Customer Reviews
Wonderful Met production but the Don does not frighten us - By: Jorge Fernandez Baca, 15 Jul 2005 
This is one of the best versions of Mozart's masterpiece presently available in DVD. Its greatest attraction is obviously the presence of Renée Fleming & Bryn Terfel. Ms Fleming's interpretation of Donna Anna is truly exceptional: the candor & purity of her voice make a perfect expression of the pain & suffering of that noble woman who's father has been killed by the man who tried to rape her. Bryn Terfel is undoubtely a great singer, but he is not a credible Don Giovanni. His voice lacks that touch of evil that makes of the Don the seductor that everybody admires & fears at the same time, speciallly when he seduces Zerlina & sings below Donna Elvira's balcony. Mr. Terfel's physical appearance is the other factor that prevents us from believing that he can make harm every person that surrounds him. He is obliged to replace body movements with grimaces. I would have liked much better in the role of Leporello, instead of Furlanetto, who is still a great singer (I saw him last year at the Met playing Mustafa in L'Italiana in Algieri) but he is not anymore the memorable servant who accompanied Samuel Ramey & Thomas Allen in those legendary recordings (also available in DVD). He has reallly let himself go during the last ten years not only phisicallly (he has gained much weight) but his voice is not the same that we admired during the late eighties. Solveig Kringelborn is a gorgeous Donna Elvira: her beauty, her voice & her acting make us believe that she is reallly in love with the devil & wants to rescue him from hell. Paul Groves is great as Don Octavio & the same can be said about Hei-Yung Hong as Zerlina. I was surprised to see John Relyea as Massetto. He was acclaimed at he Met this year for his role of Figaro in Le Nozze. Is a big surprise to see such a good singer in this role. Here you can appreciate him in his beginnings.The sound & image are excellent (this comment goes for the german DVD) & the orchestra is superbly conducted by James Levine. Can we ask for more? Maybe a more aggresive Don Giovanni & a younger Leporello.
Wonderful Met production but the Don does not frighten us - By: Jorge Fernandez Baca, 15 Jul 2005 This is one of the best versions of Mozart's masterpiece presently available in DVD. Its greatest attraction is obviously the presence of Renée Fleming & Bryn Terfel. Ms Fleming's interpretation of Donna Anna is truly exceptional: the candor & purity of her voice make a perfect expression of the pain & suffering of that noble woman who's father has been killed by the man who tried to rape her. Bryn Terfel is undoubtely a great singer, but he is not a credible Don Giovanni. His voice lacks that touch of evil that makes of the Don the seductor that everybody admires & fears at the same time, speciallly when he seduces Zerlina & sings below Donna Elvira's balcony. Mr. Terfel's physical appearance is the other factor that prevents us from believing that he can make harm every person that surrounds him. He is obliged to replace body movements with grimaces. I would have liked much better in the role of Leporello, instead of Furlanetto, who is still a great singer (I saw him last year at the Met playing Mustafa in L'Italiana in Algieri) but he is not anymore the memorable servant who accompanied Samuel Ramey & Thomas Allen in those legendary recordings (also available in DVD). He has reallly let himself go during the last ten years not only phisicallly (he has gained much weight) but his voice is not the same that we admired during the late eighties. Solveig Kringelborn is a gorgeous Donna Elvira: her beauty, her voice & her acting make us believe that she is reallly in love with the devil & wants to rescue him from hell. Paul Groves is great as Don Octavio & the same can be said about Hei-Yung Hong as Zerlina. I was surprised to see John Relyea as Massetto. He was acclaimed at he Met this year for his role of Figaro in Le Nozze. Is a big surprise to see such a good singer in this role. Here you can appreciate him in his beginnings.The sound & image are excellent & the orchestra is superbly conducted by James Levine. Can we ask for more? Maybe a more aggresive Don Giovanni & a younger Leporello.
Mozart would have been proud - By: Robert Petersen, 21 May 2005 
This performance of Don Giovanni from the MET is probably the best version I have encountered on DVD & I can recommend it wholeheartedly. There are many versions on DVD to choose from, each with their own merits. However, you will not find a version so finely staged, sung or conducted. Terfel as the Don is a real rogue, with the eyes & voice to match. Furlanetto as his sidekick (a Don himself) acquits himself with disctinction, repeating an excellent performance seen earlier with Karajan from 1987. Fleming offers a vivid & exciting performance as Anna with no mannerisms in the singing. Kringelborn's strong voice contrasts well with Fleming as Elvira, reminding me of Schwarzkopf in her youth. The remainder of the cast is strong vocallly. The production by Franco Zeffirelli is well conceived. Mozart would have been proud. What more can I say?
