Virginia Opera delivers seductive 'Don Giovanni'

By Lee Teply Correspondent

It's a given that on any particular night, even in the world's greatest opera houses, the chances of getting everything just right are slim. There are just too many variables in this mix of music and theater, and sometimes, the strengths of one aspect of the opera dominate over weaknesses of others.

The Virginia Opera's production of Mozart's "Don Giovanni," which opened Saturday evening at the Harrison Opera House, did the amazing - it did not have imbalances and succeeded on every level. Being one of the greatest of all operas, the experience was one of the best offered by the company in recent years, and one that could rival those of bigger companies.

Mozart and his librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, mixed elements of serious and comic opera in a perfect blend that reflects the varied emotions of real life. The strong cast brought the characters to life with their interesting variety in vocal colors.

In the title role, baritone Matthew Worth sang and moved around the stage with energy and agility. His voice was so resonant, so attractive that the audience was tempted to admire his character, just as Mozart intended. Giovanni, after all, had an impressive record of seductions.

The two upper-class women he pursues in this story were clearly appealing, singing and acting with the grace that fit their stations. Soprano Nicolle Foland was a sympathetic Donna Anna who, after losing her father in the first scene, showed her inner turmoil for the rest of the opera in singing that ranged from bright purity to rapid angularity.

As Donna Elvira, soprano Cristina Nassif was a more mature, though equally troubled, figure. Her darker sound was a nice contrast, and her delivery of words was particularly dramatic.

Tenor Chad A. Johnson sang the challenging arias of Don Ottavio with careful control, a wise decision vocally, but it also made him seem more thoughtful, more grounded in reality than the two women. He approached Giovanni with an intellectual detachment that fit his station.

Mozart's cultural balance of lower-class characters worked particularly well, thanks to strong casting. Leporello, Giovanni's servant, was a real opera buffa type of character, as played by bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs. His singing was as agile as his movement, but he could also draw out a long, beautiful line.

His humor was matched by the young lovers, Zerlina and Masetto, played by soprano Sarah Jane McMahon and baritone David Krohn. The two had a simple but real love, shown in moments of great tenderness. Their jealousies were also quite obvious. Natural, clear singing added to their appeal.

Bass Nathan Stark made much of the small but critical role of the Commendatore, using his deep voice and stiff movement to create a ghostly terror.

The chorus, also a small but important role, was particularly strong in the party scene, singing and dancing with rustic energy.

Leading the music, conductor Joseph Walsh moved the long story forward at a fast pace, keeping the listener alert by connecting sections of recitative and aria tightly. He drew a polished, energetic performance from the members of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in the pit, every bit of fast figuration under control.

The flexible set designed by Erhard Rom used classical forms creatively. In the space, dramatically lit by Kendall Smith, stage director Lillian Groag put a lot of meaningful motion, even managing to fit in the triple dance at the end of Act 1. Her use of extras was also creative, adding interest to a scene before moving things around for the next one.

Groag was especially helpful in making the recitatives meaningful. Her concepts almost always fit Mozart's music. However, one does have to question her decision to add a disrobing young lady to both the overture and end of the final scene, mainly because her action was so at odds with Mozart's music. But these were just a couple odd moments in an evening filled with music and theater of the highest order.

Lee Teply, lteply@odu.edu