Opera Scotland

Don Giovanni 2001Scottish Opera

Read more about the opera Don Giovanni

John Cox's production was the first company staging of Don Giovanni for many years to achieve the honour of a revival. In most respects, as should happen, but rarely does, this run was as good as the first one. Richard Armstrong has never been known as a Mozart conductor, but if one opera should suit his sense of drama this would be it, and so it proved. A new Danish baritone was as good as his Swedish predecessor in the title role. All three women, from Canada, Italy and Sweden, were notably well matched. Jonas Degerfeldt made an impression in an unusual reading of Ottavio - bookish and bespectacled, and very well sung. Panajotis Iconomou made a lugubrious beanpole of a Masetto. Neal Davies (the only Brit in the entire cast) was a characterful Leporello, and Alessandro Guerzoni was a notable acquisition as a dark-voiced Commendatore..