Mozart's Don Giovanni Is May 20, 2023, Saturday Matinee Radio Broadcast

Summary: Mozart's Don Giovanni is the May 20, 2023, Saturday matinee radio broadcast, airing as 21st of the 2022-2023 season's 24 Saturday radio broadcasts.

Belgian theatre director Ivo van Hove's production of Mozart's Don Giovanni receives its Metropolitan Opera premiere in the 2022-2023 season; sets and lighting by Jan Versweyveld, costumes by An D'Huys, projection design by Christopher Ash and choreography by Sara Erde: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter Feb. 6, 2023

Mozart's Don Giovanni is the May 20, 2023, Saturday matinee radio broadcast, airing at 1:00 p.m., Eastern Time, as the 21st of the 2022-2023 Met Opera season's lineup of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791) set his musical score for Don Giovanni, fully titled as Il Dissoluto Punito, Ossia il Don Giovanni (The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni), to an Italian libretto by Italian opera librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte (March 10, 1749-Aug. 17, 1838). Da Ponte sourced his libretto from Spanish legends about a serial seducer as profiled by Tirso de Molina, pseudonym of Spanish monk and Baroque playwright Gabriel Téllez (March 24, 1579-Feb. 20, 1648). De Molina's three-act play, El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra (The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest), dates to ca. 1616 to 1630.

Il Dissoluto Punito, Ossia il Don Giovanni premiered Monday, Oct. 29, 1787, at Estates Theatre (Czech: Stavovské divadlo) in Prague (Czech: Praha), located on the southwestern side of triangular Ovocný trhin (Fruit Market) in Prague's Old City (Czech: Staré Město). Don Giovanni numbered as the first of only two of Mozart's 22 operas with Estates Theatre as premiere venue. La clemenza di Tito subsequently premiered Tuesday, Sep. 6, 1791, at the originally Classical- and Baroque-styled theater, which had opened April 21, 1783, as Nazionaltheater (National Theatre).

Don Giovanni’s Metropolitan Opera premiere took place Wednesday, Nov. 28, 1883, at the opera company's first opera house, located at 141 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan's Garment District. The punitive opera received 12 performances in the 1883-1884 season.

The Metropolitan Opera debuts Ivo van Hove's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni in the 2022-2023 season. The Belgian theater director made his Met Opera debut Friday, May 5, 2023, along with his new production, in the opera company's 577th performance of Don Giovanni.

Van Hove's production replaces the new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni debuted by Michael Grandage in the 2011-2012 season. British theatre director and producer Michael Grandage had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011, in his new production, during the opera company's 515th performance of Don Giovanni.

Van Hove's new production receives eight performances in the 2022-2023 season. Van Hove's new production opened Friday, May 5, at 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The second and third performances took place Tuesday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, May 12, at 8:00 p.m. The fourth through eighth, closing performances are scheduled for Tuesday, May 16, at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday matinee radio broadcast, May 20, at 1:00 p.m.; Wednesday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 27, at 1:00 p.m.; and Friday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m.

Nathalie Stutzmann conducts all eight of the new production's performances. The French conductor and contralto's conductorship of the new production's opening night marked her Met Opera debut.

In the 2022-2023 season, Swedish operatic baritone Peter Mattei logs his sixth season (2002-2003, 2008-2009, 2011-2012, 2014-2015, 2018-2019 and now 2022-2023) as Mozart's Don Giovanni; he has sung the title role in four different Don Giovanni productions at Met Opera (Franco Zeffirelli, Marthe Keller, Michael Grandage and now Ivo van Hove); costume by An D'Huys: Met Opera Guild @MetOperaGuild, via Twitter Nov. 28, 2022

Peter Mattei appears in all eight performances in the title role of dissolute Don Giovanni. He first had added the role to his Met Opera portfolio in the 2002-2003 season's revival of Italian film, opera and television director and producer Franco Zeffirelli's 1989-1990 production of Don Giovanni. He reprised the role in the 2008-2009 season's revival of Swiss opera director and actress Marthe Keller's 2003-2004 production. He next reprised the role in the 2011-2012 season's debut of English theatre director Michael Grandage's new production. His fourth and fifth reprisals occurred in revivals of Grandage's production in the 2014-2015 and 2018-2019 seasons, respectively. The Swedish operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Jan. 24, 2002, as Count Almaviva in the opera company’s 392nd performance of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.

Federica Lombardi appears in all eight performances as Donna Anna, whose father, the Commendatore, is killed in a duel with Don Giovanni. Federica Lombardi's appearances in the 2022-2023 season add a second Don Giovanni role to her Met Opera portfolio. The Italian operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, as Donna Elvira in the opera company's 565th performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Adam Plachetka sings Leporello, Don Giovanni's servant, in all eight performances. He makes his second reprisal of the role that he had added to his Met Opera portfolio Tuesday, Sep. 27, 2016, in the opera company's 549th performance of Don Giovanni, during the third revival of English theatre director Michael Grandage's 2011-2012 Don Giovanni production. His first reprisal of Leporello had occurred during the 2018-2019 season's fourth revival of Grandage's production of Don Giovanni. The Czech bass-baritone made his Metropolitan Opera debut Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, as Masetto in Met Opera’s 539rd performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Ana María Martínez sings Donna Elvira, one of Don Giovanni's seductees, who makes a last, unsuccessful attempt to convince her seducer to reform. The Puerto Rican soprano had made her Met Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 19, 2005, as Micaela in the opera company's 929th performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Ben Bliss appears in all eight performances as Don Ottavio, whose fiancé, Donna Anna, requires avengement of her father's murder before her marriage. The American tenor had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014, as Vogelgesang in the opera company's 410th performance of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Ying Fang sings Zerlina, newly married target of Don Giovanni's lustfulness, in the new production's first seven performances, including the Saturday matinee radio broadcast May 20. The Chinese operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Sunday, Sep. 28, 2013, as the Kazan Cathedral’s female voice and as Madame Podtochina’s daughter in the opera company’s seventh performance of The Nose by Russian composer and pianist Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (Sep. 25, 1906-Aug. 9, 1975).

Ying Fang shares the role with Andrea Carroll, who sings Zerlina in the new production's eighth, closing performance. The American-Guatemalan soprano's Zerlina marks her Met Opera debut.

Alfred Walker appears in all eight performances as Masetto, Zerlina's husband. The American bass-baritone had made his Met Opera debut Monday, March 16, 1998, as Grégorio in the opera company’s 294th performance of Roméo et Juliette by French composer Charles Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

Alexander Tsymbalyuk sings The Commendatore, whose statue avenges his murder by unrepentant Don Giovanni. The Ukrainian bass had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010, as Ferrando in the opera company's 615th performance of Il Trovatore by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Alexander Tsymbalyuk shares the role with Dmitry Belosselskiy, who sings the Commendatore in the new production's seventh and eighth, last performances. The Ukrainian bass made his Metropolitan Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011, as Zaccaria in the opera company’s 54th performance of Verdi’s Nabucco.

Ivo van Hove's production team for Don Giovanni comprises Jan Versweyveld, set and lighting designer; An D'Huys, costume designer; Christopher Ash, projection designer; and Sara Erde, choreographer. Belgian theatre set designer Jan Versweyveld, Belgian costumer An D'Huys and American projection designer Christopher Ash shared their Met Opera debuts Friday, May 5, 2023, with their director in his new production's debut, in the opera company's 577th performance of Don Giovanni. American choreographer and Met Opera directing staff member Sara Erde had made her Met Opera debut Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, in the opera company's 74th performance of Werther by French Romantic era composer Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912).

The 2022-2023 Met Opera season's lineup of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with the May 27, 2023, airing of Terence Blanchard's new production, Champion, at 1:00 p.m. The matinee performance numbers as the 22nd of the season's 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

(left) Ivo van Hove, director of 2022-2023 Met Opera season's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni; (upper right) Ivo van Hove with Don Giovanni designers An D'Huys (left, standing) and Jan Versweyveld (left center, seated); (lower right) Ivo van Hove: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter April 6, 2023

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Belgian theatre director Ivo van Hove's production of Mozart's Don Giovanni receives its Metropolitan Opera premiere in the 2022-2023 season; sets and lighting by Jan Versweyveld, costumes by An D'Huys, projection design by Christopher Ash and choreography by Sara Erde: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter Feb. 6, 2023, @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1622707038361976838

In the 2022-2023 season, Swedish operatic baritone Peter Mattei logs his sixth season (2002-2003, 2008-2009, 2011-2012, 2014-2015, 2018-2019 and now 2022-2023) as Mozart's Don Giovanni; he has sung the title role in four different Don Giovanni productions at Met Opera (Franco Zeffirelli, Marthe Keller, Michael Grandage and now Ivo van Hove); costume by An D'Huys: Met Opera Guild @MetOperaGuild, via Twitter Nov. 28, 2022, @ https://twitter.com/MetOperaGuild/status/1597281310489587714

(left) Ivo van Hove, director of 2022-2023 Met Opera season's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni; (upper right) Ivo van Hove with Don Giovanni designers An D'Huys (left, standing) and Jan Versweyveld (left center, seated); (lower right) Ivo van Hove: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter April 6, 2023, @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1644141503013441539

For further information:

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"Debuts: Nathalie Stutzmann, Ivo van Hove, Jan Versweyveld." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357890 New Production Don Giovanni {577} Metropolitan Opera House: 05/05/2023, Broadcast. (Broadcast Debuts: Nathalie Stutzmann, Ivo van Hove, Jan Versweyveld, An D’Huys, Christopher Ash). Metropolitan Opera House May 5, 2023 New Production.
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Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "This week, Tony Award–winning director Ivo van Hove—joined by set and lighting designer Jan Versweyveld and costume designer An D’Huys—introduced the all-star cast to his new staging of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Opens May 5: http://bit.ly/3xPnTS1." Twitter. April 6, 2023.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1644141503013441539

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "While there are no performances right now, our stage is far from empty! Take a sneak peek at the early tech rehearsals for Ivo van Hove’s new production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni opens May 5: http://bit.ly/3xPnTS1. Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera." Twitter. Feb. 6, 2023.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1622707038361976838

Met Opera Guild @MetOperaGuild. "#OTD Don Giovanni premiered at the Met Opera! A new production of Don Giovanni, directed by Ivo van Hove, returns to the Met this spring! Maestro Nathalie Stutzmann makes her Met debut conducting a star-studded cast. Don't miss it!" Twitter. Nov. 28, 2022.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOperaGuild/status/1597281310489587714

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