Martin Kusej stages Mozart's Don Giovanni
Behind the scenes at the Salzburger Festspiele with Daniel Harding, Thomas Hampson and Christine Schäfer
Cast
Christine Schäfer — Donna Anna
Melanie Diener — Donna Elvira
Isabel Bayrakdarian — Zerlina
Robert Lloyd — Il Commendatore
Program notes
A fascinating documentary on the production of Don Giovanni at the Salzburg Festival in 2006.
Premiered on 29 October 1787, the opera Il dissoluto punito, ossia Il Don Giovanni is assuredly one of the most perfect works of its genre. The hero, characterized by his merry wantonness, his disregard for the social order and his seductive power has given raise to a lot of divergent interpretations. Is he evil or a promethean hero? With an extreme subtelty, Mozart leaves the question unanswered, but draws a penetrating psychological portrait of this extremely complex character.
On the occasion of the 250th birthday of Mozart, the Salzburg Festival produced the complete operatic works composed by the classical genius. This production of Don Giovanni stars an incredible cast made up of the greatest Mozart singers, including Thomas Hampson, Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Melanie Diener, Christine Schäfer and Piotr Beczala. Excerpts from rehearsals, interviews with artists and background reports shed light on the meticulously elaborated, multi-layered concepts of the musical interpretations and stage productions.