattei, who has revealed as one of the best gifted Dons in modern times, maybe with the exception of Thomas Hampson. The warmth of his voice and his subtleness to declaim the recitatives reminds us of Eberhard Wächter. His acting is also remarkable: he makes a diabolic Don Giovanni we can not avoid to hate and find irresistible at the same time. Gilles Cachemaille makes a perfect Leporello. Having played the title role before he has an extraordinary capacity to switch roles with the Don, a quality that is hard to find in other singers, maybe with the exception of Ferrucio Furlanetto during the prime of his career. The beautiful French soprano Mireille Delunsch makes a fragile Donna Elvira who makes us believe capable of redeeming the Don. She has recently played Violetta in a recent production of La Traviata by Peter Musbach. The gorgeous Canadian soprano Alexandra Dehorties is also sensational as Donna Anna. With the exception of Renee Fleming in recent times and Joan Sutherland in the sixties there are very few sopranos capable of facing the arias with the delicacy required for that role. Mark Padmore is great as Don Ottavio, his way of singing the two famous arias "Dalla Sua Pace" and "Il Mio Tesoro" can be compared with Luigi Alva in Giulini's version. Lisa Larsson is a delicious Zerlina. Daniel Harding's conduction is superb and so is Peter Brook's production. His mise en scene is minimalistic and quite similar to Deborah Warner's in the 1986 Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
This is definetively a must buy.

Since the moment I first saw (and heard) this production, I have been waiting and searching the web for a DVD. The singing - every role - is fabulously performed. All of the actors are young, sexy and supremely talented. I was delighted with the minimally staged production as it keeps your eyes and ears where they belong anyway - on the singers and the music.

Owning this DVD is a no brainer for opera lovers everywhere. It is a must buy!

I'm always on the lookout for good versions of Don Giovanni, and this minimalist staging is certainly interesting - I got curious about this production after watching a few clips online, and Peter Mattei is certainly my favourite Don Giovanni to date. He's not only a great singer, he's also handsome and charming enough to really convince as this man who everyone's crazy about.

Everyone is really good in this - and I'd like to single out Mireille Delunsch as Donna Elvira, who is amazing in a role that can sometimes be shrill.

One niggle, though: I feel they were rushing through the climactic Commendatore scene; possibly it's more authentic or something, but I like my Commendatore scenes to be slower and much more dramatic!

Still, great performance!

The stage on this production is almost empty and brightly lighted, including in the "In the shadows" scene (2nd Act). It almost looks like a rehearsal in a small room intended to make the singers work on their characters as much as possible before going into the full set. Regrettably, the result is not good enough and it doesn't succeed in portraying the characters to their fullest. You have to have a very good imagination, and in essence know the scene well to capture the exchange of clothes between Leporello and Don Giovanni and the disguise that it implies. There are, though, some nice touches like Don Giovanni watching the finale after his departure to hell and suggesting he was finally touched by the people that surrounded him during his life.
The musical aspects are quite good, but not to level of a WOW. I can recommend this DVD only to those curious enough to watch a new staging idea.