Don Giovanni along with the Magic Flute appealed to me most in my youth. Don Giovanni represented the carnal, dissolute side of life, while Magic Flute was spiritual, worshipful. This production from Covent Garden in 2008 has the best hero in Simon Keenlyside that we have seen possibly since Cesare Siepi's glory days in the 1950's.
Keenlyside is so sleek and reptilian, and sings so well that he makes a great impression. The viewer understands why Leporello often complains that Giovanni is a bad man and a bad boss. Kyle Ketelson sings very deftly, and makes us forget his resemblance to Keenlyside. I never cared much for Donna Anna's character, but Marina Poplavskaya brings her to life. Her costumes are well designed, as the previous reviewer noted.
Joyce DiDonato is as effective as Donna Elvira as Kiri te Kanawa was in Losey's film. Passionate and a little reckless, she moves us. The sets are top notch: altogether this film can take first place among contemporary productions.
