Rating: 
Summary: "One of the best opera films ever made" (Fred Plotkin)
Review: I have not seen this DVD yet, and I will revise this review when I have. However, it is worthy of note that Fred Plotkin, former performance manager of the Metropolitan Opera and author of one of the best guide-books to the appreciation of opera, Opera 101 (Hyperion, 1994), made the statement quoted in my title, referring both the movie and to the CD of its soundtrack. Regarding Raimondi's performance in the title role, Plotkin says "His Don Giovanni is elegant, aristocratic, seductive, cynical, dangerous, and always very musical. With his superior diction in his native Italian he caresses, growls, barks, and sweetens words to make each one meaningful" (p. 260). Among the star-studded cast, which includes Kiri te Kanawa "in one of her finest roles," he finds only one weak link -- Kenneth Riegel as Don Ottavio, who "does not capture the sweet lyricism of Ottavio's music," especially in his two "meltingly beautiful" arias. The Karajan DVD of this opera, while a superb performance featuring Samuel Ramey as the Don, is flawed by poor video quality and a mediocre Zerlina. The ArtHaus DVD, a 1991 performance by the Gurzenich Orchester Cologne and the Cologne City Opera, is very good, though Thomas Allen as the Don does not compare to Ramey and the disk is flawed by a poorly done descent-into-hell scene. And only this Paris Opera movie version, released on DVD in 2002, comes in wide screen format. All things considered, it might be the version to acquire first, though every opera lover should have at least one video of a stage version as well. And do have a look at Plotkin's book if you want an informed and systematic course of initiation into the glorious world of opera. After a fascinating introduction to the history of opera and its terminology and singer types, Plotkin takes us on an intriguing journey of discovery starting from Rigoletto, and proceeding through Tosca, Lucia Di Lammermoor, and Il Barbiere Di Siviglia. Then we are ready for Don Giovanni, for which he uses this movie version. After we have throughly savored this opera in its many dimensions, Plotkin deems us ready to go on to even more complex genres and more "advanced" levels of connoisseurship with Les Contes D'Hoffman, Eugene Onegin, Don Carlo, Tannhauser, Die Walkure, and Elektra. I am still only about half way through the journey myself, and I haven't followed the course very systematically, getting intoxicated by Wagner when I had just begun to explore most of the earlier operas in Plotkin's course of study. Fortunately, it now behooves me to take several steps backwards in Plotkin's course and do a thorough study of Tosca for an up-coming performance in August. Fortunately, I have also been asked to learn a duet from this "most exalted of all operas," Mozart's masterpiece, so I will have use for another different version of the opera in my study. I am greatly looking forward to my first viewing, particularly since its conductor, Lorin Maazel, just put himself on my list of favorite musicians through his beautiful collaboration with Andrea Bocelli on the album Sentimento.
Rating: 
Summary: Choose another Don Giovanni
Review: I have to agree that the sound quality in this DVD is terrible; without reiterating the remarks on the general 'dead' sound, i will add that there is no real sound picture--the sound never seems to be coming from the actors on screen, and this is part of why the production seems lifeless and boring--it's more like a CD with pictures than a movie with properly imaged sound. Also, i'm not sure i agree with such a dreary palette for the visuals..
Rating:
Summary: Horrid
Review: I just don't understand what others can see in this DVD.
The sound quality is BAD BEYOND BELIEVE! If I could give it 0 stars I would. I love this opera, but would pick the Karajan (salzburg, live) on Sony. Not perfect, but at least watchable and listenable.
Rating:
Summary: 5 plus stars for this Don
Review: I probably have 15 different videos of Don G. and this is just about the best available..., and even though Sir Thomas Allen has always been my favorite Don, Raimondi is comparable! Kiri is perfection and Berganza a joy. The production is just first rate!! If you can have only one Don G., make it this one! It is now May, 2002 and this is on DVD which I haven't seen yet as I have laser disc version. There is a new DVD of Cologne production with Allen, Vaness, James, etc. which is really terrific! The 4 I recommend are Raimondi's, Ramey's and both Allen's. I did not like the DG production with Siepi from 1954 now on DVD. I haven't changed my mind on this version, either, as I loved the look of the film and thought the performances fine although Raimondi still isn't as good as Allen as the Don in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Very poor picture and sound quality
Review: I sense that I am "Odd man out" on this item. While I cannot contradict the other reviewers concerning the original production, scenery, voices and music, I found the tape (by Kultur) to have a very grainy video quality, resembling a third or fourth generation print, and the sound track scratchy and full of static. I may have received a "bad" copy. It really is tragic that such a fine performance got bundled (or bungled) into such a sorry technical atrocity.
Rating:
Summary: Visually, the best Don Giovanni on DVD
Review: Joseph Losey's Don Giovanni is masterful. The opening scenes resonate perfectly with the music. The gathering clouds slowly darkening the sky and the melancholy sea beating against the shoreline foretell of a sea-change. Bad days are ahead for the Don. Ruggero Raimondi is the perfect Don Giovanni - totally believable and true to Mozart's characterization. The location shots add a dimension to Opera that take this production to another level. Losey makes sure the music is always in sync with the action. When Don Ottario is singing in the Gondolla, for instance, the oarsman is keeping perfect time with the music which, esthetically, is a major improvement over what is normally a dry section of the Opera. Another interesting touch that Losey gives to this production is the character, played by Eric Adjani, called the "Silent Valet." A sly mephistophelean presence that provides an excellent counterpoint to the levity of José van Dam's Leporello. Though he never speaks, his demeanor encourages the Don's baser instincts (one might even argue that he is an image of the younger Giovanni). Losey is masterful in creating visual images that give the story more depth. There is a scene in particular, in which Giovanni watches a nude girl bathing. While she is unaware of his presence the scene is a combination of innocence and sensuality. When she does become aware of the intrusion, Giovanni gives her his penetrating stare, which she returns with a look that is knowing and somehow sad. There has indeed been a sea change and the Don is travelling inevitably down a road that will lead to his demise.
Rating:
Summary: Don Giovanni off stage
Review: Mozart's music is divine, here presented by outstanding singers who are also credible actors, beautifully costumed for period and occasion, on a scene that is very much believable, set in castles and countryside of northern Italy. The opera comes to life for the viewer, even seems to take on a life of its own as the plot unfolds. A hint of social critique of the time comes through as the Don pursues the peasant girl Zerlina, though not as strongly so as in the Marriage of Figaro. It is hard to point to anything that is not perfect in this rendition, except possibly that the glorious music does not come through as strongly during open-air scenes as when the action is between walls. I believe that this is not as much a flaw as the natural consequence of a natural setting as opposed to the artifical one in a theater. This DVD gives you the option to turn subtitles on and off, and they come in several languages. I look forward to seeing Don Giovanni with Spanish subtitles next - that should be a most pleasant way to practice a language!
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not the best
Review: Perhaps I had too great expectations of this film, but although it is indeed very good, I do think that La Scala production with Thomas Allen is so far the best on video, even better than Karajan's production with Samuel Ramey as Don G. I do not think that Raimondi mastered the role - he was incredible as Escamillio in Carmen ( BTW, a superb DVD with Domingo), but he did not make it as a seducing Don Giovanni. His appearance is rather dull and not erotic at all. I was also looking forward to see the famous location - Palladio's Villa Rotonda in Vicenza seemed to be a suitable background, but somehow it belittled Raimondi, and to my astonishment he appeared to be a small-framed, short man!!! Since this is a movie and not a real opera, such details could be worked out. As far as the singing is concerned, so far the best is Nicolai Ghiaurov (in my opinion) whose voice is full of seduction and makes you believe that it could have been indeed mille tre in Espagna! Also, the powdered wig did not help and made him look old. There is always an enigma with Don - what really happened in Donna Anna's bedroom? Did he fail as a lover the first time in his life and thus enraged Donna Anna? Maybe that's why this Don looks so old? Or he was a rapist? We will never know but I could not understand Losey's interpretation. This opera is perhaps the most enigmatic of all and I don't think Losey solved the puzzle... But a very good and enjoyable production it still is.
Rating:
Summary: Just great: Voices and picture get the medal.
Review: The director solves brilliantly the scenic problems this opera has always had, and displaying colorful locations, shows a fully natural development of the plot. Singers are able to go further than theatrical conventions and, I dare to say, sing so freely that you can't but love it. Ruggiero gets an Oscar. I didn't like much Moser's Donna Anna but anyway Donna Elvira is the woman. Kanawa, as Mozart as always. The last scene of the dinner and the death is thrilling.
Rating:
Summary: Losey's Don Giovanni on DVD Much Improved
Review: The new DVD release of this Mozart masterpiece has been considerably improved over the VHS and laserdisc versions. The picture which has an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 has been digitally remastered and the improvements are readily apparent. The yellow subtitles (in six languages including English) are now much more legible.
In previous versions of this opera, especially the laserdisc, the quality of the audio was very poor indeed -- in particular, the distortion of much of the singing was terrible throughout. Unfortunately, the audio in the new DVD edition is still flawed to some degree. For most of the first half of the opera the ambience of the singing is unnatural and far too distant. The singers sound as if they were in cavernous recording studio. Fortunately, in the last half the situation improves and the singing matches the video much more realistically. The orchestra sounds fine throughout and Maazel conducts with a marked dramatic intensity. There is no 2-channel PCM audio track and the Dolby Surround which is present is not that great.
I consider this to be the most exciting and powerful video version of this opera, notwithstanding the problems outlined above. Compared to the other DVD versions filmed on a stage this one is vastly superior because in part of the magnificent atmospheric settings offered by Vincenza and the superlative singing.
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