Don Giovanni

Kasper Holten's 2014 Royal Opera House production of Mozart's masterpiece centering on the lascivious Don Juan and his eventual downfall boasts many positive elements. Although Mariusz Kwiecien lacks the quintessential devil-may-care dash, he's in fine voice as the Don, and most of the other singers also shine (with the exception of Antonio Poli, who is a weak Ottavio). Nicola Luisotti conducts a propulsive reading of the score, marred only by some curious modernisms in the continuo playing. And Holten's mounting is intriguing, situating the action within Giovanni's psyche and making his female victims more manipulative than usual—choices that necessitate an impressive multi-level set, as well as rear-stage projections. Unfortunately, however, Holten's psychological interpretation has led him to make a severe cut in the second-act finale, omitting the sextet following the Don's descent to hell. Nineteenth-century productions frequently made the same excision in the misguided belief that the ensemble was too frivolous, but a modern staging should not follow their example. Presented in DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include an audio commentary by Holten and set designer Es Devlin, an introduction to the opera, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a cast gallery. With so many excellent complete versions of Don Giovanni to choose from—including Pizzi's 2011 mounting—this truncated release can only be considered an optional purchase. (F. Swietek)