Finely Tuned Revival of ‘Don Giovanni’

It’s been called post-Modern, Expressionist and even Neoclassical, yet the set that Robert Israel created for Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” which first came to L.A. Opera in 1991, still looks like a work-in-progress.

Its effectiveness lies in the bleakness of its high gray walls, architectural facades and single tower. As conceived originally by Jonathan Miller for Maggio Musicale, the music festival in Florence, the production sends the message to the audience, immediately upon entering the theater--no stage curtains are used--that there will be no happy ending to this story.

In its third time around, which began Wednesday night in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, well-focused, clever and somewhat less dim overall lighting let the action of “Don Giovanni” unfold clearly. Stage director Karen Stone, who has deputized for Miller at each of the L.A. incarnations of the production, makes sense of all the plot convolutions, populates the stage attractively and never contradicts the primacy of the music.

And the music was the point in this revival. The great strength of L.A. Opera’s “Giovanni” in 1999 is the singing, which is often glorious.

The revival was dominated on opening night by the charismatic, believable and faceted Don of the American baritone Dwayne Croft, in his company debut. Without exaggeration or even momentary overstatement, Croft inhabits the role with an unfeigned naturalness and sings with mellifluous pungency: His words roll out clearly and the tone, easy and attractive, colors their meaning. This Don wears his irresistibility lightly; he is in every way, even when he behaves ignobly, the nobleman. And, of course, that makes him ultimately a hero--who just happens to go to Hell.

In what can only be called a starry ensemble cast, Croft is equalled by the radiant Donna Anna of Jane Eaglen, in one of her most admirable roles. Eaglen produces thrilling sounds at all tempos, makes music effortlessly and lays out the vocal line with unflagging authority. Wednesday, she showed some fatigue as Act 2 progressed; subsequently, the vocal perfection one might have expected in “Non mi dir” never materialized, as stridency began to invade the high-lying passages.

Sally Wolf’s beautifully controlled Donna Elvira triumphed in every manner: the Mozartean purity of her singing, the ease of her coloratura passages, the combining of vulnerability and strength in the character.

Michael Schade’s tone-rich, manly Ottavio contradicted all the nasty things critics have been writing about this character for centuries. The German-Canadian tenor gave an aristocratic musical performance; he created strong contrast between the two arias, and acted with a stunning believability. Richard Bernstein’s well-gauged Leporello gave the watcher many facets of a complex being; he sang splendidly and got all his laughs without pushing.

As Zerlina, Zheng Cao contributed strongly to the musical effect. Her feisty, lightweight Masetto was the promising Malcolm MacKenzie. As the Commendatore, company stalwart Louis Lebherz, his facial makeup not quite finished, sang sonorously but looked more like Benjamin Franklin than the Stone Guest.

Evelino Pido was the competent, unobtrusive and undistinguished conductor.

* L.A. Opera presents Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Saturday at 1 p.m. Also, Wednesday, April 24, 27 and 30 and May 2, all at 7:30 p.m. $25-$137. (213) 365-3500.