The current Metropolitan Opera production of Mozart’s masterpiece Don Giovanni has had a troubled existence. When it debuted in 2011, some of the words critics used to describe it were “timid” and “dreary”. New York Times music critic Zachary Woolfe went as far as to say that the Met should be ashamed of it.
Now the famed opera about the legendary seducer is back for a third run. It’s clear that Met Opera's general director Peter Gelb really wants to make this production work. With a new cast and conductor, it is of course not the exact same Don Giovanni that was so reviled a few years back. The music and singing are outstanding, and the acting ranges from pretty good to wonderful. And of course it’s one of Mozart’s greatest scores.
This time maestro Alan Gilbert is at the podium. Gilbert recently announced that he will be departing New York Philharmonic in 2017, and he was warmly greeted with appreciative cheers Monday evening as he made his appearance in the pit. The overture was wonderfully played and expressively led. Musically this is a very fine Don Giovanni, both from the singers onstage and the musicians below.
The staging by British director Michael Grandage is about as dull as can be, and there can be no doubt that this was one of the major problems when this version made its debut four years ago. The same rather uninteresting set stands for nearly the entire opera: several stories of balconies on a huge curved wall. The singers either pop out of the balcony doors like Ruth Buzzi and Goldie Hawn or they just wander around the flat stage in front of this structure.
However, the current cast does a great job of injecting humor and genuine characterization into their roles. Peter Mattei captured all of the wit of the sly rake Giovanni while clearly showing his unrepentant, lustful personality. His singing was magical, especially in quieter moments such as “Deh vieni alla finestra” (Oh come to the window). He was dynamic; his voice ranged from full and bold to some of the softest singing I have ever heard at the Met. The great baritone James Morris was powerful as the vengeful Commendatore and eerily menacing during the climax as the statue of the dead man come to life.
Bass-Baritone Luca Pisaroni was delightful as the comical Leporello, Giovanni’s long-suffering servant. It’s a crowd-pleasing role, and Pisaroni, with his rich, mellow voice, played it to the hilt without ever hamming it up as some Leporellos are wont to do. Sopranos Emma Bell and Elza van den Heever were both in fine form. Tenor Dmitry Korchak’s Don Ottavio was good as well, if a bit restrained. I was especially enchanted by mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey and bass-baritone Adam Plachetka as Zerlina and Masetto, respectively. Their relationship as the comical young lovers was delightful; the chemistry between them was funny and moving. Zerlina is my favorite Lindsey performance yet, and Plachetka, in his Met debut, drew laughs and applause.
The staging of the opera’s hellish climax was disappointing, both cheesy and dull at the same time. But Gilbert, Mattei and Morris managed to keep the atmosphere and feeling of dread going despite this; the tension in the music was quite powerful and ultimately cathartic. The audience clearly enjoyed themselves, rewarding nearly all of the singers with bravos and cheers during the curtain call. Great music and fine performances have gone a long way in rescuing the production from its poor staging and making this Don Giovanni an enjoyable night at the opera.
