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Monday, October 15, 2001

By Andrew Druckenbrod, Post-Gazette Classical Music Critic

The stakes could hardly be higher than they were with the Pittsburgh Opera's new production of Mozart's "Don Giovanni," which opened Saturday night.

The opener is always under pressure to set the tone for the season, but this opener was a co-production the Opera created for itself and three other companies, including the New York City Opera. If the production didn't pan out, it would be panned -- all across the country -- in the coming years. That this was the first time the Opera has ever led a co-production made success all the more crucial.

	'Don Giovanni' WHERE: Benedum Center, Downtown. WHEN: 7 p.m. tomorrow; 8 p.m. Oct 19; 2:30 p.m. Oct. 21. TICKETS: $13-$95. 412-456-6666.

Add to that the fact that "Don Giovanni" marked the first opera completely staged under the new regime of artistic director Christopher Hahn and music director John Mauceri. Last season they used singers, repertory and, for the most part, productions chosen by former head Tito Capobianco. This time, Hahn and Mauceri were free to do things their way.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, what may have appeared to be a fun night at the opera was actually a make-or-break night, especially since Hahn vowed to bring the conservative Pittsburgh Opera into the mainstream. He is more interested in bold sets that support the interpretation of the director, instead of extravagant and realistic ones, which I personally applaud.

The bottom line is that this "Don Giovanni" represents the new look of Pittsburgh Opera. It was certainly visually different. I liked the change, with reservations, but many others will not. Let the debate begin.

The sleek lines, striking perspective and barren look of the set -- created by Riccardo Hernandez to specifications by stage director Thor Steingraber, Hahn and others -- brought a sophisticated simplicity to the fore. The exaggerated verticality -- extremely high doors and windows -- granted the characters a down-to-earth quality. The stage was often bathed in near-darkness, emphasizing the dark spot on the sun that is Don Giovanni's soul.

However, like Don Giovanni, the set was too in love with itself. Steingraber used it as a crutch, rather than a starting point, for his reading of Mozart's masterpiece. The opera is ambiguous, since Mozart and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte never come down hard on whether Don Giovanni is to be despised or prized. Steingraber's take -- that Don Giovanni himself was tormented with the same issue manifest as narcissism versus guilt -- was not consistently advanced in ways other than through the set.

Don Giovanni appears to struggle with a guilty conscience immediately after he kills the Commendatore in the first scene, but we get no whiff of this again until the finale. As the opera concludes, the dead man appears behind a two-sided mirror to confront the hero/villain, suggesting Don Giovanni is really struggling with himself. This was well-done, but Steingraber needed to accentuate his vision with the characters, who more or less acted in traditional fashion between the first and last scenes. If anything, they seemed uncomfortable with the comedic elements of the play, which suffered from lack of commitment and timing.

The other aspects of Saturday night's performance didn't even flirt with ambiguity. The singing was the best I've heard at the Opera. The pattern had been one or two above-average singers combined with several substandard. But across the board, the watchword was excellence. Most of the cast made their Opera debut, a good sign for the future.

William Shimell's Don Giovanni was a whirling dervish of intensity. Donna Anna had a powerful ally in Christine Goerke, whose coloratura was matched only by her rich timbre. Pamela Armstrong's Donna Elvira was a convincing portrait of a woman spurned, showing how modern the issues of this opera are. Perfectly cast as Zerlina, Rinat Shaham displayed control and a warm, supple voice. Pittsburgh Opera Center singer Hugh Russell (Masetto) confirmed that he is ready for a career, and Charles Castronovo (Don Ottavio) was admirably constrained in voice and posture.

Excepting ensemble problems in the violins, the orchestra was in tip-top shape under Mauceri. He exuded confidence, which translated ably to the orchestra and the singers.