Don Giovanni

Mozart called his opera about the famous rake who finally gets his just desserts (based on the legend of the 17th century aristocratic philanderer Don Juan) a dramma giocoso, but in this La Scala performance from 1987 conductor Ricardo Muti definitely emphasizes the first word in that description with a brisk, powerful interpretation of the score, boasting tense playing and occasional whiplash tempos (although the approach becomes somewhat more relaxed and affectionate in the second act). Giorgio Strehler's staging is traditional in the extreme, with unexceptional backdrops and period fashions, not to mention characters that often adopt static poses as they deliver their magnificent arias and join in the ravishing ensembles. But the absence of the Eurotrash approach that's become all the rage in the intervening 17 years is positively refreshing, and the cast is capable down the line, led by Thomas Allen's firm, slightly menacing Don Giovanni; only Edita Gruberova's Donna Anna, the don's most recent conquest, is a shade disappointing at first, though she improves over the course of the production. The camerawork is also simple and straightforward: the sole artsy touch is the occasional superimposing of images of Muti wielding his baton over the action at important points. And while the vintage stereo sound recording is hardly the highest of fi (even in Dolby Digital stereo), it holds up quite well. Overall, this is a very reliable--if not necessarily luminous--version of one of the world's greatest operas, and with the nearly three-hour performance presented on a single (understandably extra-less) disc, it's also a considerable bargain. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)