Don Giovanni

Dmitri Mitropoulos, Conductor

Cesare Siepi, Fernando Correna, Elisabeth Grümmer, Lisa della Casa, Léopold Simoneau
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Librettist: Lorenzo da Ponte

Mitropoulos's Don Giovanni, recorded live in 1956 at the Salzburg Festival, is a leading candidate for my favorite recording of that opera. The cast and musicians are superb, and the performance sparkles with the intensity you only find in live performances.

Cesare Siepi is one of my favorite Dons. His voice is wonderfully rich in tone and seems very well-suited to the material. After listening to this CD I understand why he is considered by many to be the quintessential Don. You don't want to miss this performance.

Lisa della Casa gives a very moving performance as Donna Elvira; she has both nice vocal expression and a lovely voice. I would rate her as my second or third favorite Elvira, after Te Kanawa and about even with Schwarzkopf.

Elisabeth Grümmer is a pleasing Donna Anna, bringing warmth and life to the character. She's much more into the role than Sutherland, which I like.

So far, Léopold Simoneau is my favorite Don Ottavio on CD. He puts enough emotion in the part to make it human, but his real strength is his absolutely awe-inspiring technique. It must be heard to be believed. Wow.

Fernando Correna is a great Leporello. He has a good handle on the comedy of the role but doesn't fall into the trap of becoming a buffoon. Another great voice.

Mitropoulos's tempi were startling the first time I heard them, because they are in some cases drastically slower than the later Giulini recording. However, once my mind adjusted to the speed I actually liked it, especially with such a beautifully voiced cast. It sounds as if the singers and the orchestra are savoring each note. Mitropoulos takes a more controlled pace than Giulini, but he holds the score together masterfully. Only one point in the piece stuck out as being a bit slow - the entrance of Don Giovanni and Donna Anna in the opening scene. It seems to me that these few bars need to be faster in order to build some tension. However, this spot is only noticeable for a space of literally about 5 seconds, so it's a very, very minor issue. Throughout the rest of the recording, I found that I enjoyed the slightly stretched, less frantic sound of the slower tempi.

This recording has an incredibly warm and vibrant sound to it, partly because it is live but also because of its talented performers. I opt for this one over the Giulini if I am in a relaxed mood. Highly reccomended.

Originally Reviewed:

13-Apr-03