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The Rake Punished or Don Giovanni: A classic is a classic after all, and this Don Giovanni is as classical as ever – with modern sentiments imbued within
Melbourne Opera’s Don Giovanni makes for a solid return of this Mozart classic to Melbourne stages after a decade away. Staged at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne, the production is running for only three limited performances at the moment, so if you’re keen, you had better be quick.
Directed by Suzanne Chaundy, who refuses to “brush over his [Don’s] assaults as mere elements of the dramma giocoso,” as she puts in her program note, sets her production out to make clear, deliberate creative choices throughout the performance to signal the same. From bringing back The Rake Punished or Don Giovanni as a title to having passionate, powerful sopranos, it is clear that the Don will not enjoy the status of a defying rebel unafraid to flout societal norms – an interpretation originally borne out of the Romantic era that followed the opera’s premiere. It is a message that has never not been timely, and even more so now, with the backdrop of the #MeToo movement over the last few years.
Christopher Tonkin as the Don is flamboyant, charming, and chameleon-like. He moves with ease, has a practiced arrogance about him, and manages to sing effortlessly. His Champagne aria was delivered with much gusto, as was the gentler Deh, vieni alla finestra, which he borrowed a mandolin for. Henry Shaw as Leporello plays the perfect sidekick. A complex character to play – affable by nature, but also complicit in a lot of his master’s antics – a good Leporello requires balancing humor with discomfort well, and Henry is up to the task. Don Ottavio is portrayed by experienced tenor Henry Choo whose voice hits the right tones of comfort and support for Donna Anna during troubled times. Baritone Stephen Marsh as Masetto brings grounded warmth to Zerlina’s devoted suitor.
However, it is the fierce, soprano-led performances of the three women that underscores the success of Chaundy’s interpretation. There is the established soprano Lee Abrahmsen who revels with unbridled fury and emotion as Donna Anna at the beginning. The way she switches from a loud, angry Fuggi, crudele, fuggi to a gentler Non mi dir sung to her beloved Don Ottavio displays her staggering scale, and she carries this vocal gravitas through the vocal ensembles too. Eleanor Greenwood as Donna Elvira has one of the best entries with Ah chi mi dice mai and she sings it with a longing that is as pure as it is painful. Rebecca Rashleigh as Zerlina delivers a bright and peppy soprano carrying real innocence. After she gets over the near-seduction by the Don initially, she can be seen pushing back strongly against his clutches. It was certainly a more modern, more street-smart Zerlina in this production, one who refuses to be tricked easily.
The production’s most striking directorial choice arrives with the ‘Catalogue aria,’ where an army of women marches onto the stage. They represent women from all classes, ages, and backgrounds – all meant to portray the Don’s many escapades as Leporello so wickedly outlines in his list. The women are stone-faced and sombre looking, and Chaundry wants you to take a good look at them and understand that these women are more than just an entry in a book, that they all have faces and emotions, and they all have been wronged and abused in some shape or form. It is a powerful answer to the Don’s “Viva la libertà!”
Then there is Donna Elvira’s chambermaid, a minor, but not insignificant role, who is seen keeping a record of the proceedings. Witness accounts and perspectives are important aids, and Uma Dobia portrays this role well. Accompanying her mistress with a diary, Uma’s voiceless character lends plenty of credibility to the claims made against the Don, and as Donna Elvira finds herself seesawing between feelings of revenge and pity for him till the very end, she also offers, quietly, a sympathetic shoulder to cry on.
Dale Ferguson’s set is minimal – two arched walls lined up diagonally across the stage, offering entry, exit, and huddle points for the main characters as well as the common townsfolk. One of the Athenaeum boxes becomes a part of the set where the characters sit, muse, and serenade from time to time. The minimal set lends space for the costumes by Rose Chong to thrive, and they are a pleasing mix of loud, colorful, and showy for the principal characters and simpler, textured layers for the nobility.
The finale sees a statuesque larger-than-life Commendatore, played by bass Eddie Muliaumaseali’i, bathed in stunning, shadowy lightwork. He commands presence on stage and has plenty of gravitas to go with his character.
Is Don Giovanni Worth Seeing in Melbourne?
Raymond Lawrence conducts a 35-strong orchestra that keeps Mozart’s score alive and propulsive throughout. As I was leaving the theatre, I caught snippets of conversation among the audience, some of whom were at their tenth or even twentieth Don Giovanni performance, and they still clapped along to their favourite arias or hummed the music as they walked out of the theater. A classic is a classic, after all, and Melbourne Opera’s production is worth attending for a newbie as well as a seasoned opera fan.
Tickets and Practical Info for Don Giovanni in Melbourne 🎟️
Venue: Athenaeum Theatre One, Melbourne
Dates:
29th Apr, 7:30 PM
03rd May, 2.30 PM
Ticket link: https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/don-giovanni-tickets/artist/803731#shows
