Don Giovanni

[Barbirollians]

After a disappointing trip to the ROH on Saturday I dug out my only recording of the piece the classic Giulini . Marvellous as it is and Sutherland , Sciutti and Schwarzkopf in particular knocked spots off Saturday's three female leads - I am in the market for a more recent version .

What is your favourite recording ? And shall I just stick with Giulini ?

[Dave2002]

After a disappointing trip to the ROH on Saturday I dug out my only recording of the piece the classic Giulini . Marvellous as it is and Sutherland , Sciutti and Schwarzkopf in particular knocked spots off Saturday's three female leads - I am in the market for a more recent version .

What is your favourite recording ? And shall I just stick with Giulini ?

I'm almost inclined to reply "Yes"!

Maybe I'll revisit this thread later.

[aeolium]

Well, I'm a fan of an even older recording of Don Giovanni, live from the Salzburg Festival in 1950, with a cast of Gobbi, Welitsch, Kunz, Dermota, Schwarzkopf, Seefried, Greindl and Poell, VPO conducted by Furtwängler. I also admire a more recent version (though still not recent) also live from the Salzburg Festival in 1977 with VPO in great form, conducted by Böhm and with a cast of Milnes, Tomowa-Sintow, Schreier, Zylis-Gara, Berry, Duesing, Mathis and Macurdy. I'm not that familiar with later versions as these two are so good (and I also go to live performances from time to time).

[Parry1912]

Have you heard Gardiner? The arrival of the stone guest will knock your socks off!

Haitink's is also excellent and can be got very cheaply on Amazon marketplace.

[Thomas Roth]

Jacobs.

[Bryn]

Nyman (In Re), recently reissued in a new remastering.

[I'll get me coat.]

[vinteuil]

Jacobs.

Yes, I wd certainly second Thomas Roth's recommendation of the marvellous René Jacobs Don Giovanni on harmonia mundi. (Indeed, the entire continuing Jacobs Mozart is proving to be a revelation to me - you might also like to try his Idomeneo - Clemenza - Zauberflöte - Figaro - Così... )

I still enjoy the Giulini Don Giovanni - and indeed also the Colin Davis, Harnoncourt, Böhm, and Krips - but for me now those which I get most from are the Jacobs, Norrington, and Gardiner.

[aeolium]

I didn't care for the extracts from the Jacobs Zauberflöte that were played a year or so back as Disc of the Week on CD Review and haven't been tempted to hear any of his other Mozart opera recordings.

I did like Haitink's recording of Così, so would be interested to hear his DG.

[mikealdren]

In addition to the Giulini, I've got the older Krips and Fricsay, both excellent.
Mike

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Giulini's must be one of his greatest achievements. Colin Davis - very good too.

I've yet to listen to Furtwangler in my huge box set, but it's next on my list.

[Barbirollians]

I realise I have the Furtwangler too but have not listened to it for years . Remember enjoying it but whenever I feel like listening to the DOn it is always Giulini I turn to .

Listening to Sutherland hitting her top notes with such accuracy is a sorry lesson for Saturday's Donna Anna who leapt in hope for them !

[aeolium]

The Giulini recording was the first complete recording I heard, and it is indeed impressive - wonderful playing from the Philharmonia, and Sutherland is on good form as Donna Anna. I didn't think the rest of the cast was as strong, though, and although Sutherland's singing is excellent, her characterisation of Donna Anna was imo not as convincing - it brought to mind more an angry housewife than a wronged Spanish noblewoman determined on vengeance. Perhaps I would reconsider that view hearing it again, but compared with the fiery Welitsch on the Furtwängler set Sutherland just seemed somewhat tame.

[Barbirollians]

I like Waechter- for all the fact that his may not be the greatest voice to have assayed the part you do believe that he might be a successful seducer.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The Guilini is superb. Unless you want a HIP version (and I third - ?fourth? - the Jacobs recommendation, adding Kuijiken's "cheap-as-chips version for those not captivated by Jacob's use of continuo) I can't think of a better performance of the work. Other "big band" recordings I like have been mentioned (the Fürtwängler and Davis) except for Karajan's - his best Mozart recording since the '50s.
But all "trumped" by Giulini.

[gurnemanz]

For many years I lived with the Böhm/Prague/Fischer-Dieskau on LP. I enjoyed it very much and played it till the grooves wore out but it was the only recording I owned and I think I was not greatly aware of some of its shortcomings. Reri Grist is a complete delight as Zerlina and still probably my favourite. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBe1YfyqL0o

I am aware of the merits of the Giulini. I once chatted to Waechter's daughter in Germany and probably like many people whom she meets for the first time, I started going on about her father's famous Don. However, I don't completely enjoy Taddei's sometimes over-characterised, funny-voice Leporello. The two CD versions I have are the 1955 Krips (with a, for me, far preferable Fernando Corena as Leporello and an exquisite Elvira in Lisa della Casa who I could not live without) and the more recent live Gardiner set.