Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan :: Mozart: Don Giovanni / Ramey, Tomowa-Sintow, Battle, Karajan [Highlights]

A good highlights collection of a great version.

06/07/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD includes most of the important arias from "Don Giovanni." You may wonder why "Mi tradi" is missing--well, Agnes Baltsa does a respectable job with this aria, but not a spectacular one. Anna Tomowa-Sintow has a few difficulties with the coloratura parts of Donna Anna's second act aria, but she's very good otherwise. I've written some comments about this version under the entry for the complete opera. I'll just say here that this is my favorite recording of "Don Giovanni": I personally think Karajan's version is better than Giulini's. You may want to own the complete opera. If not, this highlights CD will treat you to Samuel Ramey's big leading role arias, Kathleen Battle's two glorious arias as Zerlina, and a finale that will blow you away. I only wish they had included the opening scene, since the overture (which is fabulous) fades into it. Plus, it only makes sense. But this CD will at least give you about an hour of that incredible Karajan/Mozart experience."

GREAT RECORDING

JR Pinto | New Jersey | 05/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don Giovanni is a HUGE opera, and this is an excellent place to start to get a handle on it. Deutsche Grammaphon is my favorite classical label and with Herbert von Karajan conducting and Samuel Ramey in the lead, you are not going to find a better recording. This is actually a cut-down version of a recording of the ENTIRE opera, so if this only wets your appetite, you can find the whole thing. But all the best moments are here: Le Chi Darem La Mano and the great finale. Soren Kierkegaard wrote at length in Either/OR as to why this is one of the greatest works of art of all time. In his words, "Listen, listen, listen to Don Giovanni!""

Too big a sound, too slow a pace for Mozart

Dexter Tay | 06/09/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I couldn't agree more with other reviewers when they complained that Mozart's opera wasn't Karajan's forte - his tempi is obviously dragging its feet and making the whole production sluggish and uninspired. Karajan's style is obviously more suited for fuller-flung theatrics - Wagner would have been the case. With Mozart he lost the wit; though in terms of grandeur, Karajan's got it all.



This compilation was one of the earliest Don Giovanni compilations I've owned - while I have to admit being bowled over by the sheer power of the orchestra, the cast's singing and the maestro's over-generous strokes, further listening to period productions as well as other modern undertakings yielded much more insights into Mozart's greatest operatic masterwork. I was initially looking for a compilation that contained the Epilogue section (most don't) and was most enthralled by Karajan's - it swept me away.



The singers were formidable, yet the voices, though powerful they were, are practically too heavy for Mozart's style - case in point is Tomowa-Sintow as Donna Anna, who sounded like she's shrieking Wagner's Flight of the Valkyries. The Don and Leporello pairing was on the deep, droning and dull side - both veering on the low baritone/bass range, an imbalanced pairing that leaves much to be desired. I couldn't emphasize more on the importance of the Don and Leporello pairing in any Don Giovanni production (the soul of entire production that is) - my individual preference would be a mid-range to high baritone voice for the Don and a low baritone/high bass for Leporello for stylistic contrast (and to avoid making them sound like quibbling [...]lovers).



This is definitely far from the ideal Don Giovanni recording, but for those looking for the opera on a grand, meglomaniac scale, this is it."