Sunset in the Wings

Aside from anything that Mozart has done here, and anything that the singers and the crew have succeeded at, Don Giovanni gets extra points by being the first opera I’ve ever seen at the spectacular Santa Fe opera venue. Half covered, and half open to views of the mountainous horizon, this theater produces a terrific feeling of comfort and space, a setting where any opera would be thrilling.

Santa Fe has done a remarkable job creating a place for opera, by putting it out in the red-rock mountains. It’s straightforward to find from the highway; the parking is ample and well organized; the surrounding hills give you a lift as you walk toward the theater and wait to take your seat. Inside, and 8 PM curtain time allows you to look at the waning light on the distant hills while you’re chatting with the folks around you.

There’s more legroom than anywhere I’ve ever been, and the individualized translations are placed at a more workable position than in New York or Milan.

Certainly, there were times when the evening heat and the stillness became uncomfortable, but there were also times when the desert wind blew through the theater with a delightful effect.

The high points of the show itself included the sets, built in ranks of moving walls that are folded open and shut like pages of a book, perfectly making do in a setting that cannot have a curtain to rise or fall.

Crowd on the Stage

Speedo Green handles the Don with volume, control, and gesture that seemed perfect. (This guy is a powerhouse, so he deserves a more central role than he got in Trovatore, or in Semiramide; I think he’s a terrific Don Giovanni.) To me, the other outstanding performer was David Portillo, the tenor who did Ottavio; he doesn’t seem to have the superlative articulation of Florez, but he can carry out elaborate phrases for a surprisingly pleasant, emotional effect; what an impressive skill.

The first time I saw Giovanni (on video), I had trouble following the story because there were so many characters and it was not always clear why they were there or what their attitudes were. This time, I was still a bit confused, even though I figured out the cast with less difficulty. I think Mozart and Da Ponte simply bring in too many characters who are not always needed; or perhaps the flow is just a bit jerky as we keep moving back-and-forth from the issues of one pair of characters to another, and another.

Shame on the Bad Guy

Then there is the rising and frustrating ambivalence of the message. I get it, they’re being sarcastic here, placing Giovanni‘s horrible lack of morals, and the damage to women, inside a comedy - a drama giocoso. But I’m kind of pulled in two directions here, and it’s not always comfortable.

On top of that, what Giovanni is doing here, in most cases, is simply pursuing women for the short term conquest, and then dumping them, and making excuses for his own behavior. No question about it, that’s offensive, and I feel badly for the women that he’s constantly lying to. Plus, keeping a list is kinky as hell. But this reprehensible behavior is not really that uncommon, and (with one exception) it doesn’t really deserve the fires of hell. This guy needs to grow up. He needs to learn how to enjoy life and how to love people, not to be punished with eternal damnation.

Elvira is the one who understands this, because at the end she expresses understanding and sorrow for what Giovanni is up to. But in this story, she doesn’t move to that gradually. Instead, she spends the first act, and most of the second, seeking vengeance and marshaling everyone on the stage to her side, aiming to capture and kill Giovanni for his misdeeds. Then suddenly, she has a change of heart and perspective, and even drapes herself sadly over his body, as if she was losing a great friend. My head is spinning.

Focus on the Morals

Further, in my judgment, if the Commendatore is going to take Don Giovanni to hell forever, he has to think about bringing along this damnable Zerlina. Is it just me, or did anyone else notice that this lady is a two-faced immoral slut, almost from the beginning to the end? Our attention is drawn to the devilish Giovanni as he moves in on the wedding party and grabs the bride and convinces her that she should run off with him and all his money and power. But listen to this: Zerlina says yes! More than once!

Of course, her guy Masetto is a dope and a wet Kleenex, but regardless, she’s committed to him to the point of getting married that very day. In my book, hell has a little place for women who will quickly turn their back on their fiancé and go with a smooth talking rich guy and then try to cover up her duplicity. And she does cover it up. She comes back to Masetto and then switches off to Giovanni again and then tries to make nice with Masetto. Intolerable! But the story lets her get away with this behavior, no questions asked. Liv Redpath sings it impeccably, but the character is a scoundrel.

So the tale is a bit frustrating to watch as we are flipped repeatedly between outrage and sympathy, for both Giovanni and Zerlina. It’s worse because I was also uncertain about Donna Anna, who seems to have been jilted by Giovanni, but it is revealed (late in the second act) that hers was a case of attempted rape. Anna’s focus is on the loss of her father, and that makes good sense, but a brutal, forcible attack behind a locked door is worse than just being one in a string of Giovanni‘s conquests, and it’s certainly not something for Leporello to make jokes about, and to envy, as he waits for the door to open.

Shortcuts in the Music

Do I get to talk about the music? Frustrating again! These melodies and songs from Mozart, and the way he masterfully uses the orchestra, produce a fabulous evening of music in this beautiful setting. But to me, everything was a bit too short. Just as I set my focus on the aria and the supporting singers and the remarkable orchestration, the song is over. It happens again and again, and pretty soon I want to go out and listen to a Mozart symphony, not an opera.

My God, this is complex and perfect music, and it is delightful to listen to. But every time, in a short minute, it ends, and they move on with the story, to a different singer or a new scene. Stick with the music, Mozart. That might be the best part of what we have here and I don’t want it to keep cutting me off.

Don Juan on the Shelf

So that was a grand and entertaining evening, but I still left the incredible Santa Fe Opera House unsettled, and puzzled. Does Don Giovanni need a little bit of editing, to make the storytelling smoother, more credible, and more emotionally satisfying? I think so.

But I suspect it’s also possible that this time-honored story made more sense in the 1780s than it does in today’s world. I’m hoping that today we can all more easily see through the duplicity of a corrupt fool, and give him less leeway to succeed. And I’m happily confident that most women are smarter than Elvira and Zerlina, and less tolerant than Anna, so they wouldn’t allow themselves to be trapped so badly, and so frequently. A problem for Mozart is, Don Giovanni isn’t funny any more. The world has moved on, and that’s good.