Marlies’Artbeat: Live-at-the-Met-in-HD features Mozart’s “Don Giovanni. ” How timely can you get?

Frankly, the wonderful world of opera usually has most everyone taking the high road, but this so incredibly timed Don Giovanni, has me re-evaluating the way Mozart and the librettist, DaPonte, chose to present the leading character.

There is no question that the opera is one of the finest achievements of the genre; for many opera buffs, their absolute favorite. It most likely is in the top ten for all opera aficionados. (Rossini, Gounod and Wagner are cited, calling it “the perfect opera.”) Premiered in Prague, in 1787, it was an immediate success, most deservedly for the beauty, wit and power of both the score and the libretto.

Mozart, (1756-1791) viewed the opera as a “comedy.” DaPonte (1749-1836) – who incidentally spent the end of his life in America and is buried in a graveyard in upper Manhattan – called it a “drama giacosa.” This means he considered it to be a work that contains both serious and comic parts. Turns out that this, Mozart’s most stylistically Romantic opera, tilts one way or the other by the way it is directed.

Well, the current production by Michael Grandage, seems to lean towards the comic, but possibly the drabness, the lack of any vivid color of the costuming, reveal further intent. And now, the ugliness of our political campaign with the sexual vulgarities, and the cyber revelation that millions of American women have experienced and long resented sexual harassment of every kind, has led me to reconsider my view of the leading character of this opera.

Heretofore, bedazzled by the power of the music, I have not scrutinized or judged this libertine, and have just accepted the old legend as told. But somehow, this time around, I am taking a more serious look at a character who thinks women simply exist as objects for his sexual enjoyment. It has changed my perception, but frankly not my enjoyment of the glorious score and the superb singing we were given.

This was truly outstanding; one of the best vocal Dons I have ever attended. The impeccably chosen international cast obviously was in top form -- each one gifted with an exceptional instrument – especially the women.

But let’s first get over what prevents it from being one of the best all-around Don Giovannis. This Michael Grandage production, which we were offered in HD in 2011, has not changed the weaknesses it displayed then. The use of a 3-tiered wall that can open and close to have characters emerge and exit, looks like a shabby apartment house. Did they exist in 18th Century Seville, which is the time Grandage seems to place the goings on? The major problem is that the action comes across as boring. That’s a new one for Don Giovanni!

There are moments that really annoy. The Don’s “Serenade” to Elvira’s maid, has always had him "accompany himself " with a mandolin. (Admittedly the singer always faked it.) But here he has no mandolin. The sound is only piped in from the orchestra pit. That definitely strikes a false note. Like a movie, in which a lover in an ordinary room, croons a song that is backed by an unseen full orchestra.

Our imaginations were stretched to the extreme in ways Mr. Grandage, of course, could not control. Simon Keenlyside, the nimble Don, happens to be on the short side. Both the Leporello and the Massetto here towered over him, making it near impossible to accept the Leporello disguise situation, nor that the Don could so easily overpower the guileless peasant. But then the world of opera often demands suspension of disbelieve…

For an outstanding cast like this, we certainly should have been willing to do so. The lusty applause and even “bravos” after many arias, in the movie house in which I saw/heard this Don, were ample proof that we did.

In the title role, Britain’s Simon Keenlyside, the baritone Europe endorses as the current “owner” of the part, lived up to the reputation. He delighted vocally throughout. We are lucky, since vocal chord problems and a botched-up thyroid operation, slowed down his performance schedule markedly.

The Russian soprano, Hibla Gerzmava, has a glorious voice. As Donna Anna, the grieving, forever-reluctant “fiancée,” she met Mozart’s vocal challenges with great beauty and control.

Sweden’s soprano, Malin Bystrom as Donna Elvira, originally one of Giovanni’s “consenting” alliances, pulled off the change to “revenge” with deft acting. And the delivery of her arias was superb.

The Italian mezzo-soprano, Serena Malfi, made Zerlina one of the most practical, street-smart ingénues I have witnessed. Again the vocal execution was delightful.

The biggest surprise was our American, Paul Appleby’s ability to turn the usually sappy role of Don Ottavio, Anna’s ineffective fiancé, into a fairly macho character. That’s difficult to do, with both the coloratura elements and the subservient lines scripted for him. The gifted tenor did himself proud.

As did Adam Plachetka, our lusty Leporello, who hails from the Czech Republic. Giovanni’s disgruntled servant supplies much of the comedy in the opera and often steals the show. He did not quite manage it here, but his vocal and physical performance did much to enhance this production.

Britain’s Matthew Rose, as the hopelessly outwitted peasant bridegroom, made the most of this comic-relief part, both vocally and physically. As the singer, cleverly noted during his intermission interview, his supposedly stupid, pathetic character, is the only one who winds up with what he really wanted all along.

The South-Korean basso, Kwangchul Youn, was our Commendatore. The singer, who made his Met debut in 2004, and who sings major parts around the world, unfortunately has developed a decided tremolo. This somewhat detracted from making the “Stone Guest” really frightening. But the production robbed him of that anyway, by making his appearance similar to other deceased around him in the graveyard scene. Oh, for the days of yore, when the statue’s TA TA TA TA arrival at the dinner, sent actual shivers down our spines. Here, he looked a bit like Wotan hiding his missing eye -- in the wrong opera.

But that sort of small detraction takes little away from this, a Don Giovanni, not to be missed. Under the baton of Fabio Luisi, the always outstanding Met orchestra came through as usual.

The host at this transmission, Joyce DiDonato, entertained us with enlightening interviews of everyone of importance. It is noteworthy that Simon Keenlyside’s was a philosophical lament of the current state of world…

If you share that sentiment, by all means rush to see/hear the encore of this Don, on Wednesday eve, Oct. 26th at 6:30 PM (EST) and at selected theaters for the Thursday 1:00 PM matinee. The opera lets you escape from reality for every second of its 3½ -hour running time.