Read a selection of comments we have received from our audience members
Well contrary to the critics in the Guardian and FT, I thought the opening night was brimming over with energy from both Orchestra and Cast. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
I don't approve about the treatment of the part of the Commendatore. That said however I thoroughly enjoyed both the study program and the performance. The set was tremendous, and Leporello was excellent.
Don Giovanni - world class! During the scene where Mr Giovanni is being beseached to repent, there is a very bright spot light from the back of the scenery which shines directly into the eyes of the audience (as you face stage, audience to the left) and needs to be extinguised. I thought the scenery was a complex affair - how many times have they bumped their heads! Steven Clarke
Unfortunately, I found the concept of a singularly nasty, driven Don Giovanni extremely monochromatic and devoid of the essential sensuality. This Don was no seducer, as the pale La Chi Darem la Mano showed. Musically quite the same, little let-up for breath and contrast. The doubtless expensive stage machinery seemed often to get in the way. Such a pity, for there obviously was an enormous amount of talent focused on the production.
I laughed, I cried, I loved it. The Crits have missed the point. Mozart and Da Ponte meant it to be sinister, brash, hedonistically raw, perhaps a parody of Da Ponte's own life and loves. The contemporary setting evoked Commendatore Al Pacino in the final episode of The Godfather who found the temple crashing down about him. The period somewhere between the 1930s and the 1970s was pefect in its brutality, but the action could easily have been in the period of Marcus Licinius Crassus, or the Borghias. The set thrust the action forward at breakneck speed even though movement was complicated. The whole effect was appropriately brutal, and ended in appropriately brutal self-destruction. Don Giovanni is definitely not a pussycat, nor is he Casanova. There is not anything refined about the seduction routines. That's why it worked well. Canning et al should ponder why The Godfather series has been the most successful box-office draw of all time.
The pretentious unsympathetic staging diminishes the singers and inhibits the impact of the opera. Like Raymond Steckel I found La ci darem la mano lacking in warmth- so disappointing. I sat next to two regular visitors from Paris who did not give the performance good marks. I notice that you omitted to publish on your web site the critical reviews from The Times and The Guardian. Arthur Hollman
The singing was great, particularly Donna Elvira and Donna Anna, but I really couldn't see that anything was gained by the 1950s setting. It's one thing for Don Giovanni to kill the Commendatore in a sword fight, but to beat him to death and smash his head with a stone is something else entirely and hardly the act of a gentleman, even a brutal one! A modern production just makes the words & actions anachronistic. Disappointing.
We were four, and we were gripped every second of the production. The amazing staging, nods to cinema and all; the wonderful singers; the conducting and orchestra. We felt the brutality of Don Giovanni got the tone just right, and Donna Elvira and Donna Anna acquired a depth they normally don't have. Don Ottavio was not the fop he usually is, and Leporello was simply perfect! Bravo!
Don G is always tremendously enjoyable and this production was no exception. Gerard Finlay was indisposed the night I saw it which was a pity. Otherwise the singing was almost uniformly excellent. Setting it in modern times was irritating as was the monolithic set, turning, turning, and the version used brought in some pointless stuff and omitted some glorious work. I must be alone in prefering the previous production.
We thought Don Giovanni was awful..very disappointing. hated the set design and 1950 costumes. just ruined my favourite opera. have been coming to glyndebourne for over 40 years ..this was a perfect night but one of the worst of my glyndebourne years. what do they gain by updating it? I will avoid this director and designer in the future. the singing and orchestra were fine but had to close my eyes. very very disappointed. Connie Lynn july 20th
Our Glyndebourne visits are the highlight of our opera season so it was deeply disappointing on our visit on July 20 to be advised minutes before the performance that an understudy was to sing the principal part. His lower register was inaudible and he struggled with timing. The whole opera was affected by his poor performance and his oversized white dinner jacket was ludicrous with sleeves that hung below the tips of his fingers. Who dressed this understudy? He was clearly instructed to put his hands in his trouser pockets in some vain attempt at disguising the effect. We do not attend Glyndebourne for heroics but instead for its ultimate professionalism and internationally high performance. I have no sympathy for understudy poor performance at today's prices. This denigrates Glyndebourne.
Really enjoyed this production, dark, brooding, as it should be, with a properly pathological Don! Wonderful singing all round and a spectacular close to Act 1. But the set after the interval was too complex - why not stay with the cube idea? The comendatore under the table didn't work for me. David Robson
Unfortunately I saw the understudy playing the Don and I thought the performance generally was disappointing and he was rather weak. I did not like the modern look or the rather weird sets which did nothing but distract from the music and the action. The women were all excellent as was Don Ottavio but I cannot forgive the understudy for murdering the serenade - one of my favourite pieces of music.
We did not like the production - we thought the scenery was over dominating which at times made it difficult to see the performers who were from time to time tucked away very much in the corner. In making this comment, I am not referring to when they were trying to hide themselves. Sitting as we were in Row C of the Circle, it was at times and indeed too often, difficult to see what was happening. The music and singing was excellent and we have no criticism here but merely praise.
I have seen Despina disport herself in a diner beneath a motorway flyover, I have watched Figaro meet Almaviva riding a Harley Davidson, I have watched a superbly proportioned Constanze appear stark naked and then dress herself in front of the audience etc. On each occasion I have asked myself precisely what it "did" for the opera, my conclusion was at best nothing at worst to ruin it! I watched Glynebourne's 2010 Don with very mixed feelings. The revolving box set in the first act was brilliant! The stage action showed a strange predilection for collapsing and lying prone, they also struggled it seemed to me to project their character despite tawdry costumes sometime verging on the ridiculous! A statue has a presence but Wurzel Gummidge? Musically, Mr; Jurowovsy, normally one of my preferred conductors further hampered the cast by setting a dirge like tempo. Donna Elvira's "ought to be impassioned" aria would have been more at home in a Requiem Mass! As I have already said the costumes were ridiculous and brought nothing to the opera except perhaps, a cost saving? I can understand the desire to stage a performance that is not just another performance of whatever opera, but stuffing an opera that should be temporally situated 2 or 3 centuries ago into a semi 21st century context is laughable, especially in the case of the Don which is irrevocably in the past. Seek excellence otherwise than sartorial quirks!
Well, the voices were, for the most part, superb; the OAE were, of course, their usual excellent selves and, personally, I thought the revolving set ingenious and flexible but as for the rest... We got off to a bad start when the Commendatore had to come back from the dead briefly to remove the rock which had first killed him and then stuck to his head! And no one has yet convinced me why an opera (or anything else) which is set in a particular period, ought to be played in any costume other than that which is appropriate to its time. (We'd have avoided the necessity for the recalcitrant rock too.) The acting was generally limited (the excellent Leparello excepted). In particular, the party scene at the Don's house seemed to be played by badly operated marionettes. And as for the Don's banishment to hell... Here we have some of the most wonderful dramatic writing in all of opera; those magnificent, hair raising, chords revealing Giovanni's awful fate and what are we given? "Well, if you'll just step down through this trapdoor Don Giovanni sir, mind yourself on that top step, its a bit slippery..." It's difficult to imagine how the magnificent music and drama of that scene could be castrated but this production team managed it! Glyndebourne has been on a superb roll... Falstaff, Guilio, Poppeia, Macbeth (caravans an' all), Tristan of course, Rusalka and, this year, Cosi and Budd to name a few, have all been wonderful. Oh well, all good things come to an end... I see that this DG is on next year's list... Pity.
Reading these reviews - and some in the press - reminds me how fixated we have become in recent years on production values at the expense of the music and drama which for me is still what opera is all about. This Don Giovanni (under the baton of Jakob Hrusa) was marked by superlative singing (especially from Gerald Finley, Luca Pisaroni and Kate Royal), terrific orchestral playing (there was a marvellous cello obligato at one point that I'd never heard in previous productions) and great acting. It was also interesting to hear the Vienna version of the opera for once. Altogether there were for me no weak links and as for the staging, one may lament the absence of the sort of glamour we remember in early post-war productions, but this director's vision was clear, consistent and powerful: and I would have thought fully in tune with to-day's widespread addiction to violent celebrities.
I agree with the comments about the magnificent orchestral playing, although I wish the conductor had not seemed to encourage applause at every opportunity; given that this production very successfully emphasised the driven and driving quality of the piece it was a shame that the momentum was lost by intervals of audience self-expression. Someone even tried to start applauding at the end of the damnation scene! But to be fair the conductor scotched that by moving directly into the finale. I thought the performance of the first act was superb. The combination of the powerfully graphic and seamlessly changing set and the sharp acting and delivery of the sung and spoken words made it thrilling and penetrating: Don Giovanni as psychological thriller. Finley and Pisaroni's singing was great and all the others at least good. Interestingly, I thought the performance lost its drive and grip in Act 2 - as maybe the opera does? The set became fussy and awkward and the drama flagged. The inclusion of the dire Leporello/Zerlina scene only highlighted this impression. All was recovered by a truly frightening banquet and damnation scene. I liked the corpse under the table; it seemed to fit with the lunatic quality of the banquet. All in all a powerful and enormously skilful production; despite the sag in Act 2.
We thoroughly enjoyed this production, notwithstanding the absence of the Commendatore in the first Act (stuck in a traffic jam!). My only disappointment was that, after surprising us with the excitement of real flames in the first Act, we were led to expect something rather more spectacular when the Don was taken off to Hell. Even greater use of the flames of Hell would have been wonderful...
We were dreadfully disappointed, not with the C20 staging but with the result, where blackness had submerged humour and dramma giocosa had been reduced to melodrama. A challenge, probably superable but not overcome here, is finding a modern analogue for the social and rustic setting which lends Giovanni's seduction of Zerlina much of its credibility. The magic and the music both seemed to us to suffer badly from loss of a whole dimension of Mozart's and da Ponte's creation. Derek Davis
We were at Don Giovanni on 6 August and loved it. The staging was, in our opinion, hugely effective and kept the drama and action moving throughout. Gerald Finley was outstanding in the title role, reminding me physically of Al Pacino's character in The Devil's Advocate (highly appropriate as a scheming Machiavellian manipulator). All singing was superb and Kate Royal's acting was also outstanding, particularly in the Catalogue Aria when she conveyed perfectly the fact that she had been duped completely; watching her reaction to Leporello reading the list of conquests was heartrending. The OAE was on top form, and the positioning of the off-stage bands (and chorus) enhanced the tension which built in both acts. Whilst I would probably have liked (and given the end of Act 1 was expecting) pyrotechnics in the finale, I have reflected since and am now of the view that dragging Don Giovanni to an icy hell was entirely appropriate. Certainly a production to see again.
The performance of Don Giovanni on 3 August was very disappointing and one of the very few Glyndebourne productions I have not enjoyed in many, many years. Don Giovanni is a stunning opera but this production lacked life and left one wondering why one had found the work so enjoyable to listen to in the past. Leporello and Zerlina sang and acted very well but the rest of the cast were weak, particularly Don Giovanni who failed to make the most of a great role and appeared to be in some difficulties when singing the serenade. I found some of the very expensive looking scenery rather distracting at times. What was the point, for instance, of tilting the stage at 45 degrees in the scene when the Commendatore was invited to dinner?
We saw Don Giovanni on 31st July. Gerald Finley was outstanding. He expressed all the charm and swagger as well as the conceit and menace of the character with superb singing and acting. The rest of the cast was very good as well. It was quite a dark and atmospheric production and the effect was enhanced by an uninvited bat flitting about the auditorium. The final scene contrived to be genuinely spooky,
I am at a loss to understand the poor reviews for this show and I overheard several of the audience saying the same thing. It was excellent - a dark romp with a breathtaking set. I thought it was brilliantly cast and the orchestra was superb. I loved Donna Elvira -a perfect portrayal of the woman scorned. I adored Don Ottavio, a man not a mouse and what a voice - such a shame he didnt get to sing his second aria - his aria in the first half was the highlight of the night for me. Leporello did a great job - great comic timing. All in all a brilliant night out! Martina
We enjoyed the performance of Don Giovanni on the 12th August very much but please could you go back to dressing the cast in the costume of the period and perhaps the Don could have been a little more lecherous.
I thought the production was clever and it worked very well in the first half, with the cube. The steep rake in the second half was a disaster and I pitied the singers having to cope with it. It added nothing. Neither did the fire effect at the end of act 1. It failed to suggest that the house was on fire and anyway everyone else gets left in the house at the end. The Zerlina S&M aria thanks to the 'Vienna version' could have been dropped. Overall though it failed to live up to what your own programme essay says about the opera, that is, the fascinating combination of comedy and drama. It really all turns on Don Giovanni, who we enjoy even if he is immoral (it isn't as if he makes a single conquest during the opera) and on Donna Elvira--conflicted, at times absurd, and compelling. The Don lacked charisma and the necessary swagger and Donna Elvira was not the right casting--she just couldn't bring it off. But I know that you can pick singers brilliantly: I think of those four people in the Cosi the first time around (which was staggeringly good compared to the perfectly respectable revival wheeled out this year)--there was your brilliant Leporello and the brilliant Anne Truelove and Rakewell whom I saw on Friday. What a great Rake's Progress, it has never seemed so wonderful It all comes down to the casting, doesn't it?
We thought the production unusual and interesting. The voices and the orchestra were superb, and we particularly enjoyed the humour of Leporello. The comment I should particularly like to leave regards the pre-performance takl from a gentleman from Royal Holloway, whose name was not advertised and I'm afraid I cannot remember how he introduced himself. This was one of the best talks I have ever heard (the three people accompanying me agreed). The speaker was not only informative, but was so succinct and erudite, his talk sprinkled liberally with humour and drama, that we were reluctant to leave our seats after 40 minutes (no, 43, as he apologied for over-running by 3 minutes!). Please pass on our congratulations. It was an excellent talk and we hope he will come back to talk about other productions. Thank you. 17-Aug-2010 15.20 P Russell
From the opening crash blackout we were transfixed. The box design was clever and looked like a Hockney pencil drawing of a milk chocolate bar: naughty but nice, as was the giant painting of a nipple-tweaking woman. I loved the louche quality of the staging, in pace and costume design. This was a believable sinner, so for the first time I wished he would repent at the end. The one poor element for me was the party scene, with no life or true sinfulness, only the trope of woman 'riding' man. The fire bomb was amazing but left the finale anti-climactic. however, the worst aspect for me was the constant applause when this was a story unravelling and I wanted to be immersed in it. So: a superb production spoilt by the audience!
Seven out of ten and one of better production of the Don that I have seen in 60 years of opera. We loved the blackout start. We have not come across the Vienna version before and no doubt it will grow on us. What a pity there was no explanation in the programme book giving details of the what and the why Mozart felt the changes were needed. The Don is a difficult work to keep moving - not helped by the insatiable desire by some of the audience to clap anything and everything - and some of the tempi were "interesting" with La ci darem more a romp than a seduction - but the set was great and enabled the many scene changes to work quickly and, mostly, fluently. Some of the singing was superb, although the girls could have put a bit more venon in their arias. The OAE were their usual superb selves but why was that brilliant wind section pushed off to the side? It was virually inaudible, especially the clarinets and flutes, who were out of sight on the end. I could hardly hear the fabulous clarinet solos - almost certainly written for Anton Stadler. Put them back in front of the conductor pointing out so we can hear them. . They say the devil is in the detail and unusually for Glyndebourne, there were problems. First, the music. There were several places where the pit and the stage were going in different directions. The conductor's beat was very clear so no excuses there. Next, the supper scene. What on earth is the point of raking the stage at that angle. The don was invisible and inaudible to those at the back and it must have been a tad hazardous for the performers. No wonder the acting was so static. Drop it down a bit for next year. Then the statue. What statue? Elvira goes out and screams. Leporello goes to investigate, screams, and comes back saying ". . comes the statue. Hear the noise his footstps make, Ta Ta Ta Ta" - and then a corpse appears upside down from under the table! Very dramatic but laughable; spoils the tension totally. Next, the Don goes to hell amid fire and flames. Where were they? After the pyrotechnics at the end of Act 1 we were expecting a real feast but all we could see was the actors desperately trying to make sure that they were standing over the tiny trap door. But at least he went down to hell which is more than usually happens. Finale to Act 1 was also a disappointment. Firstly, there should be 3 bands on stage playing different dances for the different clientel. Mozart even writes a bar each for them to tune up! But we got no bands and the small chorus dancing about hapazardly. At the end, with Mozart whipping up the frenzy in the orchestra and the Don escaping by the skin of his teeth from a crefully planned ambush, the actors just stood in line like bad amateur G&S. Not good. Finally the surtitles were dreadful. If that really is the best you can do then come back Dent: all is forgiven. Apart from the above nit-picks, we had a brilliant evening and it didn't even rain. Bravo.
Excellent evening - first class Giovanni and Leporello, other men also good, and fair singing from the women. Outstanding playing by OAE with incisive and sensitive conducting by Jakub Hrusa. The only odd thing was the final scene - we were expecting Don Giovanni to go down to hell but he just sank into the table or coffin. The flames had actually occurred at an earlier point in the opera - I guess the producer was making the point that Don Giovanni was already in hell when on earth, but it was rather contrived.
I greatly enjoyed the production although the decision to make every Mozart opera production darker and darker does remove the some of the enjoyment of the contrast of humour and terror. It is an Opera Buffa after all and most good horror films rely on a fair dose of comedy to emphasise the shocks when they come. That said, the bat flying around the auditorium for the second half seemed very appropriate!
Imaginative set! Were any star trek fans reminded of 'the Borg' or was it just me?! The disappointment was the Commendatore whose voice certainly did not fill one with dread as it did not carry well. Leporello's acting & humour were stark contrast to the rather wooden acting of Don Giovanni. The table over the grave just didn't work for me, although at that crazy angle it was impressive that things didn't roll off! It was, however, a most enjoyable evening's entertainment.
Oh dear. Another director who doesn't understand da Ponte and Mozart. No characterisation apart from some humour from Leporello. Excessive cheap thrills from the set that do nothing except distract. No statue - duh - how clever... clearly Mozart got it wrong. Pointless update. Vienna version which is nowhere near as good as the Prague version. Pathetic all in all. Add Jonathan Kent to the ever growing list of directors to avoid at all costs, along with Jonathan Miller and Christof Loy. Needlessly bad.
In the first act the set stole the show. In the second act someone had stolen the set. There has been a tendency of late for producers to "update" operas: it very rarely works. Singing not bad but why was the first act taken so slowly? After the fireworks at the end of act 1 the descent to Hell was very tame, almost village hall standard: not even a red light. My companion enjoyed it, but for me it lacked the necessary tingle factor.
I relish seeing plays and operas transported to other times and places. I'm open to directors exploring other interpretations, too. This one was pretty good, but I'd say that the singing was not quite world class. As others have said, the scenery was impressive but complicated on the eye. What I wish the director could have got out of singers was more interaction between them. The drama didn't quite feel right. It may have been that I was far away, but I wanted more meaningful gesture between the characters, which would have added more depth to the drama. Or is the problem more that a twenty-first century audience seeks more ambiguity, when Mozart and da Ponte wanted Don Giovanni to be less nuanced?
Please login or register in order to be able to post comments on the website.
by Benjamin Britten A new production for the 2010 Festival
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart A revival of the 2006 Festival Production
by Giuseppe Verdi A revival of the 2007 Festival Production
by Engelbert Humperdinck A revival of the 2008 Festival Production
by Igor Stravinsky A revival of the 1975 Festival Production
Anna Virovlansky as Zerlina and Gerald Finley as Don Giovanni in the 2010 Festival production. Photo: Bill Cooper