Britten’s War Requiem in the closing weeks of the Symphony Hall season had turned into something of a superspreader event for those onstage. So, when the Tanglewood season was announced and the second weekend’s programming was almost exclusively vocal, indulging in a few apotropaic rituals seemed appropriate. Fortunately, circumstances remained auspicious and the weekend performances went off as planned.
Andris Nelsons' previous opera performances have, for the most part, favored large scale works by the likes of Strauss and Wagner. Saturday evening featured a reduced orchestra and a brisk, but pliant performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. The weight and color of the opening chords loomed like an ominous storm cloud over the action until their spine-tingling return along with Ryan Speedo Green’s cavernous Commendatore in the final scene. Though much of what followed was lithe and bright, the darker undertones (of Donna Anna’s music, for example) remained vivid. The Boston Symphony Orchestra seemed to breathe along with the singers, while the singers – a fresh-voiced, youthful and diverse cast – blended with them. For a one-off, this was a well balanced, well integrated, ensemble performance with everyone firing on all cylinders.
In the title role, Ryan McKinny seemed a bit tentative at the outset but became more assertive, suave and confident as the performance progressed. The Don is protean, often adopting different personae as circumstances demand. McKinny made such histrionics clear through the coloring and weight of his voice and his acting. He and Nelsons collaborated on a Champagne Aria that was not only insanely fast but clearly articulated, a vocal highlight of the evening. Will Liverman as his sidekick limned Leporello with unaccustomed gravity thanks to a dark, robust voice not often associated with the role. The buffo aspects were character-based and never forced.