Don Giovanni in Paris: Peter Mattei, Bernard Richter, Philippe Jordan... and übertalented Michael Haneke

Don Giovanni, Opéra Bastille in Paris, March 15 2012

Bernard Richer, Véronique Gens, Peter Mattei, Philippe Jordan, Patricia Petibon, David Bizic

Michael Haneke ..... director
Philippe Jordan ..... conductor


Peter Mattei ..... Don Giovanni
Paata Burchuladze ..... Il Commendatore
Patricia Petibon ..... Donna Anna
Bernard Richter ..... Don Ottavio
Véronique Gens ..... Donna Elvira
David Bizic ..... Leporello
Nahuel Di Pierro ..... Masetto
Gaëlle Arquez ..... Zerlina

Orchestre et choeur de l'Opéra national de Paris

Dima Tcherniakov created the finest Don Giovanni in business

I posted the link and embedded the video from ArteLiveWeb here. If you're still interested in seeing this wonderful production --targeting the adults who prefer to see more shades of gray in an opera production, rather than simple black/white portrayal of the characters--  then please do!

I saw it twice, plus one more time in fractions, thinking I might have been a bit too biased, as I globally like the Tcherniakov's work, and maybe his Don Giovanni wasn't all that good as I thought it was after seeing it only once. Well, sorry to all of you guys who disliked it, but after seeing it more than once I definitely think this is one of the finest shows we've ever seen in opera. Never did I see the singers act as good as professional actors in this sort of drama requiring classical acting, in which simplicity and spontaneity are essential, and which is so hard for many professional actors to achieve. Dima Tcherniakov made his crew do exactly that! They seemed spontaneous and natural.

Don Giovanni, July 5  2010 (Festival in Aix-en-Provence, via Arte) 

Director Dmitrii Tcherniakov

Conductor Louis Langrée

The action takes place in the house of Commendatore

Il Commendatore..... Anatoli Kotscherga

Donna Anna, his daughter..... Marlis Petersen
Don Ottavio, her new fiancé..... Colin Balzer
Zerlina, Donna Anna's daughter.... Kerstin Avemo

Masetto, Zerlina's fiancé..... David Bizic

Donna Elvira, Donna Anna's cousin..... Kristine Opolais

Don Giovanni, Donna Elvira's husband..... Bo Skovhus 

Leporello, a relative who lives in the house..... Kyle Ketelsen