Don Giovanni
Who can resist Don Giovanni? Since the premiere of Mozart's iconic opera in 1787, his name has been indispensable to the repertoire of countless houses. Time and again, the seducer manages to captivate both characters and audience, and time and again he escapes the call to change his libertine lifestyle. Until he is visited by a living statue, who gives him one last chance to improve his life. The serial seducer flaunts society's rules and brings about his own downfall.
The writing is on the wall for the seducer from the start. The opening andante of the overture is taken almost entirely from the finale in which the statue confronts Don Giovanni; Mozart daringly anticipates the crucial event of the opera and between these two are two acts of glorious music. Opera Ballet Vlaaderen’s new production of Mozart’s masterpiece is staged by the young director Tom Goossens. His pared-down approach and keen grasp of the text has already been acclaimed in his Le nozze di Figaro seen on OperaVision. In this new production, he invites the audience to reflect on the patterns of transgression and near-redemptions that lie scattered along Don Giovanni’s path.
CAST
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Don Giovanni
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Michael Arivony
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Donna Anna
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Marie Lys
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Donna Elvira
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Arianna Vendittelli
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Don Ottavio
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Reinoud Van Mechelen
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Il Commendatore
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Edwin Kaye
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Leporello
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Michael Mofidian
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Masetto
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Justin Hopkins
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Zerlina
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Katharina Ruckgaber
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Orchestra
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Opera Ballet Vlaanderen Symphony Orchestra
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Chorus
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Chorus Opera Ballet Vlaanderen
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Music
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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Text
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Lorenzo Da Ponte
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Director
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Tom Goossens
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Conductor
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Francesco Corti
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Sets
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Sammy Van den Heuvel
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Costumes
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Sophie Klenk-Wulff
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Lights
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Dennis Diels
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Choreography
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Femke Gyselinck
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Dramaturgy
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Naomi Beeldens
Maarten Boussery
Carine van Bruggen
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Chorus master
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Pedro Beriso
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| ... | |
VIDEOS
STORY
Act I
Leporello, servant to Don Giovanni, keeps watch, lamenting his lot. Suddenly, Donna Anna appears, seeking the man who has just assaulted her. Her father, the Commendatore, confronts Don Giovanni and is slain in a duel. In mourning, Donna Anna, together with her fiancé Don Ottavio, vows revenge. Meanwhile, Don Giovanni is on the prowl for his next conquest and encounters Donna Elvira, one of the women he has previously abandoned. He
flees, leaving Leporello to explain that she is but one name on his long list of conquests.
A wedding procession comes into view, and Don Giovanni’s eye is caught by Zerlina, a peasant girl about to marry Masetto. Don Giovanni flirts with her, much to Masetto’s dismay, only for Donna Elvira to intervene, warning Zerlina of the danger. Don Giovanni denies all wrongdoing and, even when Donna Anna appears, works tirelessly to preserve his outward charm. He skilfully defuses the tension, meanwhile sending Leporello to invite the peasant guests to a grand celebration. At the festivities, Don Giovanni once again attempts to seduce Zerlina, only to be foiled by a group of masked avengers – Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, and Donna Elvira. Can Don Giovanni once more escape unscathed?
Act II
The debacle at the party does not prevent Don Giovanni from attempting to seduce Donna Elvira’s maid. To serenade her, he swaps clothes with Leporello, who must imitate his master’s voice and manner to mislead Donna Elvira. She is taken in by the disguise and follows him. Meanwhile, the real Don Giovanni, still disguised as Leporello, encounters Masetto and savagely beats him. Zerlina tends to her stricken fiancé, while Leporello, still masquerading as his master, suffers the wrath of Zerlina and her companions, who believe him to be Don Giovanni himself.
The master and servant meet up with each other in the graveyard, where the statue atop the Commendatore’s tomb comes to life, addressing Don Giovanni. Unfazed, he arrogantly invites the statue to dinner. During the meal, Donna Elvira once more attempts to move Don Giovanni to repentance, only to be rebuffed and humiliated. Shortly thereafter, a knock at the door reveals that the statue has accepted his invitation. Don Giovanni confronts the Commendatore and defiantly refuses to repent. As he takes the cold, outstretched hand, hellfire engulfs him.
GALLERY
