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Virginia Opera's production of Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' |
By LUCIA ANDERSON
FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR
With eight gorgeous voices, a fascinating set and brilliant direction, Virginia Opera's production of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" is a smashing success.
"Giovanni" has been called Mozart's greatest opera, and not without reason. The music is simply glorious--weaving through duets, quartets and sextets, cascading through stunning arias.
This is one you can be blown away by just sitting and listening with your eyes closed. When beautiful costumes and clever staging are added, it's hard to beat.
The story is that of the lustful Don Giovanni, notorious for loving and leaving hundreds of women across Europe (and Turkey). In an unsuccessful attempt to bed the virtuous Donna Anna, he manages to kill her father in a duel, thus setting the stage for his eventual downfall.
On the way to his just desserts he runs into a woman he abandoned earlier, tries to seduce a young peasant girl and ends up playing hide-and-seek with the vengeance-seeking Donna Anna, her fiance Don Ottavio, the rejected Donna Elvira and the peasant girl's enraged fiance.
Accompanying him through this whirlwind is his more-or-less faithful servant Leporello, the clear comic relief in all the drama.
The cast is wonderful. Bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs has great fun with Leporello, a role that calls for considerable vocal acrobatics. He's also a gifted actor. Matthew Worth's Giovanni is smooth and persuasive, while Cristina Nassif provides vocal fireworks as Donna Elvira.
Sarah Jane McMahon sings the role of Zerlina, the peasant girl, with a voice like honey. Nicolle Foland and Chad A. Johnson give accomplished performances as Donna Anna and Don Ottavio, respectively, while Nathan Stark is masterful as the shade of Anna's father in the final retribution scene.
This cast will be onstage this weekend at Richmond's Carpenter Theatre. The performance reviewed here took place last week, at George Mason University's Center for the Arts Concert Hall.
Director Lillian Groag, who can enliven even stodgy baroque operas, is in fine form with "Giovanni." Her comic touches add considerably to the opera's charm.
Scenic designer Erhard Rom's set features as a backdrop a huge rose, which changes color with Mark McCullough's lighting design as the mood of the scene shifts--glaring crimson for seduction, gray for death, lavender for young love, blue-gray for pain, etc.
Striking.
Conductor Joseph Walsh and members of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra produce a spirited effort from the pit, managing tempo and volume to maximum effect.
If you're at all fond of opera, this is one to see. And if you don't know if you're fond of opera, this is definitely one to see.
Lucia Anderson is a freelance writer living in Woodbridge.
