Listening to this performance of Don Giovanni evokes a certain nostalgia for a time when a conductor’s approach to Mozart was guided primarily by dramatic intention, rather than constrained by doctrinaire notions of classical style or prescriptive rules of interpretation. The result here is a monumental reading of the score—one that amplifies both the moral nihilism of the title character and the cataclysmic power of the opera’s final moments, which in this performance are nothing short of earth-shattering.

Nicolai Ghiaurov brings debonair style and commanding vocal presence to the title role, leaning convincingly into the character’s moral ambiguity. Sesto Bruscantini, by contrast, immediately endears himself to the listener through a warm, engaging tone and personable delivery. Gundula Janowitz offers a shimmering soprano as Donna Anna, her purity of tone well matched by the elegant yet soulful Don Ottavio of Alfredo Kraus. Though Sena Jurinac was slightly past her prime at the time of this recording, her unshakable technique and intelligent phrasing render any signs of vocal wear negligible.