'Don Giovanni' operatic delight

After months of anticipation and weeks of strenuous rehearsal, Mozart's world-renowned opera "Don Giovanni" had its opening performance at the Musical Arts Center this past Friday. Mozart set his music to the somewhat bawdy libretto written by Lorenzo da Ponte and first performed it in Prague in 1787. It tells the story of a character to whom many college students can relate. \nDon Giovanni is an insatiable womanizer, who causes women to fall in love with him only to get them into bed and throw them away when he's finished. One of his escapades eventually leads him to murder the luckless maiden's father. That maiden (Donna Anna), her betrothed (Don Ottavio) and an ex-lover of Don Giovanni (Donna Elvira) pledge themselves to avenge the murder. And to these are added a groom (Masetto) and a bride (Zerlina) whom Don Giovanni tries to seduce on her wedding day. But in the end, the murdered man's statue interrupts Don Giovanni's dinner and drags him to hell because he will not repent of his sexual misconduct.\nThe opera in itself is a very delightful and attention-getting work. Its music is light yet unforgettable, and the characters' lines are witty and suggestive. Far from keeping the audience weighted with sonorous tones and heavy monologue, the opera kept the audience entwined in the plot and caused the audience on more than one occasion to burst with laughter. \nThe charming nature of the work was enhanced in this specific production partly by the brilliant scenery and costume design. The scenery was very well assembled. It was symmetric, timeless in design and ornate without being gaudy -- perfect for a backdrop without commanding too much attention. The lighting had much to contribute to the overall emotional atmosphere of each scene. It used appropriate colors in the appropriate amounts, and the costumes were both true to the times as well as original. It is rare to find these two qualities together. Either accuracy is sacrificed for design or vice versa, but the designers managed to find a practical balance. Vincent Liotta, the stage director, and Max Röthlisberger, the designer, truly deserve a round of applause for their phenomenal achievement.\nAnd that still says nothing of the singers. Trent Casey as Don Giovanni, Gregory Brookes as Leporello, and Michelle Auslander as Donna Elvira had very demanding roles and all performed excellently. Not only did they sing with all the beauty and grace characteristic of Mozart, but they also gave clear portrayals of the emotions and passions of each of their characters. An opera is a musical drama, and that is exactly what the cast made it and that is why this performance commanded attention. And, as usual, the orchestra under Mark Gibson played with a level of skill matched only by the singers.\nA unique feature about this particular performance was that it was completely in English. This has both its good points and its drawbacks. Aside from the issue of accurate translation, an opera taken from Italian, one of the most beautiful languages, and translated into English, one of the ugliest, loses some of its grace and fluidity. But in English, the puns and suggestions struck home with the audience as it could not have in Italian. Also, the opera's moral "as you live so you shall die" is made clearer and more effective in the audience's own tongue.\nA night at the opera is a wonderful experience, especially with a performance of this caliber. "Don Giovanni" is still playing this upcoming weekend and tickets are still available. Great singing, wonderful music, laughter and a lesson all await one in three riveting hours of opera with a vengeance.\nDon Giovanni will be playing at the Musical Arts Center on Oct. 4 and 5. Show time is 8 p.m. ticket cost ranges from $28-$15 ($18-$10 for students with a valid IUB ID).