# Don Giovanni Live in HD telecast from the MET



## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

What did you think of the recent live in HD telecast of Don Giovanni from the Met?

Was it just me or did they water down the recitatives? Like make them shorter or something? Anyhow I think it was fantastic! It made the action very fast paced.


Only drawbacks were I think Marius Kwiecien and Luca Pisaronni were rather weak as Giovanni and Leporello, which, should never be the case in Don Giovanni. They are the stars, they should shine. This however allowed me to more fully appreciate Don Otavio's arias as sung by Ramon Vargas... he was outstanding. Best Don Otavio I've ever heard.

The rest of the cast was fantastic also, including il Comendatore, which so often gets performed by so called renouned bases, but the performance last saturday oct 29 by Stefan Kocán really puts the rest to shame.

What are your thoughts?

One more thing.... i hate to nitpick... but i think the performance of the overture was rather weak too. It wasn't crisp. It almost had the feel of being sight read, which may or may not be what the conductor was aiming for. It is alleged that Mozart had completed the score for the overture only on oct 28, 1787, one day before the premiere, and the orchestra was if not sight reading on opening night, performing with very little rehearsal time of the overture. During the interview with Renee Fleming one singer indicated that this was a 'period' or 'traditional' production, maybe he was aluding to the intentional 'under-rehearsing' of the overture. Who knows....

Also did anyone else notice the trombone being cut short in the graveyard scene? There was also one other scene, I can't remember which, where the oboe or clarinet part seemed to have been left out completely, for at least a bar or two. (Sorry folks I'm just so familiar with this opera that I notice every little detail!)


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## hutchscott (May 13, 2011)

Now that you mention it, I'll be sure to watch the Encore performance later this month.


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## AmericanGesamtkunstwerk (May 9, 2011)

I've never actually sat down and hat a proper Don Giovanni... I was kind of thinking of going to the encore next week. Is this like a bad choice to be first production? Although, no matter how good a dvd is, it never compares to even a second-rate production when you're in a proper theater...


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## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

no this is not a bad choice at all. a bad first production, for me, anyway, not only my first don giovanni but my first live opera.... was done by minnesota opera on tour with 5 electronic synthesizers in the pit, horrible acting, stage directions, and singing. 

This current production by the met is actually a great production, all I'm saying is, if you do go and see this one, don't think to yourself that this is the best as it gets.... You definately should hear don giovanni and leporello performed by the greatest established baritones at least once in your life.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

obwan said:


> no this is not a bad choice at all. a bad first production, for me, anyway, not only my first don giovanni but my first live opera.... was done by minnesota opera on tour with 5 electronic synthesizers in the pit, horrible acting, stage directions, and singing.
> 
> This current production by the met is actually a great production, all I'm saying is, if you do go and see this one, don't think to yourself that this is the best as it gets.... You definately should hear don giovanni and leporello performed by *the greatest established baritones at least once in your life*.


Who would be?.....


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## hutchscott (May 13, 2011)

Why, I'm guessing Bryn Terfyl and his sidekick Leporello from the production out on DVD that I really liked?


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Sherrill Milnes!!


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## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

Well Bryn Terfyl is a great Baritone, but I still like Ferrucio Furlanetto in the part of Leporello even better.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Well, I've just come back from the broadcast here and I though Kwiecen and particularly Pisaroni were FANTASTIC, and had one of the most convincing and engaged relationships I've seen. An example: just as DG went to give the Commendatore his hand, he turned to Leporello and patted his cheek in quite a tender goodbye, acknowledging his impending doom in such a human way. 

I agree that Vargas was also excellent.

This was my daughter's first DG, and I thought the production was OK for beginners, no surprises but nothing puzzling. But what was with the lighting? Was it just so dark in the cinema? Like something from La Scala in the 80s!


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## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

This is what Leporrello is supposed to sound like:


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

obwan said:


> This is what Leporrello is supposed to sound like:


Yes, that's very good too. But the joy of opera is that there is not just one way of doing things. There is room for lots of interpretations and voice types. And of course we all have our own preferences and idiosyncrasies.


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## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

mamascarlatti said:


> Yes, that's very good too. But the joy of opera is that there is not just one way of doing things. There is room for lots of interpretations and voice types. And of course we all have our own preferences and idiosyncrasies.


No. Seriously. He's like the Carusso of baritones. And, well, Kwiecen and Terfel and them others, aren't.


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## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

Oh and I recall the recording of 19something of acadamey of st martin in the fields conducting Thomas Allen as one of the best renditions of Don Giovanni ever. I'm posting this in reply to the person who suggested Bryn Terfel as a great baritone, who certainly isn't bad, but this guy Allen is one of the best i've heard.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Here's the deal. I hate dogmatic pronouncements that "This is the only one who is worth listening to". It is reductionist in the worst way, and disrespectful to all the fine artists currently working to bring opera to todays' audiences. It would also be very boring - only one accepted voice or interpretation, no thanks

Ultimately these things come down often to personal preference, although of course it is possible to debate the quality of the singer's technique and interpretation.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

I agree with Natalie's point of view.

In fact, it's the only one worth listening to.


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## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

so now its a crime to compare baritones to Carrusso? If you step back you will actually see that it is you and amfortas that is being disrespectful. That is all I have to say.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Sherrill Milnes

:devil:


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

obwan said:


> so now its a crime to compare baritones to Carrusso? If you step back you will actually see that it is you and amfortas that is being disrespectful. That is all I have to say.


Guess I'm an edited afterthought now. Story of my life.

obwan, can we all just agree that people have different opinions? It's fine to express your enthusiasm for particular singers, but if you imply that anyone holding other views is flat-out wrong, you have to expect a bit of pushback.

Anyway, it's a discussion forum, so we don't have to agree. I hope, though, that we can all get along.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I have to say that I restrained myself immensely in what I said. More was edited out than expressed.

While I appreciate that you are very (and justifiably) enthusiastic about Furlanetto, I simply don't like to be told that there is only one interpretation worth listening to, and that you are right (with no argument or explanation or justification why), with the implication that I am totally wrong and stupid if I don't agree.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

sospiro said:


> Sherrill Milnes
> 
> :devil:


More of a Don Giovanni, wouldn't you say?

To which I reply

_Ruggero Raimondi _


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> More of a Don Giovanni, wouldn't you say?
> 
> To which I reply
> 
> _Ruggero Raimondi _


I'd lost track of the discussion so I just said Sherrill Milnes anyway. Now's *he's* Carrusso (sic) of baritones.

But HA call Raimondi the Carrusso (sic) of basses?? I spit on your choice.

*Samuel Ramey* is the Carrusso (sic) of basses.

End of story, thread can be closed now. :devil:


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

sospiro said:


> I'd lost track of the discussion so I just said Sherrill Milnes anyway. Now's *he's* Carrusso (sic) of baritones.
> 
> But HA call Raimondi the Carrusso (sic) of basses?? I spit on your choice.
> 
> *Samuel Ramey* is the Carrusso (sic) of basses.


(_Exaggerated Italian accent_) You know naaathing. Raimondi is the Carrusso (sic) of bass-baritones.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

I'm getting (sic) of this conversation.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

Back on track. I thought Marius Kwiecien (sp? sue me, I never can spell Polish) was marvelous as the Don, ready for a roll in the hay with number 1,004 and dramatically and vocally impeccable. I first noticed him in the Live from the Met Lucia a couple of years ago with the ill-suited Anna Netrebko, his "Cruda, funesta smania" was a revelation, best singing in the entire performance.

Sorry Netrebko lovers, she is just too guarded with her high notes for a coloratura. But I digress.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> (_Exaggerated Italian accent_) You know naaathing. Raimondi is the Carrusso (sic) of bass-baritones.


:lol:

But Samuel is the Carrusso (sic) of hunks.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

Barelytenor said:


> Sorry Netrebko lovers, she is just too guarded with her high notes for a coloratura. But I digress.


Yes, although lately her fioratura skillz have improved a lot. Her Lucia, although very dramatically effective, was rather badly sung. But the high notes in the Anna Bolena she did this autumn were glorious!


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