Opera Review: A splendid "Don Giovanni" at Winter Opera

The wonderful Winter Opera has opened a quite splendid production of what has been called “the opera of all operas”—Mozart’s amazing “Don Giovanni.”

The battle of the sexes is the most ancient of all story plots. It’s the basis of most operas, most sitcoms, and most Hollywood gossip. And certainly the Don Juan myth is an essential example of that plot. In 1630 the great Spanish playwright Tirso de Molina invented this tale—of a man who has dedicated his life to seduction. Don Juan mounts a one-man guerilla war against female chastity; every woman he meets is on his “bucket list” of things to do.

Since then the Don Juan story has appeared a thousand times in literature and art. It has inspired plays by Molière (1665), Goldoni (1735) and others all the way to Shaw, who’s “Man and Superman” (1903) contains a famous Act 4 where we see Juan debating the Devil in Hell.

There have been several operas based on the tale. In fact in April 1787, two Don Giovanni operas, by different composers, opened in Venice on the same day—eight months before Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” opened in Prague.

This story has “legs”!

And, in the Mozart version, does it ever have music!! The gorgeously athletic overture gives us hints of the ominous—and the light-hearted—events which are to follow. This opera straddles two centuries—two eras: the Classical 18th century and the Romanic 19th Century.

We see on the Winter Opera stage one of the most truly beautiful sets I’ve seen there. It’s classically simple—four very lovely tall Corinthian columns, steps to platforms left and right, doors with pointed arches (left), and a great square door (right). A lovely small fountain. And everything looks perfectly real. Those columns and steps and walls are stone! The company’s long-time scene designer Scott Loebl has outdone himself. And again he gives us an astonishing cloud-scape, shifting in color as befits the mood.

This set is gracefully adjusted to represent variously a garden, a hall, a graveyard, etc.

The cast includes opera talents with international reputations. The title role is sung by Jacob Lassetter, a very familiar voice on our opera stages. (He also heads the opera program at Webster Conservatory.) Lassetter has a stage presence that radiates power; he’s a striking figure, and with a strong voice to match. No wonder the girls fall for this Giovanni.

The great seducer is accompanied in his exploits by his servant, Leporello. This is a wonderful comic role, and it’s sung by the soon-to-be-great Robert Mellon who did such fine work as Figaro and Falstaff in recent seasons at Union Avenue Opera. Mellon has a voice that easily fills the hall. He’s a skilled actor and has a lively, physical comic gift that makes Leporello sparkle. He triumphs in the famous “catalogue” aria, where he enumerates the many feminine conquests of his master. (In Spain alone two thousand three!)

The company’s founder, Gina Galati, lovelier than ever, sings the role of Donna Elvira, Giovanni’s recently-abandoned lover. Hers is a rich and agile voice, so at home and at ease among those difficult flourishes. It’s quite a perfect performance.

Donna Anna is sung by the glorious Robin Marie Lamp from Florida. She is remarkable, firstly, for the mere wondrous size of her voice. She shows such easy and consistent power. Add to this the great sweetness shown in every note—and the nimbleness and delicacy with which she meets those coloratura challenges. Her “vengeance” aria is a stunner!

Very fine work is done by Nicholas Huff as Don Ottavio, Anna’s fiancé, and by Raphaella Medina and Mark Hosseini as Zerlina and Masetto, the peasant couple upon whose wedding Giovanni intrudes.

Last but not least, Nathan Whitson brings a thunderously powerful basso to the role of Il Commendatore, Anna’s father whom Giovanni kills. As a marble statue he returns to wreak vengeance on his killer.

Costumes, by Jen Blum-Tatara, are utterly gorgeous throughout the production. From Giovanni’s flowing wine-colored cloak to striking gowns for the ladies to lovely softer-hued garb for the peasants. All properly period, all perfectly fitted.

The graveyard scene, where Giovanni confronts the Commendatore’s funereal statue, is amazing. Mr. Whitson, seated, wears what appears to be actual marble. The statue speaks, its head nods, but the entire body is utterly, absolutely immobile! Not a finger moves, not a bit of fabric—for ten minutes! How in the world … ?

The ultimate damnation of our villain is impressively done. Suddenly demons appear—a rag-tag lot, tugging and dancing and dragging Giovanni down into a very fiery mouth of Hell. They have that same frightening chaotic menace as the Wicked Witch’s flying monkeys.

Michael Sullivan lights the show with great care, making moments quite moving or brightly merry as appropriate. At one point Zerlina’s golden hair becomes a very halo.

I did miss one thing—the ominous repeated pounding on the door as The Statue demands entry to the dinner. It just wasn’t there. But it’s an important dramatic element. It is Fate! (I attended a final rehearsal, so maybe this will be fixed.)

Stage Director John Stephens does brilliant work, with a lovely sense of “stage picture”. Everything is graceful.

Scott Schoonover conducts the orchestra and brings out an exquisite precision in this wonderful music.

Winter Opera’s “Don Giovanni” played at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center on November 17 and 19. The season continues with Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" January 19 and 21, 2024. More information is avilable at the Winter Opera web site.