Mozart: Don Giovanni
The Met's new production
Returning to the Met's live HD broadcasts after a hiatus since 2016 is the "opera of operas”, and in a brand new production by Tony Award-winning Belgian Ivo van Hove to boot. Nathalie Stutzmann, who is quite well known as a singer as well, will lead a wonderful cast of singers as the debut conductor of the production, which is set in an abstract medium and pays more attention than usual to the shadowy side of the story. In the title role, just like in the earlier 2015 broadcast, will be the radiantly powerful Swedish baritone Peter Mattei.
The Seville dazzler, a character that first emerged in the first half of the 17th century and later inspired works by Molière, Goldoni and even Pushkin, would hardly still now enjoy cult status if Mozart and his congenial librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte had not written an opera about him to be performed in Prague in 1787. But because they did, we to this day still recognise in Don Giovanni, that is, in Don Juan, not only the mythical womaniser, but also the demon of life, the embodiment of life as a whole. Mozart's Don Giovanni is an ambiguous figure that offers ample space for a wide variety of interpretations. Ivo van Hove's concept is itself an original approach, while the composition of the cast promises polished teamwork and some great personalities. For example, in the shadow of Mattei's Don Giovanni, we'll find the increasingly sought-after Czech bass-baritone Adam Plachetka as Leporello. And among the younger performers will be talents like the American Ben Bliss, who promises to be an excellent Mozart tenor, and Italy's Federica Lombardi, who made her debut at the Met in 2019 as Donna Elvira, but now will exploit the splendid opportunity of singing Donna Anna.
The 'Metropolitan Opera Live in HD' transmissions have been made possible through the cooperation of our partner, liveincinema.eu s.r.o.
Presented by: Müpa Budapest
Conductor: Nathalie Stutzmann
Performers:
Donna Anna: Federica Lombardi
Donna Elvira: Ana María Martínez
Zerlina: Ying Fang
Don Ottavio: Ben Bliss
Don Giovanni: Peter Mattei
Leporello: Adam Plachetka
Masetto: Alfred Walker
Commendatore: Alexander Tsymbalyuk
Featuring: The Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra
Creators:
Set design, lighting: Jan Versweyveld
Costumes: An D'Huys
Projection: Christopher Ash
Choreographer: Sara Erde
Director: Ivo van Hove
