Don Giovanni escapes the flames in Salzburg

By Jonathan Sutherland, 09 August 2016

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“Valetina Naforniţa... flawless vocal technique and pristine vibrato-less colour”

Reviewed at Haus für Mozart, Salzburg on 7 August 2016

Mozart, Don Giovanni

Alain Altinoglu, Conductor

Sven-Eric Bechtolf, Director

Rolf Glittenberg, Set Designer

Marianne Glittenberg, Costume Designer

Carmela Remigio, Donna Anna

Layla Claire, Donna Elvira

Valentina Naforniţă, Zerlina

Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Don Giovanni

Luca Pisaroni, Leporello

Paolo Fanale, Don Ottavio

Alessio Arduini, Masetto

Iurii Samoilov, Masetto

Alain Coulombe, The Commendatore

Vienna Philharmonic

Angelika Prokopp Summer Academy of the Vienna Philharmonic

Philharmonia Chor Wien

Walter Zeh, Choirmaster / chorus director

Ronny Dietrich, Dramaturgy

Friedrich Rom, Lighting Designer

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Mark Pullinger, 28th January

Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen returns to Sven-Eric Bechtolf's lean but polished production with an outstanding cast, outstandingly conducted.

****1

Sparkling new L'elisir d'amore from Latvian National Opera

Dominic Lowe, 23rd May

The leafy parks and cobbled streets of Riga’s old town are far removed from the intense heat of the little village in the Basque Country in which Donizetti set his L'elisir d'amore, but a new production at the Latvian National Opera captures much of the spirit of the work, adroitly balancing comedy with the joys and pain of love.

****1

Jessica Pratt sparkles in Strehler’s iconic Entführung at La Scala

Laura Servidei, 25th February

Young conductor Thomas Guggeis makes a rousing debut at La Scala leading a great cast in one of the greatest productions of the 20th century.

*****

Welser-Möst begins his Ring farewell with a rousing Rheingold

George Jahn, 21st June

Sven-Erich Bechtolf's staging of Wagner's Ring returns with Franz Welser-Möst at the helm for the final time, having recently announced his retirement of the cycle from his repertoire.

****1

Sir Bryn Terfel stars as Sir John Falstaff in a lively Zurich revival

Laura Servidei, 5th July

The Opernhaus Zürich revives Sven-Eric Bechtolf's 2011 production of Verdi’s last masterpiece with a solid supporting cast.

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Science goes screwball in Maggio Musicale's new Così fan tutte

Elena Luporini, 30th August

Sven-Eric Bechtolf's staging holds a balance between philosophy and humour, but Adam Fischer's vivacious conducting is the real star of the evening.

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Jonathan Sutherland

Jonathan Sutherland is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Hochschule Mozarteum in Salzburg. He is also an internationally renowned concert pianist specializing in the music of the 1930s. Jonathan’s first operatic experience was hearing Maria Callas sing Tosca in Covent Garden and he has since heard performances in all continents of the world including over 60 different productions at the Wiener Staatsoper. He has written for The Australian, Opera Today and The Opera Critic as well as Bachtrack. Jonathan speaks English, French, German and Italian fluently and is based in the south of France near Nice.

Sizzling sex scenes but Don Giovanni escapes the flames in Salzburg