Customer Reviews

Mozart: Don Giovanni

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was blown away by Rene Jacob's Cosi Fan Tutte. His follow-up rendition of Le Nozze di Figaro was also a fresh, fun, lively, and engaging, and forced listeners to this old classic to re-think the way we hear this jewel of standard operatic repertoire. Jacobs did it again with Mozart's oft-neglected masterpiece, La Clemenza di Tito, by breathing some serious life into this serious work. And today (9 October 2007) his long-awaited Don Giovanni has been released in the states, and far exceeds my expectations.

Like his three other recordings of Mozart's operas, Rene Jacobs is making us re-think what we consider to be "Mozartian." Years ago, Maria Callas criticized the habit performers have of singing and playing Mozart as though they were on their "tip-toes." Finally, Rene Jacobs gives us a reading that does not beat-around-the-bush with the mannered "tip-toed" singing and playing we are used to. Like his other Mozart releases for the HM label, this one is dramatic: sometimes tender, sometimes bombastic, sometimes hilarious, sometimes austere and horrifying, full of that 18th century "Sturm und Drang" that Mozart was famed for.

Indeed, Rene Jacobs has said that in a recording his singers "must act using only their voice." And this is what they do. The result is 3-CDs full of music where you will never find yourself skipping over any recitatives. His characters are fully developed and fully acted, with the instrumental ensemble (especially the often overlooked fortepiano continuo in the dry recitatives) providing the perfect support for the action. This is true musical drama the Jacobs gives us.

Much credit goes to Jacob's casting decisions. I cannot begin to express how impressed I am with Alexandrina Pendatchanska in the role of Donna Elvira. After hearing her hot-red-blooded Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito, I thought she would be perfect for the vengeful Donna Elvira, and here she is. I am excited to finally hear an Elvira who truly sounds as though she is vacillating between loving remorse, and vengeful, murderous hatred for Don Giovanni.

Sunhae Im is a charming soprano soubrette, perfectly appropriate for the role of Zerlina. She is girlish, playful, and naive, and completely believable in her role. She gives a devilish laugh at the end of her "torture duet" with Leporello in the second act, adding a kind of sassiness to her character. Her screams during the Finale in the first act make the action seem more real and unrestrained.

Detractors from Johannes Weisser's Don Giovanni usually find issues with his somewhat lighter timbre than what we are used to hearing. I'd say to these detractors to do a little historical/musicological research on the voices Mozart actually wrote for. Jacobs, if he wanted to create music the way Mozart would have heard it, was correct/judicious in choosing Weisser for the role. The original libretto (as well as many of the preexisting plays/dramas DaPonte based his libretto on) calls for Don Giovanni to be a YOUNG and licentious nobleman, NOT the aging and libidinous "senex amans" we are used to seeing. It is also true that the ORIGINAL Don Giovanni (Luigi Bassi in 1787) that Mozart wrote for was only TWENTY-ONE years old when he premiered the role, as compared to Johannes Weisser who is likewise still in his twenties. Weisser is great vocal actor, full of the suave-ness the Don needs. When his character is dragged down to Hell at the end of the opera, he gives THE most terrifying, hair-rasing howl I've heard on record.

Lorenzo Regazzo is a terrific Leporello. He displays the apropos oafishness and "buffo" that his character has always needed.

But like all of Rene Jacob's Mozart recordings, one of the most striking features is the secco recitatives. The fortepianist created delightful commentary on the action by improvising his lines, in the manner Mozart and other composers/conductors/continuists of this time would have done.

In terms of interpretation, Rene Jacobs has never been one to follow the mainstream. This recording is no exception. Be prepared to hear some sudden tempo changes. These are, however, an acquired taste that get better and more "listenable" with subsequent hearings. In actuality, these tempo changes make sense when one takes into account the words in DaPonte's libretto.

Be prepared to hear a different version of Don Giovanni we are used to hearing. Indeed, the version we usually hear or see today is more like a pastiche of two completely versions Mozart used: one for Vienna, and one for Prague. The version recorded by Jacobs is the Vienna version, in which an entire middle section of the second act (as well as a few other parts here and there) is completely re-written. This gives us, as listeners, a more exact reference as to what Mozart's first Viennese audience would have heard back in the late 1780s. Rene Jacobs, however, realizing that this decision would mean scrapping entire arias, some of them favorites of operatic repertoire, has included these Prague arias in an Appendix on the 3rd CD. So fear not- this recording is complete (if not more complete than other recordings out there).

I tend to now judge all my other Mozart recordings to the ones Jacobs has released for Harmonia Mundi. It may be because Jacobs has seemed to rehabilitate these old favorites so successfully that I feel as though I am sitting in an 18th century opera house witnessing Mozart himself direct. I truly foresee myself making this Don Giovanni the new standard for which I judge future performances of this classic. Do not hesitate to purchase this one!!! (My only hope is that Jacobs will be good enough to give us an Ideomeneo, Die Entfuehrung aus dem Serail, or Die Zauberfloete sometime soon!)

My passion for classical music and opera began about 11 years ago after finally seeing the movie Amadeus. I immediately began snapping up Mozart's works - including his operas. My first three purchases were Seraglio, Figaro and The Magic Flute. When the time came to purchase Don Giovanni, I began to do my research. Every guide I picked up recommended Guilini's above all. One reviewer went as far as to say there is a greater chance of pigs flying than a Don Giovanni that rivals Guilini's ever being recorded. Being that I loved his Figaro (became huge Wachter, Taddei, and Schwartzkopf fans through it) and after all the rave reviews, it was a no-brainer. After first hearing, I was obsessed with that recording. Other than an occassional listen to Figaro (my favorite opera) I listened the Giulini Don Giovanni non-stop for a good few months.

As I became more familiar with the work, I realized something - the Guiulini recording is phenomenal right up until the Commendatore Scene. Then it takes a wrong turn due to slow tempos and a complete lack of excitement and drama, especially in the orchestral playing and conducting. So, I began searching for more recordings of the work and made purchase after purchase, which resulted in disappointment after disappointment. I began to agree with the reviewer who said pigs would fly before a recording came along that rivaled Giulini's Don Giovanni.

With the astounding success of Jacob's Cosi, Figaro, and Clemenza (my favorite recordings of these works, I had high hopes for his Don Giovanni. After listening to this recording non-stop for the past two days, I can only conclude that somewhere over the farmlands pigs must be flying. This recording not only rivals Giulini, it tops it (and all other recordings I have) hands down!

What I love most about this recording is finally we have a Commendatore Scene that is riveting, electrifying and terrifying. Jacobs hits the nail on the head throughout the entire work, but this scene is something to behold. He also adds, IMO, a touch of comedy. After Leporello is sent to investigate Elvira's scream and returns and does his "Ta ta ta ta!" and Don Giovanni replies there's a gentle "knock-knock" on the door (as if Little Red Ridinghood is knocking) followed by two strong cords, Leporellos "Ah sentite" and Don Giovanni's "Qualcun batte (there's someone knocking)" there's another gentle knock-knock-knock. Then as Leporello refuses to open the door, the Commendatores pounding is powerful and loud (as it should be). The orchestra, thoughout this scene, creates non-stop fireworks, and when Don Giovanni screams his final "No" it's as if an explosion sounded. The following chorus is truly spectacular - fast, loud, frightening and exciting. I have often been playing this entire scene over and over. It's truly magnificant.

The cast is great throughout. Pendatchanska's Elvira is truly inspiring - finally we have an Elvira on disc that completely conveys rage and a breaking heart at the same time. Tarver's Ottavio is excellent and making us believe he adores Anna. His voice is sweet and loving. Ragazzo's Leporello is just fantastic, and I have no issues with Pasichnyk's Anna. It's nice to hear an Anna that isn't a dramatic soprano, which doesn't quite work IMO. I am in love with Weisser's Don Giovanni and Jacobs (in the liner notes) makes a great argument for using a younger singer, and I agree with him. All in all an excellent cast who not only sing their roles, but act them ... the comedy and drama sinces through in every scene.

As with his other Mozart works, Jacobs allows for ornamentation. Once again, it is done most tastefully and really adds to the piece. The ornamentation in "Non mi dir" is exceptionally beautiful and here Pasichnyk will light your heart ablaze.

Once again, tempos differ here to what we are most accoustomed to and it works better. Jacobs, again, has done his research and makes a great case for all the choices he's made, whether you agree with him or not. I, for one, tend to agree that most conductors simply mis-interpret Mozart. It is well known that Mozart preferred fast tempos in many places that I feel are taken way too slow. You will also hear things you may have never noticed before in other recordings, as Jacobs interestingly brings some different orchestral voices to the forefront at certain times.

All in all, a most excellent recording. Finally I feel we have a recording worthly of Mozart's great masterpiece. My obsession with the work has returned.

This recording has the signature Jacobs sound: sweeping and vibrant with lovingly punctuated, crisp details. The orchestra here is an assertive dramatic protagonist and competes with the singers, interrupting at will, or merging into breathtakingly seamless ensembles where you cannot tell where an instrument ends and a voice begins. All sounds seem to come from one mind, one throat; this orchestra truly sounds like a human being. The singers are a great cast. Especially faultless is Leporello of Lorenzo Regazzo with his thousand mercurial acting nuances. His rich, painterly voice of exceptional beauty is set against Don Giovanni, here a spoiled but charming youth sung by Johannes Weisser with a deliberately careless yet not unpleasing tone. These two characters and their relationship are particularly engaging. Pasichnyk is a strong, beautifully-voiced Donna Anna. Don Ottavio of Tarver is also one of the more pleasant-sounding voices of the cast. Pendatchanska interprets Donna Elvira as especially desperate and tormented, and it works. Im's Zerlina boasts precise coloratura. The entire cast is excellent, perfectly well-matched, and convincing in their roles.
The most satisfying aspect of the recording is that something so researched, and seeking so carefully to be accurate to the performance practices of Mozart's time sounds so fresh and beautiful, that it both validates Jacobs's approach and captivates and delights the lucky listener of any musical preference.

Having heard Rene Jacob's mind-refreshing La Clemenza di Tito last year, I could hardly wait for his 2007 release of Mozart's Don Giovanni, an opera that has been my favourite since I learnt to love opera.
Many have already commented on the overall strength of this recording.
I would only share my marvel on Jacob's choice of the cast: there is virtually not one single weak link in the entire cast. Some singer surfaced over the rest - young Johannes Weisser in the title role is a real surprise for a 27 year-old. The three solo arias are not merely well sung, but novel and give the character a brand new dimension from the classic one set half a century ago by the great lyrical bass Cesare Siepi, and who has not been surpassed since. The Leporello indeed sounds peasant-like. None would ever mix him up with his boss, as in Giulini's all-time famous version. The only tenor Kenneth Tarver is a suave, courtier-like figure but with sufficient charisma to become the heroine's champion. Tarver in all respects equalled Alva in Giulini's version.
The real surprises come from the ladies - Olga Pasichnyk is a very satisfying Donna Anna. She isn't shrill or loud, but is full-voiced and pressing in her entrance, and dramatically effective in all the rest. Zerlina is a typical chirpy soubrette sung with charm and expressiveness that is seldom found in soubrettes. Sunhae Im rightfully claims to be the best Zerlina of her era.
The only slight disappointment in the trio of sopranos comes surprisingly from Alexandrina Pendatchanska, the singer who stood out reigning over the entire cast in Jacob's La Clemenza di Tito last year.
Donna Elvira sounds tired - yea, tired, right from the first aria. One misses the fiery outbursts of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in the Giulini and Furtwangler versions. Perhaps Schwarzkopf's Donna Elvira is to be preserved in memories of opera lovers ad infinitum.
Finally, I must congratulate Harmonica Mundi in producing such ear-pleasing sonics in this all-time favourite opera.

Conductor René Jacobs is trying to restore some of the comic elements of this "dramma giocoso." His objective is a sleaker, nimbler Don Giovanni. I applaud his effort but not its execution. The classical structure of Mozart's score allows the action to unfold within the pace of the music. Too often Jacobs brings all the horses to a full halt, only to immediately set them off at full gallop again. Kenneth Tarver is a superior Ottavio; one wishes a less active baton had allowed the man to just sing.

The trend over the past few decades has been to ornament the vocal line, much as singers of Mozart's day would have done. The forces here sing as if conscious of other recent recordings and make an effort to come up with something new. The results are often klunky. Johannes Wiesser's turn with Giovanni's "Deh vieni" is atrocious, with some of the most awkward melismas ever conceived.

There is a sound gag (hoo, hoo) in the finale when the Stone Guest's arrival is heralded by a timid "tap, tap, tap" at the door. Again "tap, tap" before the pounding begins. This might play onstage, but it was baffling on first listening, tedious on second, and I dread suffering through it again. Give me a splintering crash to make me jump out of my chair. There is much in this set that is a refreshing take on an often bloated classic, but Jacobs's reading is too idiosyncratic for this to be my go-to recording.

Over recent years there have been several releases of Don Giovanni on CD... Keenlyside with Abbado, Gilfry with Gardiner, Terfel with Solti, the list goes on... but none compared with the greatest of all... the classic Guilini set with Sutherland, Schwarzkopf and Wachter. This recording had life, drama and amazing voices all around. Very few people thought a rival would come along... well it has... and as a rival in some ways it out does it's competition.

I am a collector of Don Giovanni recordings with over 50 in my collection. After one hearing, I knew this was my new favourite, now after at least 10 hearings I am convinced this is a masterpiece recording.

The conductor, Rene Jacobs, takes a fresh look at a well known opera. the tempos are different, the recitatives accompanied in a way that I have never heard and every little change seems to bring life to this great opera. The singers are outstanding. The greatest performances come from the two lead men, Lorenzo Ragazzo as Leporello is incredible, a true virtuoso singer, and an incredible singer actor. His voice is dark but always full of life with a full palate of colours at his disposal. Johannes Weisser, the 26 year old Norwegian baritone, as Don Giovanni is perfect for the role. His voice is yet to develop fully, and although there are times were he doesn't sound entirely suited to the part, his youthful energy, and his vocal acting, really bring something interesting to the character. His voice at times, has a tenorish timbre, which is expected of such as young baritone, and his sections with Regazzo sound fantastic with the blend of light and dark. Hearing a young man singing this role is great, instead of the older singers who take on the role, you believe that this young man could actually be this 'licentious young nobleman'... a sex crazed, socialite who will woo any woman, just to add them to his list. Other great performances come from Kenneth Tarver as Ottavio and Pendatchanska as Elvira.

This recording is a must for anyone who loves Mozart, or wants to experience this great opera for the first time.

Much has already been said on this recording. I will mention two things that cause me to qualify my recommendation.

First, if you download this album either here or through iTunes, you will NOT get the appendices. Big deal? Well, if you say no, you will have a Giovanni without Il mio tesoro. That's sad, to me.

Also, the Donna Anna is the killer for me. She sounds completely tired in her big arias; so tired, that she seems she won't make it to the end. And her arias are highlights of any performance.

Otherwise, I love Jacobs's approach to Mozart; the over-fussy fortepiano I don't mind; I also think the opera works well dramatically, although the final scene is rather anti-climactic for me. The highlight comes instead in the first act, and in its finale.

Download with care, though; I wish I had purchased the set.

I love Don Giovanni, have seen it in Vienna, New York, Milano, Santa Fe and others through the last 35 years.
I have listened to many fine recordings, ( Giulini - my favorite ) until this last recording from maestro Rene Jacobs. I'm not going to review this recording in detail as I'm lost for words, all I can say is that I felt as if I am listening to a new found opera by Mozart, sounds and musical expressions I never heard before ( even the recitatives are amazingly musical and captivating ) the drama, the humor, the voices, the interpretation, the orchestra and especialy the conducting: a masterpiece in every way. 100 STARS

Other reviewrs have commented on this new Don Giovanni in depth, so I have no new information to provide. I can only say that I was bowled over by Jacobs' freshness and insight. For a conductor to re-invent a masterpiece is a rare accomplishment, and I didn't anticipate that here. I wasn't among the legions of admirers for Jacobs' other Mozart opera sets. But here he lights sparks. Hardly a bar of music goes by without an original touch that seems perfectly right, and the many embellishments are delightful. This msut be the only Don Giovanni on disc where the recitatives are just as compelling as the musical numbers -- the drama crackles and the accompaniments move like lightning.

Many have commented on the benefit of having such a young libertine Don (Weisser's baritone sounds as edgy and angry as Masetto's), but I also greatly appreciated that the Leporello sounds like a peasant, in fitting contrast to his aristocratic master. The women are dazzling without exception. My only caveats are two: the improvised recitatives for the fortepiano (not the harpsichord) are so elbaorate that they constitute new compositions, entertaining but not from Mozart's pen, and the emphasis on dramatic momentum at times robs the opera of needed repose and emotional reflection. In all, however, a triumph and a great surprise.

I just received this recording two days ago and I can't put it down. Let me start by saying I own one other recording (Harnoncourt with Gruberova and Hampson) and I thought that was a splendid recording. Now Im sold on Rene Jacobs. The highlight of this set is Rene Jacobs and the Freibruger Barockorchester. Absolute madness. I could not believe all the stuff I heard going on the orchestra. They create the right atmosphere and to support the title of my review, I felt as though I was sitting right next to Mozart himself, right there in the pit, I guess turning pages or something, because I certainly wasn't playing first violin.

The singers are all first rate. I was hoping for somemore heft and ressonance from the Commendatore and of course Alexandrina Pendatchanska as Donna Elvira is my favourite, a true tragicomic as Jacobs explains the character. I think her obsession with Don Giovanni is absolutely hillarious and sad at the same time. Suhae Im as Zerlina, I thought was a bit too light at first but she later grew on me. She has a strong sense of the text and creating fun and drama. Ragazzo as Leporello is totally suited to the role and Nikolay Borchev as Masetto can be compared to any modern day newly wed threatened by a rival 'heart-throb' like Weisser.

Jacobs was very wise in selecting Weisser for the title role with his bright, arrogant, vain baritone,(and I mean that in a very good way) which often sounded like a tenor. He brought a much needed energy to the role. Leporello, obviously older, felt exhausted in scenes with the Don and this is very realistic of such a pair. A young, carefree Cassanova and his older servant who just cant seem to keep up, however has no other choice but to hang around. To protect him or same him from himself I guess? Who can tell.

I had a little problem with Olga Pasichnyk as Donna Anna. I couldn't tell wheather or not she wanted to be a lyric soprano or a dramatic soprano, however, after repeated listenings, I found that she was just suited to the role. I mean, an aristocratic lady like herself, just witnessing the death of her father and torn between avenging his death and marrying her fiance, she would be abit stressed. Its a time when restraint and properness was essential amoungst the nobility. But she did sing abit under the note especially in Osai chi lanore. Finally, my buddy Kenneth Tarver. Well I must say, I was abit torn when I saw his photo in the booklet. Let me explain, I always thought Id be the black tenor that Rene Jacobs would select to sing his Don Ottavio. Seriously, a beautiful voice and I feel further encouraged to stick to the Mozart roles that I so enjoy. Mr. Tarver you are a true inspiration for an aspiring tenor like myself. Hopefully when Mr. Jacobs and Harmonia Mundi do their Die Entfürung aus dem Serail, Id be Pedrillo to your Belmonte. With that, Im looking forward to the rest of the Mozart operatic catalog that Im sure Rene Jacobs is working on.