I never quite understood those who call Mozart's "Don Giovanni" a perfect opera. Nor do I totally agree with the 20th-century composer-critic Virgil Thomson, who once described this ghost-story-cum-morality-tale as "the world's greatest opera and the world's greatest parody of opera."

"Don Giovanni" has stayed in the repertoire ever since its 1787 creation, which has been a part of its problem. In addition to there being two versions of it (what we usually hear today are clobbered-together versions from the Prague and Vienna premieres), this "dramma giocoso", or jocular drama, developed a distortingly dark and tragic veneer in the 19th century. Further complicating matters is that many directors and performers can't quite make up their minds whether the opera's Don Juan libertine is a rebellious hero or an evil bully. (He's neither. I often like to picture Don Giovanni as a charming, attractive J.R. Ewing -- a character that you just love to hate.)

A new recording of "Don Giovanni" by conductor and early music specialist Rene Jacobs seeks to return to the opera's roots. Like Jacobs' marvelous, high-voltage 2004 recording of Mozart's "The" "Marriage of Figaro", this one features an orchestra approximating the size and standards of Mozart's day. The Belgian-born Jacobs (a former countertenor) has forsaken deluxe casting for lesser-known singers expertly trained in vocal improvisation and early-music performance practice.

First the positives: The German players of Freiburger Barockorchester make this music sizzle from start to finish. Cello and piano continuo add witty commentary to the story's action. Most notably, the cast's freshly sung recitatives rightly make this the real heart of the opera, and not mere filler for the next aria or ensemble.

But alas, this CD misses some of the magic of Jacobs' earlier efforts. The acting and singing of the primary roles never quite make it to that exemplary level. A lot of guts went into casting 27-year-old baritone Johannes Weisser as Giovanni, but he doesn't ooze charm or personality in his portrayal. As you have come to expect with Jacobs, his tempos are daringly different, sometimes contrarian and mostly on the fast side. But pivotal scenes -- including Giovanni's damnation -- lack sufficient dramatic tension and coherence.

© Copyright 2009, New York Times Syndicate