Description:

Cesare Siepi will always be associated with the role of Don Giovanni and this performance proves to back up that reputation. He brings such suavity and charm to the role it is hard to tell if we aren't actually supposed to ultimately sympathize with the character. He is joined by Gwyneth Jones who takes a rare turn in a Mozart role, a remarkable feat given that she was about to make her role debut as Brünnhilde in Götterdämmerung. She does not let that get in her way of singing an sublime Donna Anna, full of refulgent tone and spot on fioratura. Helen Donath sings a spritely Zerlina, Lotte Rysanek (Leonie's sister) delivers a wild Elvira (there is definitely a family resemblance in the tone) and Luigi Alva delivers a poised Don Ottavio. The sound is good.

OD 10122-3