Mozart: Don Giovanni

The astonishing energy and angst embodied in the very first chords of the overture herald one of the major strengths of this new recording, the stunning orchestral playing. With two Mozart/Da Ponte operas already under his belt, Jacobs has Mozart’s music very much in his blood, and the score comes over as fresh, new and exciting. This is partly due to Jacobs’ unerring sense of the drama of the piece and his skilful direction of the musicians, but it also stems from his concept of the work itself as a dramma giocoso, rather different in nature from the 19th-century Romantic view of this work (as a heroic opera) that has influenced most productions since then. (The excellent booklet notes present Jacobs’ case most eloquently.)

The most radical change brought about by this approach is in the characterisation of Don Giovanni himself as an extremely dissipated youth rather than a tragic hero, which results in a blend of tragic and comic elements that at times is almost shocking. Johannes Weisser, only 26 at the time of recording, is perfectly cast as Don Giovanni, chilling in his disregard for human values. Lorenzo Regazzo’s Leporello is darker-toned, more mature, weak-willed, amused but also concerned by his master’s behaviour, and never descending into caricature. Alexandrina Pendatchanska makes for a noble Donna Elvira, emerging as a deeply scarred woman rather than an over-the-top hysteric. Kenneth Tarver’s beautifully-sung Don Ottavio is most impressive, while Sunhae Im’s Zerlina is earthily coquettish yet endearing.

The ensembles mesh very well, and the forte-piano continuo is stunning (although some may find it overly intrusive). Jacobs has chosen to present the version of the opera heard in its first Vienna performances, but includes the numbers cut from the Prague version in an appendix. These CDs may lack the visual element, but a sense of real theatre imbues the whole recording. My instinctive reaction was, “What a wonderful work, and what exhilarating music-making!”. I think Mozart himself would find much to savour here.