In Claus Guth's almost cinematic production of Don Giovanni, every character in Mozart's most realistic opera appears to be seeking either salvation or damnation in the woods--a compelling set concept that removes the opera from the traditional pseudo-Seville squares and places. In the dense forest planted on the stage of the Haus für Mozart, the rugged and macho Don Giovanni, assisted by his unsavory accomplice Leporello, lures the ladies with the heady sense of danger. Christopher Maltman embodies Don Giovanni as an almost reluctant seducer--a man fated to bring misery to women, and ultimately himself. He leads an outstanding cast in a production that by its very originality demonstrates the strength of Mozart's original conception.

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Conductor: Bertrand De Billy
Venue: Salzburg Festival
Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic
Cast/Soloist: Christopher Maltman, Erwin Schrott, Annette Dasch, Dorothea Röschmann, Ekaterina Siurina
Genre: Opera