The vocal performances on this disc of highlights from
Charles Mackerras' reading of Don Giovanni, with the
Scottish Chamber Orchestra & Chorus, are not consistently strong enough to make this a particularly competitive version. Several roles are very well taken.
Bo Skovhus makes a memorably charismatic and roguish Don Giovanni, with the dramatic skills to make the complex character fully convincing. His singing is powerful, and his tone is secure and ringing throughout his range. As Zerlina,
Nuccia Focile is a wide-eyed but beguiling innocent, and she acts beautifully with her expressive voice, which is consistently warm and lyrical. Their chemistry makes "Là ci darem la mano" one of the album's highlights.
Felicity Lott is dramatically effective as Donna Elvira, but her voice, which sounds marvelous when it's soaring, lacks power and sounds unsupported in its lower register.
Christine Brewer's Donna Anna is inconsistent; for some stretches, her voice lacks substance and has a slightly grainy sound, but she pulls off her big moments persuasively.
Jerry Hadley as Don Ottavio doesn't always sound entirely in control, and his lower register is often weak, but he handles "Il mio tesoro intanto" nicely.
Alessandro Corbelli brings genuine comic gifts to Leporello, doesn't have the power necessary and his vibrato sometimes obscures the pitch. The playing of the
Scottish Chamber Orchestra is exemplary -- crisp and flexible -- and the use of natural horns and Classical-era trombones and timpani works well with the stylistically sensitive playing of the rest of the ensemble. The sound is vivid, and the discreet use of sound effects is convincing.