Product Review

"Press Reviews
"Its [Kasper Holten's version of Mozart's Don Giovanni] virtues start with Es Devlin's handsome set — a slowly revolving cube depicting the interior and exterior of a many-chambered plantation-style mansion — and Anja Vang Kragh's imaginative costuming, which locates the period around 1840. " (The Daily Telegraph ★★★★)

"With a cast that could not be bettered today allied to an insightful if sometimes idiosyncratic staging, this is a Don Giovanni that is never boring, often thrilling, and demands to be seen." (What's on Stage ★★★★)

"And in the Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecien he's [Kasper Holten] found the man for the job: when this Don appears on Donna Anna's balcony, coolly adjusting his dress, he exudes such debonair attraction that the evident eagerness of Malin Bystrom's Donna Anna is entirely believable ... the drama gains steadily in force thanks to the beauty of the singing, the charisma of Alex Esposito's winningly clown-like Leporello, and the ingenious suggestiveness of Luke Halls’ video superimpositions on Es Devlin's set. " (The Independent)

"Kwiecien's eloquently sung Giovanni heads a strong cast. Particularly impressive is Malin Byström's Donna Anna, whose moving Non mi dir is addressed not to Don Ottavio but first to her dead father (via his bust) and then to Giovanni himself. Véronique Gens offers a sympathetic Donna Elvira, impassioned rather than hysterical in her inability to give up on Giovanni. Even in Leporello's Catalogue Aria she embraces Giovanni, willing it not to be true. Alex Esposito's resourceful Leporello also seems to be smitten by Giovanni, as is Elizabeth Watts's lively, engaging Zerlina. Nicola Luisotti draws sensuous playing from the ROH orchestra ..." (The Evening Standard ★★★★)

"The Danish director's [Kasper Holten] new staging of what is regularly regarded as one of the trickiest of all repertory pieces to realise effectively is a genuine success. Visually this is a fascinating evening. Designer Es Devlin has come up with an endlessly adaptable structure of rooms, staircases and facades that swivels around seamlessly, conjuring an infinity of Escher-like spaces for the action to evolve in. Holten is lucky with his cast, led by Mariusz Kwiecien's suave and sophisticated Giovanni, Malin Bystrom's grand-scaled Donna Anna and Alex Esposito's all-too-human Leporello. Also extremely worthwhile are Elizabeth Watt's perky Zerlina, Dawid Kimberg's easily manipulated Masetto and Antonio Poli's sweet-toned Ottavio, while Alexander Tsymbalyuk makes a sonorous Commendatore. Conductor Nicola Luisotti is a flexible exponent of the score, ensuring that musical standards match the dramatic ones. " (The Stage)

Cast
Mariusz Kwiecien (Don Giovanni)
Alex Esposito (Leporello)
Malin Byström (Donna Anna)
Véronique Gens (Donna Elvira)
Antonio Poli (Don Ottavio)
Elizabeth Watts (Zerlina)
Dawid Kimberg (Masetto)
Alexander Tsymbalyuk (Commendatore)
Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House; Nicola Luisotti

Production
Company: The Royal Opera
Stage Director: Kasper Holten
Television Director: Jonathan Haswell
Choreographer: Signe Fabricius

Disc Information
Catalogue Number: OABD7152D
Date of Performance: 2014
Running Time: 187 minutes
Sound: LPCM & DTS Master Audio 5.1
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Subtitles: EN, FR, DE, JP, KO
Label: Opus Arte"