A Tony award winner, a sexy Don Giovanni and a new direction for The Met Opera

art life and stilettos — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 13:04:41 EDT

Mariusz Kwiecien as Don Giovanni.
Photo by Nick Heavican © 2011 The Metropolitan Opera.

The Met Opera is going through a transitional phase at the moment, since Fabio Luisi was named principal conductor last month, and musical director (and previous principal conductor) James Levine has been pulling out of performances due to health problems. It seems like a matter of time before Luisi takes over the reigns completely. He's getting the opportunity to oversee the newest productions debuting this fall, including "Siegfried" which forms part of Wagner's Ring Cycle, which has been slowly unfolding since last season, and on Thursday he will conduct a brand-spanking new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, directed by Tony award winner Michael Grandage.

How will it all pan out? Will Luisi be able to fill the void left by Levine? Only time will tell. What I want to know is if this new production of Don Giovanni has any staying power. I've seen it performed many times under many guises but have yet to really connect with a particular direction. Yes, this is a story about a womanizing, sex-addicted rascal named Don Giovanni and his wingman sidekick Leporello. Yes, this the women are taken advantage of and either submit or seek revenge. Yes, this is a morality play where Don Giovanni must finally come face to face with his demons. There's a lot of drama and farce to work with in such a well thought out plot. Perhaps Michael Grandage can produce something worth sticking to.

Click to read the full New York Times article on Don Giovanni, included for your benefit:

Art Life and Stilettos

A Tony award winner, a sexy Don Giovanni and a new direction for The Met Opera