The premiere of Mozart's Don Giovanni in Erfurt was celebrated with much applause. New Generalmusikdirektor Hermes Helfricht presented the classic in a new production. Director Alexandra Pape's staging balances comedy and tragedy.
In the Thuringian capital Erfurt, Mozart's opera Don Giovanni celebrated its premiere under the direction of new Generalmusikdirektor Hermes Helfricht. Alexandra Pape's staging, oscillating between comedy and tragedy, received ample applause from the audience.
The plot unfolds in Seville around the seducer Don Giovanni, who seeks new romantic adventures through lies and violence. The title role was sung by Máté Sólyom-Nagy. The seducer meets resistance: Donna Anna, performed by Liudmila Lokaichuk, fights back against him, and her father, portrayed by Kakhaber Shavidze, confronts him. Gunshots ring out on stage as Don Giovanni kills the father.
Further escapades ensue until Donna Elvira, a former lover sung by Alexandra Yangel, appears to warn other women about him. Zerlina is embodied by Candela Gotelli. Don Giovanni is regarded in European cultural history as one of the great seducers, ultimately facing a revenge campaign from the women he abused.
The set design was created by Tamara Stotz, while costume designer Yeon-Sung Monz emphasized black-and-white effects in the performers' attire. This new production highlights the timeless relevance of the work in Erfurt.