Mozart: Don Giovanni 3 CD set - Sir Colin Davis [Complete Mozart Edition Vol 41]

Of course, the quality of the cast more or less speaks for itself. I cannot think of a more beautiful, honeyed tenor than Stuart Burrows in Don Ottavio's music, surely the best on record. I was lucky enough to see him in the Opera House in 1981 in this opera, alongside Ruggero Raimondi, Gundula Janowitz and Kiri Te Kanawa, and it remains an especially memorable occasion.

Here is the very young Te Kanawa in one of her signature roles, Donna Elvira. The voice was to develop and bloom further in the succeeding years, but already there is the promise of so much to come, and she crowns a notable performance with a splendidly lyrical account of "Mi tradi".

I had forgotten the impact of Ingvar Wixell's Don Giovanni, not as suavely sophisticated as Thomas Allen on the Haitink set, but always elegantly musical, and ably aided and abetted by Wladimiro Ganzarolli's characterful Leporello.

Mireille Freni is, as expected, a deliciously coquettish Zerlina, pacifying the dark voiced Masetto of Richard Van Allan, and I love the echo effect on Luigi Roni's sepulchral Commendatore as he enters Giovanni's dining room in the last scene.

Perhaps the biggest surprise will be Martina Arroyo, who manages to scale down her Verdian voice to negotiate Donna Anna's wide leaps and dramatic coloratura to give one of the most successful interpretations of the role on disc, contributing endless and effortless tonal beauty to all the ensembles. Hugely impressive singing.

At the helm of all this is Colin Davis, leading his Royal Opera House Chorus and Orchestra with a real whiff of the theatre, full of drama and energy that places his recording near the very top of all 'Giovanni' recordings. There may be some better individual performances to be found on rival recordings, but Davis conducts a homogenous whole, with no weak links and many strengths.

I am so glad I have finally returned to this excellent recording after many years neglect, and I am sure it is the recording I will most often return to in the future.

- Amazon user review

3 CD set in cardboard slipcase; Includes 288 page multilingual booklet, numerous photographs of the soloists and descriptions of the works; Running time: 2 Hours 43 Minutes and 53 seconds

EAN: 028942254121

422 541-2

Philips, 1991

CDs: Excellent condition/Like new; Slipcase - Good; Slightly shelf-worn

C02