The University of Utah closes out its three-month Mozart festival next weekend with two performances of "Don Giovanni" staged by the Lyric Opera Ensemble.
" 'Don Giovanni' is one of the greatest operas ever written — certainly in the top five," said Robert Breault, head of the U.'s opera department.
Breault was speaking by phone from New York, where he is currently appearing as Don Jose in New York City Opera's production of "Carmen." He said he always looks forward to presenting Mozart when the opportunity arises.
"In the past we've done 'Cosi fan Tutte' and 'The Magic Flute,' and I want to do more Mozart. And right now we have some men who can do it."
"Don Giovanni" is double cast, requiring eight strong baritones and basses. The opera is unusual in its vocal requirements in that four of the five male leads are low voices (Don Giovanni, Leporello, the Commendatore and Masetto). "It's tricky casting, but we have the singers," Breault said. "One of the reasons we decided on doing it this year is that we have eight guys who can sing these roles."
He added that what makes these student productions exciting is the energy the young singers bring to the rehearsals and to the performances. "They are so passionate about this. They put so much of their heart and soul into it."
Breault said that "Don Giovanni" tells a timely story. "It's a great story, and we're going to be doing it in our own way. It's going to be a modern adaptation." Budgetary considerations prevented the ensemble from staging it in period costumes and sets. "If we had $50,000, we would do it in period. But because of budget restrictions, we have to do what we can."
That's not to say it won't be a worthwhile undertaking, Breault said. "We're recycling parts of the sets we used for (last year's production of Kurt Weill's) 'Street Scene.' And the idea behind it is to present some continuity between the two stories. The kid who grows up to be bad in 'Street Scene' becomes Don Juan."
Stage director Larry West is in his comfort zone doing the opera this way, Breault said. "It has a quasi-New York feel — very gritty — that shows that the story is timely. It's been done like that by Peter Sellars, and I think it works that way."
After all, Breault said, Mozart picked up a story that had been around a long time and made it timeless. "For contemporary audiences, Seville (where the opera plays out) was an exotic locale. Audiences in Prague or Vienna felt that Seville was the kind of place where that kind of thing could happen, but Mozart said, 'No, it can happen in Vienna or elsewhere. There are no boundaries to this story.' And that's what we're trying to do with our production."
The opera will be sung in English. Jeffrey Price will conduct the Utah Philharmonia.
If you go . . .
What: "Don Giovanni," Lyric Opera Ensemble
Where: Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah
When: Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
How much: $10-$20
Phone: 581-7100
E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com