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The tale of womaniser Don Giovanni and his servant Leporello. Giovanni's attempts to woo Donna Anna end in tragedy when he kills her father in a duel. Anna and her fiancé Don Ottavio swear vengeance. Giovanni then attempts to seduce Zerlina at her wedding reception, but is foiled when his former mistress Donna Elvira warns the bride of Giovanni's reputation. Giovanni now has everyone out for his blood, but tries to trick his pursuers by switching places with Leporello. Wilhelm Furtwaengler conducts the Vienna State Opera Chorus and Philarmonic Orchestra performing Mozart's famous opera. The principle singers are Walter Berry, Erna Berger, Otto Edelmann, Anton Dermota, Elisabeth Grummer and Cesare Siepi as Don Giovanni.
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Don Giovanni
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
63 of 65 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
When I saw that this DVD was comming out on the catalogue page on Deutsche Grammophon, and seeing the cast, I was determined to get it. When I finally got it, I was in awe through the whole performance. From the moment I saw Furtwängler come up to the podium to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra, I was convinced this was a real to event to treasure.
After the overture, that was brilliantly played, we got to the Otto Edelmann as Leporello in his also brilliant performance. Then came Cesare Siepi in with Elisabeth Grümmer as Don Giovanni and Donna Anna. Both of them powerful. Siepi with his dark seductive and at the same time menacing tone and Grümmer with her determined and noble reading. Anton Dermota then enters. His lyrical voice, so tender and loving performance with his scenes with Grümmer.
Lisa Della Casa as Donna Elvira is another legendary performer, already famous for her Elvira interpretation. She plays Elvira as a woman out for revenge on the Don, but is still in love in him. Erna Berger and Walter Berry, who play Zerlina and Masetto are also extremely good as the yound couple. Berger may be too old for Zerlina, but she sounds so young and innocent, and Berry is always suspicous and vendictive towards his rival, Don Giovanni. And the scenes with Zerlina and Masetto are so tender.
The colors and sound are vibrant and clear. It is a PCM Mono sound and 4:3 picture.
This is a performance that was only played for the camera at the end the Salzburg Festival with the stage turned into a film studio. It is a real treat to witness a performance conducted by the the legendary conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Luca
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The "Don Giovanni" produced for the 1953 Salzburg Festival was an immense success. Thus, the producer Paul Czinner persuaded the Festival Direction, the cast and Furtwängler to take part to a movie production for television broadcasting (using the same stage and scenography: here we do not have an operatic movie, but a movie reproducing a virtual, not live, theatre performance), that started at the end of 1954 theatre season, a few months before Furtwängler's death.
This DVD brings back to us that invaluable document, previously issued on videotape.
Here we can actually get in touch with the achievement, at its best, of the idea of "recitar cantando".
All the stars involved in this wonderful performance act perfectly and accordingly sing. Obviously they all are top singers, so that the "mistery" of the incredible and persistent success of the basic and general concept of "melodramma" (in all its forms) is clearly and simply unveiled.
Acting while singing, in a environment moulded by music, is a more complete form of art than only acting or only singing. Paraphrasing Eugenio Montale, opera is the artistic form that more than any other aims at "the sublime", facing, impavid, the ridiculous. If music and lyrics are good enough, what allows to avoid the ridiculous and to achieve the sublime is involving acting along with masterful singing.
Therefore, here we do not meet tenors with senseless prominent thumbs or sopranos with menacing forefingers or salty statues moving their mouths. Here we see living characters, whose natural and best way of expressing their ideas, feelings, moods is singing. And what acting and singing cannot express is completed by the musical context.
Set design (scenography) is directly involved in the result.... Read more ›
This DVD brings back to us that invaluable document, previously issued on videotape.
Here we can actually get in touch with the achievement, at its best, of the idea of "recitar cantando".
All the stars involved in this wonderful performance act perfectly and accordingly sing. Obviously they all are top singers, so that the "mistery" of the incredible and persistent success of the basic and general concept of "melodramma" (in all its forms) is clearly and simply unveiled.
Acting while singing, in a environment moulded by music, is a more complete form of art than only acting or only singing. Paraphrasing Eugenio Montale, opera is the artistic form that more than any other aims at "the sublime", facing, impavid, the ridiculous. If music and lyrics are good enough, what allows to avoid the ridiculous and to achieve the sublime is involving acting along with masterful singing.
Therefore, here we do not meet tenors with senseless prominent thumbs or sopranos with menacing forefingers or salty statues moving their mouths. Here we see living characters, whose natural and best way of expressing their ideas, feelings, moods is singing. And what acting and singing cannot express is completed by the musical context.
Set design (scenography) is directly involved in the result.... Read more ›
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A treat for eye and ear,this pioneer-capturing on film of Furtwangler's Salzburg Festival Don Giovanni delights in every way. The acting, not just the singing, is a marvel: I would especially mention Cesare Siepi as the Don and Elisabeth Grummer as Donna Anna. My favourite voice is that of Lisa Della Casa, who took the place of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and to my ear is preferable. The costumes and colour harmonies are a fine sensual companion to the music, the staging is faultless and Furtwangler, though growing deaf, still commands a dramatic power and musicality that no other conductor has equalled or surpassed. I can't believe there is a more satisfying film of this great opera.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By anotchka
Format:DVD
I love this film. Saw it at the cinema years ago and was thrilled to get it on DVD. All the principals are first class as well as the conductor - just the right pace.
As well as the tempo, what really distinguishes this
production is the acting. The characters really come across as Mozart and Da Ponte intended. I've seen other productions which were very good, on the stage as well as on TV. This one puts them in the shade.
The set is very good. The costumes did have me puzzled though. The leading character's costume was a little brief except in the last act- also it seemed a century behind those of the other characters. They looked seventeenth century, his seemed sixteenth century.
That was the only thing I could fault.
As well as the tempo, what really distinguishes this
production is the acting. The characters really come across as Mozart and Da Ponte intended. I've seen other productions which were very good, on the stage as well as on TV. This one puts them in the shade.
The set is very good. The costumes did have me puzzled though. The leading character's costume was a little brief except in the last act- also it seemed a century behind those of the other characters. They looked seventeenth century, his seemed sixteenth century.
That was the only thing I could fault.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It's 1954 and I am coming up to 5 years old....meanwhile Salzburg is pumping out a magnificent Don Giovanni with a dream cast........I saw the film version back in the late '60's. Della Casa is first class, Gruemmer is fantastic also... but then so is everyone else......... all are examples of how to sing this in a big scale production yet retain musicality.....
Transfer is not particularly fantastic but mono sound (1954) is very good. Thankfully Czinner managed to film this!
5 stars no hesitation providing you remember the year was 1954!
Transfer is not particularly fantastic but mono sound (1954) is very good. Thankfully Czinner managed to film this!
5 stars no hesitation providing you remember the year was 1954!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great addition to a collection
Following the recent passing of the Swiss soprano Lisa Della Casa respectful tributes appeared in the obituary columns of British newspapers but both newspapers and television in... Read more
Published 5 months ago by trottman
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Goody but Oldie
When the opening struggle on the stairs between Donna Anna and Giovanni is followed by a realistic duel with the commandatore something good is afoot, and it is. Read more
Published 13 months ago by I. Zaneres
2.0 out of 5 stars
I am sure this was wonderful to see live
.. and while this DVD is better than nothing, it's not much better.
The main problem is that the sound is poor. Read more
The main problem is that the sound is poor. Read more
Published 15 months ago by lovingboth
1.0 out of 5 stars
Anachronism
I am not a connoisseur of opera but know what I like. This may be the pinnacle of performance for this opera, but to me I found it representative of opera from a bygone age; an age... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Joules
4.0 out of 5 stars
lacks only one thing
This is, as other reviews suggest, a remarkable performance. As someone who has used it for academic purposes, however, I must comment that it lacks a libretto, either on the DVD... Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2002
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