Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bernard Haitink :: Mozart: Don Giovanni / Allen, Vaness, M. Ewing, Gale, Lewis, Van Allen; Haitink

Best modern don giovanni

Mark Twain | Florida, MO USA | 04/09/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a superb recording, in every way. The singers are excellent, in top form, and completely immersed in their roles. The voices are highly individual, in perfect balance with each other and the orchestra. The sound is warm, spacious, clear, with every detail present. However, the top honors should go to Haitink. Under his baton, the marvelous orchestra unfolds the drama with great sensitivity, precision and strength. Despite the relaxed tempi there is not a moment of slack. The whole performance carries sense of unity, rarely matched in other recordings. This set is at the very top of the huge Don Giovanni discography, together with Bohm's German version on RCA, Furtwangler's Salzburg 1953 (newly remastered on M&A), and few others."

Among the best

Jon W. Gordon | Mount Kisco, New York United States | 11/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If a case could be made for Don Giovanni as a conductor's opera, then this recording does it; whatever the merits of the (very solid) cast, it is mainly due to Bernard Haitink and the LPO that the performance is able to stand comparison with the best available. Haitink's tempi are generally quick and sprightly, but the attention to detail is remarkable-listen to the woodwinds at the end of Zerlina's first aria as an example. He conveys the feeling that this is an opera to be enjoyed more than anything else, and he elicits unfailingly elegant, cultured playing from the LPO.



His cast may not be as luxurious as on some rival sets, but none of the singers fall below an acceptable standard, and all of them are dramatically committed. The two standouts are Thomas Allen, as the Don, and Carol Vaness, as Anna. Allen's voice is perfectly suited to the part (his serenade is very seductive), and his portrayal is unusually multifaceted. (He also has the best death scream). Vaness may not be as imaginative as the other singers in the cast, but she is vocally magnificent: the soft singing in the recitative before the vengeance duet is lovely, "Or sai chi l'onore" is both powerful and firm, and the coloratura at the end of "Non mi dir" is very agile. The rest of the cast ranges from very good (Richard Van Allan, Keith Lewis) to slightly disappointing (Maria Ewing and Elizabeth Gale are both rather hard-edged). Any reservations about the singing are completely swept aside by Haitink and his orchestra."

Cannot find anything close to this

E. Bacca | Padova, Padova Italy | 04/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been listening to many executions of Mozart's Don Giovanni, both recorded and live.

This CD however is absolutely outstanding. The performers are simply the best I've ever heard. On many other executions there always is someone whose voice is weak, but not on this.



The only risk is that after listening to it you won't like anything else."