Search - Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Richard Bradshaw :: Don Giovanni: Lepovello's Revenge (Soundtrack)

What a thrill !

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 12/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To hear my favorite singer perform my favorite opera is a treat indeed, and through the the magic of modern technology, we get to hear him do duets with himself, as both the Don, and Leporello. This dual casting, as the booklet says about this hour long film, "...alludes to the notion that the Don and his servant are alter-egos, opposite sides of the the same person".One of the reasons I like this CD is that I get to hear all the parts of this opera (including the overture) that delight me, all on one disc...also the recitativos, which are sometimes the most delectable of all...and Hvorostovsky does them so well, with his flawless Italian.
I also love the trio "Al taci, ingiusto core", and the sestetto "Sola, sola in buio loco". Of the lovely melodic arias, the "La ci darem la mano" duet, and the beautiful Serenata are wonderful, and perfectly suited for his rich baritone.In the cast there's Dominique Labelle (Donna Anna), Gary Relyea (Commendatore), Liesel Fedkenheuer (Donna Elvira), Michael Colvin (Ottavio), Krisztina Szabo (Zerlina), and Alain Coulombe (Masetto), and though they may not be of Hvorostovsky's stature (few singers are !), they do an excellent job of backing him here. I especially like Relyea, and he gets to sing in what for me is one of the greatest scenes in all opera, the final trio, starting with the Commendatore's "Don Giovanni, a cenar teco"...now to hope this film becomes available on video !"

Masterful Don Giovanni

Alejandra Vernon | 03/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'd say Hvorostovsky makes the best Don Giovanni there is. Despite his temperament fits more to Verdi than Mozart, I really love his exquisite lyric baritone voice in Mozart. I was extremely impressed when I heard him sung the Count at Salzburg back in 95. He is my favorite Mozart interpreter ever since. I don't think anybody else could quite pull off "La ci darem" and "Serenade" so seductively as Hvorostovsky does. His "Champagne aria" is at most perfect tempo, and even Lepollero's "Catalogo aria" sounds so sensuous. This is the only recording of his Mozart. I should be thankful to have this at all since he sung both Giovanni and Leporello. What a clever idea!The film version of "Lepollero's Revenge is quite a treat.
Dmitri's portrayal of both Don Giovanni and Lepollero is absolutely charming. He showed his comical skills so well.He'll sing Don Giovanni at the Met next season and The Marriage of Figaro at Paris, so he keeps the balance in between various Verdi productions."

A Showcase of DH's Mozart.

Abel | Hong Kong | 02/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If Don Giovanni wasn't casted by Mozart with sufficient solo arias, this soundtrack made it up by having the same singer singing the part of Leporello as well.

In recent years DH has focused primarily on his native Russian reportoire. In part, this is a true loss to operatic fans.

Here in Don Giovanni, DH demonstrates what a versatile singer he is.

Personally I find his timbre suits the role of Don Giovanni more than Leporello. Even so, in terms of singing, the great solo arias of Leporello were handled very well too in this recording.

If the orchestra is not as first rate as other top-notch ones, and the rest of the cast less well-known, the singers of Zerlina and Commendatore did come up with more than competent performances alongside with DH.

Just for the sake of a truly good baritone singing a truly great opera, this soundtrack is a must to own."