Masculine Mozart without Mercy
The English Touring Opera effectively present a complex and uncompromising production of Mozart’s great opera “Don Giovanni.”
Performance: English Touring Opera's "Don Giovanni" Grade: 4 stars
by David Hart
English Touring Opera's latest version of Don Giovanni, by Jonathan Munby, is Mozart without mercy - and as radical as the first production in 1985.
Set in what seems to be 20th century fascist Italy, the main character has become a rapacious Nazi-saluting army officer driven by primitive urges. "I smell woman," he says to Leporello during an early exchange, suggesting he is little more than an animal on heat.
Roland Wood gives a towering, convincingly acted portrayal of this deeply offensive man. His Don Giovanni is more burly bully than seductive charmer, and complemented by strongly focused, totally articulate singing.
Jonathan Gunthorpe's Leporello provides what comedy is going - a warm-hearted characterisation and also impressively sung.
There's fine support too from Adrian Powter as Masetto who, like Don Ottavio (a somewhat light-voiced Eyjolfur Eyjolfsson), is humiliated by Giovanni's outrageous behaviour.
Although violated by Giovanni, Julia Sporsen's Donna Anna shows a defiant strength of character, notably in her act two aria, its coloratura beautifully expressed and full of meaning.
The other female victims are just as convincing.
Laura Parfitt gives Donna Elvira the required edge of angry determination, while Ilona Domnich's Zerlina suggests a peasant girl quietly able to cope with Giovanni's advances.
However, the greatest musical joys of this challenging production are in the orchestra pit.
From the tensile urgency of the Overture, you could tell that conductor Michael Rosewell and the players know every detail of Mozart's score.
With sinewy, dynamically charged strings and almost raunchy woodwind, it sounded (if one dare say) thoroughly masculine and totally uncompromising. Just like Don Giovanni himself.
