Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

OPERA / Notices : Don Giovanni - ENO, London Coliseum

Meredith Oakes
Friday 02 October 1992 23:02 BST
Comments

The ENO's Don Giovanni is back, still tepid. Jonathan Miller has long since left his 1985 production romping on alone. Philip Prowse's bricked-up grey towers spin and recombine, coolly chunky, and the black, gold and grey Spanish-Victorian costumes retain some freshness. But there is too much half-remembered routine. Donna Anna watches her father being killed, then walks over to his corpse and says: 'My father's in danger, we must help him.' Four lackeys shoulder their murdered master with practised nonchalance. Andrew Greenwood, relatively new to ENO, conducts. The opening on Thursday night sounded a bit unsynchronised but sweet and potentially shapely. Strengths in the casting included Peter Coleman-Wright's spruce but dangerous Don, excitingly in command of a voice that glided between seduction and high-coloured violence. Lesley Garrett returned as the definitive, grown-up, pure-voiced Zerlina. Linda McLeod was a stunning, fluent new Donna Elvira, and newcomers Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Glenn Winslade and Christopher Purves impressed as the Commendatore, Don Ottavio and Masetto. Also new, Helen Field's touching, natural Donna Anna had only some of the vocal credentials.

In rep to 5 Nov (071-836 3161)

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in