Opera aficionado Norm Hollingshead will give a preview of “Don Giovanni” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the Bainbridge Public Library.
Man, myth or monster? Mozart’s multifaceted portrait of an unrepentant Casanova has fascinated audiences since its 1787 premiere.
The free program is funded by the Bainbridge Island Friends of the Library.
For more information, call 206-842-4162 or visit www.krl.org.
Seattle Opera presents “Don Giovanni” at McCaw Hall for seven performances, Oct. 18 through Nov. 1.
One of the most popular operas of all time, “Don Giovanni” tells a cautionary tale of an unrepentant Casanova who must pay the price for his misdeeds.
“Don Giovanni” played to packed houses when it first played at Seattle Opera in 2007. As the Everett Herald wrote: “Seattle’s production pulses with scenic delights and compelling staging that never drags. It’s a big story to tell: Don Juan seduces and worse, even murders, without remorse.… In this production, it’s a great ride.”
Since the opera’s 1787 premiere, people have been coming back to this opera time and again because of Mozart’s incredible music and the compelling characters he created, said Aidan Lang, general director of Seattle Opera.
“Mozart gives us a tug-of-war between thought and feeling, right brain and left brain,” Lang said. “Logic tells us we should condemn the character of the Don outright. But then our emotions kick in. We cannot help but be charmed, or even seduced by him. We reluctantly admire his unflinching adherence to his worldview, which celebrates free will even in the face of death.”
The production stars French bass Nicolas Cavallier in the title role. Cavallier thrilled Seattle audiences in the May 2014 production of “The Tales of Hoffmann” with performances that were “urbane,” “smooth,” and “richly sung,” according to Opera News. Indeed, The Seattle Times called his portrayal of Hoffmann’s Villains, a “quadruple-threat”; he sang strongly and dominated each with a “particular brand of menace.”
Lawrence Brownlee, a Seattle Opera Young Artist graduate, returns to Seattle to sing Don Ottavio for the first time in his professional career.
Cuban soprano Elizabeth Caballero returns to McCaw Hall for the role of Donna Elvira following her performance as Mimì in ‘La bohéme” in February 2013.
Soprano Christine Brandes will sing Donna Elvira in the alternate cast. Previous Seattle appearances for Brandes include Pamina in “The Magic Flute” and Susanna in “The Marriage of Figaro.”
Making her Seattle Opera debut is Canadian soprano Erin Wall as Donna Anna. Also making debuts in Seattle are several American artists: baritone Mark Walters (alternate cast Don Giovanni), soprano Alexandra LoBianco (alternate cast Donna Anna), tenor Randall Bills (alternate cast Don Ottavio) and Evan Boyer (Masetto).
“Don Giovanni” also features Cecelia Hall as Zerlina and Jordan Bisch as the Commendatore. Erik Anstine returns as Leporello, a role he sang to praise from the Seattle Times in 2011 as a Seattle Opera Young Artist. Ashraf Sewailam returns as Don Giovanni’s manservant in the alternate cast.
Gary Thor Wedow (“The Magic Flute,” 2011 and “Orpheus and Eurydice,” 2012), is at the podium. Three-time Seattle Opera Artist of the Year winner Chris Alexander returns to direct the production following his recent work on “The Tales of Hoffmann.”
