Customer Reviews

Mozart - Don Giovanni / Terfel, Fleming, Kringelborn, Furlanetto, Hong, Groves, Koptchak, Levine, Metropolitan Opera

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

 

 

Before reviewing this product, I will explain briefly the sorts of priorities I place on certain aspects of any production of Don Giovanni. First of all, the Don Giovanni must not be played sympathetically, or he is dragged off to Hell purely out of tradition. A sinister Don Giovanni also tightens the plot, and in the tolerant society of our age, helps us remember to call a rapist a rapist. Second, Leporello must be played as a sympathetic human being, as is indicated in da Ponte's libretto. If Leporello is too much of a clown, we lose the wonderful complexity of the relationship between him and his master, as well as the only dynamic character in the opera. Third, Donna Elvira must not be overlooked in the casting and production, but treated as being no less important than Donna Anna. Fourth, one should be able to not hate Donna Anna and Don Ottavio, as it is easy to make these characters boring. I am not saying that these things are or should be a priority for every opera lover; they make up much of the basis on which I personally judge a production of Don Giovanni.

All of these requirements are not only met, but surpassed in this production.

Bryn Terfel is precisely what Don Giovanni should be--a prideful, selfish human being who takes no one besides himself seriously. His wicked smile as he idly watches the dying Commendatore is chilling. Nevertheless, he is nothing close to conventional evil. Rather, he seems like a very deep lake, only the surface of which is seen. In spite of being impenetrable, or more accurately incomprehensible, he is unquestionably evil. This is evident in the way he treats nearly everyone, especially Donna Elvira and, even more, Leporello. His treatment of his servant is unkind at first glance, despicable upon closer examination, as in his pride he will not allow his servant even a shred of dignity. The portrayal of this most complex relationship is the most thought-out one I have ever seen.

Terfel's most striking performance comes at the end, when the Commendatore comes to dinner. Here, Don Giovanni appears to believe himself at the level of God. This, then, is the ultimate test, therefore the ultimate conquest, his greatest hour, when he could not be defeated even by God, only killed. His fate is the same regardless, and even as he is dragged into Hell, he shows no regret, only a fierce anger, as if his punishment is unjust (and, in this portrayal, it most certainly is not).

Even the best of singers can give a poor performance, but Terfel delivers wonderfully in this production. His "Deh vieni alla finestra"--the one truly lovely aria Don Giovanni has--is glorious, his duet with Zerlina as seductive musically as it is dramatically.

Ferruccio Furlanetto is less animated than he once was, tends to speak or shout the notes a little more often than I should like. Amazingly enough, he is still the best Leporello I have ever seen, and in fact IS Leporello for me. Every sarcastic comment is right on the mark, every comic moment is played without being completely ridiculous. Admittedly, he was better at the role when he was younger, but he still completely sells the character, balancing Leporello's complex feelings about Don Giovanni, as well as those about Donna Elvira, with whom he obviously sympathizes even as he nearly laughs at her. A great moment one must not overlook is his expression as Don Giovanni forgives him for speaking out against his master's lifestyle early in the first act--he looks utterly disappointed with himself at letting Don Giovanni turn the tables on him, in a way that suggests that this is not the first time this has happened. In spite of playing Leporello as a character rather than a caricature, he retains Leporello's many fears, especially his fear of his master, which is perhaps the greatest of all of them. His voice is big and juicy as ever, and he and Terfel sound great together during their duets, even if Terfel is, alas, slightly off on the timing of "Eh via buffone."

Solveig Kringelborn is a fiery, feminine Elvira who wields an umbrella with deadly purpose. Her facial expressions alone make the performance. She is turbulent, filled from top to toe with righteous indignation, and slightly dangerous (the umbrella is pointy). In spite of being somewhat comical at times (intentionally so), she is sympathetic, conflicted, vulnerable, and wholly in love. This is the first Donna Elvira I have seen who was so completely devoted to the part, as though this was the role she truly wanted to play even if Donna Anna gets all the glory. She has a lovely voice, and sings "Mi tradi"--one of my favorite arias of any opera--with heart. On top of all this, she is a strikingly beautiful woman. Don Giovanni must truly be heartless to scorn her.

Renee Fleming is one of my favorite sopranos, and certainly my favorite Donna Anna. Her Donna Anna is not a helpless, angelic innocent, but a very complex, intelligent woman of a different sort than Elvira. Donna Anna is inconsolably grieved in the opera, so inconsolable that she often comes across as whiny. Fleming's Anna is completely believable, as guilt-ridden as grieved, as though she feels responsible in part for her father's death. She even distances herself from the utterly devoted Don Ottavio, leaning over his to kiss him, then pulling away at the last possible second to kiss him on the forehead instead just before entering the fast section of her aria "Non mi dir," her eyes stricken with something undefinable at that moment. Of course Fleming's voice is divine, and her vocal performance is wonderful.

Paul Groves plays the only Don Ottavio I have ever liked, let alone loved. His Ottavio is slightly conflicted, but ultimately a kind, gentle, and genuine man of the noble, righteous sort, as opposite Don Giovanni as possible, but still with some personality (he sarcastically spits out his "Si, signore!" in the finale of the first act, mocking the manner in which Don Giovanni sneers his name). If no one else in this production is truly and deeply in love, it is Don Ottavio. His voice is beautiful, and he sings a wonderfully soothing "Dalla sua pace." Unfortunately, he goes flat on a single note in "Sola, sola in buio loco," evident only because he is singing in unison with Donna Anna.

Hei-Kyung Hong's Zerlina is delightfully playful and quite innocent without being totally naive. Her "Batti, batti" is very cheeky, her "Vedrai carino" very seductive but gentle. She has several standout moments. In "La ci darem la mano," the very instant when she gives in is evident. Her reaction to her near-rape is wonderful, as she covers her face with her bound hands and appears unable to speak as Masetto desperately tries to soothe her. She has a sweet voice which tends to straight-tone as times.

Masetto is John Relyea, who plays the character as a young, slightly hotheaded man who is, in spite of the noise he makes, completely twisted around Zerlina's little finger (and I think he likes it). He is a very convincing actor, and a very human Masetto. Most pleasing of all is his voice, a full and rich baritone, although his only opportunity to have the music all to himself is in his short, overlooked aria in the first act. He does not play the role as though he only has one aria (all the other principle characters have at least two, with the exception of the Commendatore, who is rarely on stage), but is instead a very strong, unashamed Masetto.

Sergei Koptchak's Commendatore begins as a surprisingly complete old man character and ends as a messenger from Heaven. His voice, while not at all unpleasant, is perhaps a tad weak for the "Don Giovanni, a cenar teco m'invitasti" scene at the end, but the production more than makes up for it, as the scene is powerfully acted, directed, and sung.

If I could, I would review everything in the production in detail--the individual scenes and costumes, the nuances in each aria, but there is no time. James Levine's conducting is, as usual, impeccable. The set is wonderful, and the props are used creatively. The costumes are gorgeous (I cannot help but drool over Donna Elvira's second-act gown). Every scene is marvelously acted and directed. There simply is not a weak link in this production, and it wants for nothing. The DVD itself has minimal special features, nothing to write home about, but the picture is excellent, as is the sound. I cannot recommend this DVD more highly. In fact, I advise that anyone with an interest in this opera buy it as a reference performance. I actually find something new every time I watch it.

This performance of Don Giovanni from the MET is probably the best version I have encountered on DVD and I can recommend it wholeheartedly. There are many versions on DVD to choose from, each with their own merits. However, you will not find a version so finely staged, sung or conducted. Terfel as the Don is a real rogue, with the eyes and voice to match. Furlanetto as his sidekick (a Don himself) acquits himself with disctinction, repeating an excellent performance seen earlier with Karajan from 1987. Fleming offers a vivid and exciting performance as Anna with no mannerisms in the singing. Kringelborn's strong voice contrasts well with Fleming as Elvira, reminding me of Schwarzkopf in her youth. The remainder of the cast is strong vocally. The production by Franco Zeffirelli is well conceived. Mozart would have been proud. What more can I say?

To say one loves Mozart is like confessing one enjoys breathing: it is implicit in your continued presence above ground. How does one describe someone even Albert Einstein considered superior? Beethoven, after listening to Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, remarked: "The likes of us will never get ideas like that!" He realized that Mozartean perfection and beauty were a dead end, incapable of reproduction.

Which leads us to Mozart's greatest work! It is almost axiomatic that Don Giovanni is too great a conception to be adequately staged. The Don must be greater than human, worthy of struggling with the forces of heaven and hell on some vast canvas reminiscent of Milton. The staged realization never matches our mental ideal. I have seen at least a dozen different productions over the years and each one fell short. All of them lacked that sense of titanic struggle. The Furtwangler / Siepi Don, available on DVD, comes closest but in a Wagnerian style. This new production reveals a possible solution!

Terfel's Don is a Snake! A lascivious, amoral miscreant; the source of Original Sin in a Spanish Garden of Eden. He isn't just bad. He is Rotten! And as the embodiment of evil - a parody of it, in fact - he is already superhuman at the start. His Don is one of the finest I've seen! Vocally Terfel is in great form. His warm bass-baritone easily projects even when sotto-voce. His "La ci darem la mano" is silky and beautiful. His is (at least for me) one of the best acted Dons as well! At the start of Act two, when Leporello suggests he leave off women, Terfel's double-take will stun you. His face projects forward like the creature in Alien in bug-eyed disbelief. How he does this natural special-effect is beyond me! He is marvelously unrepentant to the end. The final scene is tastefully supernatural; as things get warm for our anti-hero and he rejects morality and religion, we sympathize with his "integrity" if not his deeds. This DVD is worth purchasing for Terfel's performance alone!

Renee Fleming is also in great voice. Donna Anna is a natural fit for her. She inhabits the role elegantly. Her lyrical soprano is buttery and rich, an instrument of beauty in "Non mi dir, bell'idol mio". Solveig Kringelborn as Donna Elvira is the stunning surprise! She is an agent of divine retribution in her rage against the Don. I think she is the finest Elvira I've ever seen! Utterly believable, urgent and meltingly sad simultaneously. Hei-Kyung Hong is a sweet, if slightly lascivious, Zerlina. She has supplanted my all-time favorite in the role, Reri Grist. Ferruccio Furlanetto has made a career of Leporello and is splendid. Paul Groves is a fine Don Ottavio, my candidate for Operatic Dudley Do-right. John Relyea is great as Massetto; his natural openness perfect for the part. Sergei Koptchak as the Commendatore is suitably monumental as the "Stone Guest" who comes to dinner.

James Levine loves this score and it shows. He conducts a beautifully nuanced interpretation of this divine work. The Met Orchestra responds perfectly. The sound is amazingly lifelike in Dolby Digital 5.1 mode, as expected for a 2000 recording. The production, designed in a theatrical fashion by Franco Zeffirelli, is tasteful. Costume Design by Anna Anni (with Principal Costumes by Sylvia Nolan) is a work of art! Lighting is effective in framing the production's varied moods.

If you love Mozart and Opera this DVD is excellent. It is worth getting if you just want to know what all the fuss over Mozart's operas is about. I think it may be a new-born classic: a rare thing in today's endless celebration of vulgar mediocrity.

I have seen this DVD many, many times and it only gets better. The imcomparable Bryn Terfel is an incomparable Giovanni (and I have seen and heard many). His voice is gorgeous, his acting wonderful, and he has an enormous amount of sex appeal, which is necessary for this part. Renee Fleming, as always is divine. But Solveig Kringelborn and Feruccio Furlanetto come close to stealing the show. Kringelborn makes Dona Elvira a much feistier figure than we usually see and she looks lovely in her traveling outfit. Furlanetto, of course, is THE Leporello of this era. He just owns the role. Hei-Kyung Hong and John Relyea are a very good looking couple as Zerlina and Masetto, with outstanding voices. Paul Groves is the only Ottavio I have ever seen who brings a lot of masculine charm to the role. His Ottavio is a true contender for the love of Donna Anna. This performance of an opera I have heard countless times, really knocked me out. It is essential.

I was mesmerized and not least to say, "very impressed"!

From the beginning starting with the overture for "Don Giovanni" to the finale this production of Mozart's most famous and darkest opera was sung to perfection by the entire cast and the instrumental music exceptionally and flawlessly performed by the orchestra.

Filmed at one of the most beautiful, extravagant and famous opera houses in the world (where only the best of the best perform)this particular performance will not only reach the eyes and ears but the heart and soul of every admirer of this great art form.

The orchestra is led by the infamous James Levine at the Metropolitan Opera in NewYork in one of his many what would seem to be, "a perfect interpretation of Mozart's music".

Renee Flemming gives a passionate, heartfelt and powerful performance proving to the audience why she is one of the most famous and sought after Divas in the entire world.

Bryn Terfel gives a grande performance in the leading role as,

"Don Giovanni" not only with his musical talents but also with his character performance as well becoming one of those people you would love to hate.

Paul Groves sings, "Dalla Sua Pace" in what I would say is the most beautiful version I have heard to date.

A standing ovation also to the rest of the cast, the camera men, sound engineers, costume designers, set designers (for their realistic and somewhat haunting stage settings) and to everyone else involved in this wonderful production.

This DVD also has the option of listening to the performance in DTS digital surround sound. English and Italian subtitles are also available.

I would like to end this review with some words of comfort and that is,

"You don't have to worry,this opera does not contain too many notes".

The great thing about opera is that a listener is always being introduced to new, unheard of talent. This dvd is a testament to that fact. La Fleming and Bryn Terfel are outstanding in the lead roles. Terfel's Don Giovanni is a truly deceitful, arrogant and disgusting character. Fleming is solemn and dignified as Donna Anna. Her despair at the murder of her father is palpable and emotionally wringing as she cries out for revenge.
The supporting cast is simply incredible. My favorite was Solveig Kringelborn as the malevolent and nutty Donna Elvira. She has the most endearing facial expressions and is able to transmit her character's rage and grief. Her first act aria demanding revenge against Don Giovanni is the highlight of this performance. Paul Groves as Don Ottavio is a terrific tenor and I wonder why I've never heard of him before. John Relyea as Masetto and Hei-Kyung Hong as Zerlina are a wonderful couple. Both are terrific singers and have delightful chemistry. Ferrucio Furlanetto is Leporello who is not as disgusting as his master but pretty darn close. Overall, an outstanding performance of Don Giovanni and a must-have in your opera collection.

I own 5 other versions of this opera and all have pros and cons. This performance, though, is almost perfect in every way and the best of the lot. Well conducted, beautifully sung, a phenomenal Don and the perfect Leporello, the sets, costumes and lighting add to the performance. The sound and picture are fantastic. Anyone who likes opera, Mozart or The Met should buy this one.

This production of Don Giovanni deserves ten stars. It is wonderful in every detail: sets, costumes, direction, music, singing and acting. The entire ensemble delivered stellar performances. I've seen seven other DVD productions of Don Giovanni and this one is definitely the best. I usually take for granted that the music and singing will be great in opera and I am not so hard to please. So when the acting is also superb, like in this production, I am totally blown away! Every action fit the music and singing.

Bryn Terfel is convincing as the arrogant lecher; his acting fantastic! An example of just one of many great touches in this production: When Giovanni recognizes Elvira and has to look to Leporello to point out her name in the book. He sees the name after a moment's hesitation and then blurts out "Elvira!" This gets a laugh (one of many) from the audience and shows at the outset his truly amoral character. His performance throughout is consistently perfection.

Ferruccio Furlanetto as Leporello has always stolen the show from other Don Giovanni's, but with Bryn Terfel the two have just the right chemistry. His singing was great and acting energetic. In spite of the numerous times he has sung this role, he produced it again with a bona fide freshness.

Renee Fleming as Donna Anna was amazing. Her mastery of Mozart is perfection. I loved it. Paul Groves, who played her Don Ottavio, did a splendid job with this difficult role.

Solveig Kringelborn, new to me, as Donna Elvira played a spurned lover to perfection. Not as emotional as Cecilia Bartoli, who is always over the top, nor as furious as Kiri Te Kanawa, Kringelborn displayed Elvira's misery, confusion and lust beautifully.

Hei-Kyung Hong as Zerlina and John Relyea as Masetto were also major players in this production, fantastic in every detail. Sergie Koptchak as the Commendatore also gets five stars.

Did I mention that this is my favorite so far? I cannot recommend this highly enough. This is the Don Giovanni to watch!

Sorry, but I've seen many live performances of this most-sublime work of western art (including at the theater in Prague at which Mozart conducted its premier in 1787), and in my opinion Terfel's Giovanni is almost unbearable. Come on, Giovanni is the ultimate seducer: smooth, cunning, irresistible. Terfel's interpretation is brutish, as if Giovanni were a rapist. Not!

On the other hand, I like Fleming's Anna and of course Furlanetto's Leporello is definitive. Groves is magnificent, Relyea is wonderful, and Kringelborn, Hong, and Koptchak are great. It's just the title character ... yuk.

To see a truly GREAT (IMHO) all-around performance of Giovanni, look for the Met's 1990 production on youtube (Ramey/Furlanetto/Vaness/Mattila/Hadley/Upshaw/Cokorinos and the ultimate luxury casting, Kurt Moll as il commendatore). Ramey lives the role, period. Vaness is incredible. Mattila, in her Met debut, is fantastic. I love Hadley's Ottavio. And of course there's Furlanetto's master-class Leporello.

Now, Met, why the h**l don't you make this fantastic performance available on DVD? I'd happily pay twice the price of the 2000 DVD for it. Hello -- are you listening?

Dark and brooding like most productions under the baton of James Levine this Don lacks the comedy element that is integral to the comic/tragic nature of Don Giovanni. Levine's hand and Zeffirelli's new set design are just a bit too heavy for the subject matter. After all, Don G. gets dragged off to hell at the end, not the beginning.

Musically this is a wonderful production. For the most part, especially in the overture and in the commendatore scene Levine's Wagnerian treatment works.

Bryn Terfel is my favorite baritone and he doesn't disappoint as the Don. For the first time Don Giovanni is a character who I do NOT sympathize with and I feel he gets what he deserves.

Ferrucio Furlanetto, who as someone pointed out was once the Don himself, is to Leporello what Fiorenza Cossotto was to Azucena. I mean he was born for this role.

Hei-Kyung Hong was the standout surprise as Zerlina, the best I've ever seen, while John Relyea does well in the thankless role of Masetto. Solveig Kringelborn gives an excellent performance as Donna Elvira and Sergei Koptchak has a bass quality that I like, but I'm not sure everyone will, as the Commendatore.

The disappointments were Paul Groves and Renee Fleming. Groves voice and performance is just a little too weak and doesn't measure up with the other cast members. Lest it be Fleming whose voice is in my opinion the best since Sutherland and whose acting ability the worst of any diva alive(or dead for that matter). I don't know if she can't act or won't act, but to me it looks like she wants to get paid and leave. Watching her and knowing the kind of singing she's capable of makes me sick.

It's very hard to get a perfect Don Giovanni, especially at the Met where casting is done years in advance, but this is as close as it gets nowadays. Very solid except for a couple of bumps in the road.