Search - Mozart, Klemperer, Gedda :: Mozart: Don Giovanni

Exquisite

Diana Chavdarova | Sofia, Bulgaria | 05/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In my humble opinion (I know very little about music), this is the best Giovanni ever recorded. It will not be too much to say it's the best masterpiece I've ever encountered. It is everything an ideal interpretation should be: done with great attention to the text and music. Characters are full-blooded; artists really make their roles theirs. The orchestra is grandiose. (Comparing to the perfect tempo here, I've found that in later interpretations many conductors rushed through the opera as if couldn't wait to end it.) Orchestration is modern and above all compact, so scenes flow into one another. Phrasing is so expressive, so rounded, that the pleasure of art is overwhelming. I simply love Ghiaurov; but for Gedda as Ottavio I just don't have words."

Best Don Giovanni on the market!

Ryan Kouroukis | Toronto, Ontario Canada | 01/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have listened to many Don Giovanni's, (Karajan, Giulini, Bohm, Krips, Fricsay, Marriner, Barenboim, Gardiner, Levine, Furtwangler, Busch and Maazel). But Klemperer's is the most satisfying to my ears on all grounds.



The acting and dramatic intent is excellent, the beauty and lyricism of the singing is wonderfully consistent, the sound quality is the best EMI can give, and the orchestra is amazing!



Klemperer's version captures the gravitas and charm of Mozart's Don Giovanni as no other. It's the one that I always make reference to.



All the other recordings sound like their missing something or other...but Klemperer, the New Philharmonia and the superlative cast understand this piece in a way that renews my love for this opera again and again!



Trust me, it's that amazing!

(I expect to see it on EMI's "Great Recordings of the Century" label in the near future)."

A uniquely powerful, grim "Giovanni"

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 03/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the last in a line of Don Giovannis that includes historic ones by Bruno Walter and Furstwangler, all of which approach the opera as a monument of Westren civilization. The tone is serious to the point of being existential -- Giovanni isn't a reckless libertine but a rebel struggling to free himself from all boundaries, including those imposed by God. In all three performances the "giacoa" has been dropped from Mozart's "dramma giocosa." Is that viable?



We no longer live in an ethos that looks upon "Don Giovanni" as a life-and-death struggle, but if you can attune yourself to that viewpoint, this is a phenomenal performance, one of the pinnacles in Klemperer's late career. His broad pacing -- like Furtwangler's before him -- challenge the vocal technique of his singers, and some don't emerge unscathed, particularly the Donna Anna, Claire Watson, who barely holds her own through "Non mi dir." Christa Ludwig ventures into soprano territory, as she did in Klemperer's famous "Fidelio," and the results are more than a little strained, despite this great singer's abilities.



But this "Giovanni" is primarily about the orchestra, which sounds overwhelming, and the central character. Ghaiurov, as overwhelming as the orchestra, gives an unforgettable performance that reaches the extremes of violence, satanic glee, and unshakable rebelliousness. He's matched by Walter Berry's rough, tough Leporello, who repeats the theme of the angry rebel in his hostile relationship to his master.



I know that some listeners won't be able to get past some of the too-slow numbers, but much of what Klemperer does is perfectly shaped dramatically. For grimness and strength, there's really nothing quite like this set, and EMI's analog sound from 1966 holds up amazingly well, despite the unavoidable microphone shatter when the voices cannot be contained. (I'm not sure there's ever been a remastering, so this bargain reissue sounds as good as the older ones.)



I've tried to capture the spirit of this unique "Giovanni." It never smiles, but no other version has inspired as much terror and tragedy."