by Steven Pisano
In Michael Grandage's production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni now playing at the Metropolitan Opera, the snarling balls of flame that rocket up from the stage as the unrepentant title character is dragged down writhing and screaming into the bowels of Hell are so blisteringly hot that I felt the heat sear my face at the back of the Grand Tier.
At first, you think: The cad got what he deserved. He’s not a nice guy. But then, you almost immediately have second thoughts. Oh, is he charming! Oh, is he suave! You hate him, but you love him too. And the fact that you love such a reprehensible rogue can make your stomach a little queasy. But be honest: You’re also sort of going to miss the guy. He is so entertaining!
It’s sticky moral ground these days to sympathize with a rake like the Don, whose “seductions” would today land him in some pretty hot water. When the Don's servant Leporello sings the “Catalog Aria” listing all of Don Giovanni’s conquests, there are over 2000 women, from young to old, poor to rich, across five different countries. It doesn't take much effort to imagine that all across Europe, this oversexed bounder has left behind a swath of angry people, despite his charms.
Don Giovanni remains one of the greatest operas (and my own personal favorite) because it is so roundly human in the way its story is told in the libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, not to mention the limitless glories of Mozart's music. And when you couple such a rich story with the Met’s stellar orchestra, the New York Philharmonic’s Alan Gilbert at the podium, and a great cast, the result is magical.
Baritone Peter Mattei has sung Don Giovanni many times over the years. He swaggers around the stage as if he is untouchable, and yet, you can’t help but feel that around any corner, justice will present itself and right all his wrongs. Mattei has a firm and powerful voice which, like a muscle, he can tense up to give an aria a punch, or he can relax to wrap lovingly around a phrase.
South African soprano Elza van den Heever (Donna Anna) makes the stage her own in every scene she is in. She sings with such a rich, clear and commanding voice that you sit up a little straighter in your seat. After her performances here at the Met, she heads to Zurich and back to her home in France. She is so delightful to watch and listen to; if you don't have plans yet this summer, she might be a good reason to book that trip to Europe.
And if you are looking for a little scampish tomfoolery, Luca Pisaroni as the servant Leporello is your man. Half wanting to protect his master, half growing exasperated by his master’s increasing recklessness in pursuit of women, Leporello wants to be Don Giovanni but he is also repulsed by him. Still, Pisaroni wins us into his confidence – in effect winking from the stage – and we trust his wit and his common sense.
Among other standouts was soprano Emma Bell as the lovelorn Donna Elvira, who seemed confused about whether she should tear out her old lover’s heart or run back into his embrace. Kate Lindsey (Zerlina) and James Morris (Il Commendatore) sing their parts with assurance. Dmitry Korchak (Don Ottavio) and Adam Plachetka (Masetto) round out the principal cast, in roles not as showy or multi-dimensional as the others.
The Metropolitan Opera orchestra, as usual, proves itself one of the most reliable orchestras in the business. I almost wouldn’t have minded if the curtain stayed closed and I just leaned back and listened to them play.
Tickets are still available for all performances.
(All photos by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera.)