Rating: 
Summary: 50 years old just adds to its charm
Review: I'm guessing that this DVD is a slightly abridged version of the opera, with some parts of the film not surviving intact through the years before being encoded. I don't know. But it is rather a disappointment not to have 'Dalla sua pace' in it.
The set design, costumes and overall production are very good, and can put to shame the works of the last decades of the 20th century.
As for the singers: Don Giovanni is just so perfect; his smug look and great voice go along so well for his part. He has just enough guiltless humor for Leporello to complement him. Another fine performance there from his sidekick by the way, both pathetic and just a little bit annoying.
Everyone here sings good, but my favorite parts in the opera are sung by Donna Anna, and so it is her that I shall give special mention to. She may have funny looking teeth, but she acts her part so well without coming across as a victim. Beautiful voice.
Donna Elvira as well has just the right amount of cuteness and pitiful look to suit her character's contrasting convictions.
Speaking of contrast, the scenes of Zerlina-Masseto are so different from the intensity of Anna-Ottavio, but it all fits so well, in scenes such as the end of Act I. There is so much that is funny, yet this does not lessen the impact of the dramatic parts.
Furtwangler's conducting seemed slow to me at first, me being accustomed to faster, perhaps haphazard versions. But in scenes like 'Non mi dir,' the brilliance of Furtwangler shows very readily apparent.
Worth buying for any Mozart fan, if not for its collector appeal then simply for its musical sublimity.
Rating: 
Summary: A glimpse of how Opera Singers sang
Review: In that time a real bass baritone could sang Don Giovanni. Cesare Siepi is one of the best singers of all time, and easily one of the best 5 basses (to the people that doenst know him well, he usually sanged bass roles like Zaccaria, Fiesco, Phillip and Mephistofeles). His portrayal is amazing, with a powerfull voice, yet ellegant and very flexible, his acting is very good and he doent make the mistale many don giovanni does, that is, going to the extreme of look like a pervert or look like a metrosexual (for lacking of a better word). The other singers are awesome too, maybe i was a little dissapointed by the Commendatore, but nothing is perfect.
Furtwangler is nearly god, and the setting is quite charming.
Its not only a exellent version of the opera, is a reminder of how good the singers of 40 years ago sang, not only in the quality of their voices, but also in technique.
Rating:
Summary: A 'must have' opera DVD with one small(?) disappointment...
Review: It is already evident that this is one of the must have DVD, the Vienna Philharmonic plays with the naturalness they possess with the weightiness and the seriousness of Furtwangler. The best thing about this is that Furtwangler is able to emphasize and bring the story into the climactic points. That is not all that Furtwangler does, he is able to set each scene in an instant whether it is romance, dark, misterious, anger or whatever, and he does it immediately (in orchestral entries especially, or other 'transition points' in scenes). At first it may seem dull, but it won't let you down!One disappointment for me, was in film editing(or manipulating) right at the begining, with the overture where you can see Furtwangler conducting. The overture have slow section for about 2 minutes and follows a fast section for about 3 minutes. The slow part was great, no problem, but in the fast part where you see the Furtwangler from the front (about 4minutes and 21 seconds into the overture for about 6 seconds) they have copied the shot taken from the slow section (about 1 minute 09 seconds into the overture for about 14 seconds), sped the film up, and pasted onto the fast section. The music itself is unaffected and no problem, but Furtwangler was not conducting like that in that 6 seconds(I don't know if VHS of this had the same issue or not). It's only the matter of 6 seconds, and the disappointment level would vary according to people but for me it was an utter disappointment, I don't know if anybody have the nerve to 'copy and paste' like that... Having said that, afterall it is a great buy of great opera being performed well and I would recommend it to anyone who loves opera or great music!
Rating:
Summary: The unique nexus of talent
Review: Opera performance involves many people. It is an extremely rare event when each of these people is in the right place at the right time. Furtwaengler's "Don Giovanni", recorded in Salzburg, offers more than that: the lost art of making real music without being vulgar or pedantic, the triumph of taste and experience over modernist pseudointellectuals, the ease of accomplished virtuosity, the impeccable quality of singing, compared to which any Metropolitan opera performance recorded during the last 30 years sounds like an amateurs' rehearsal, compared to which Parteigenosse von Karajan simply fades out of memory like the bloodless, lifeless ghost, inflated to the extent of invisibility. I am not afraid to use the strongest expressions: this is, probably, the best opera performance ever recorded, and it shall stand forever as one of the highest human achievements, putting to shame and tormenting every envious follower of the ephemeral fads and perversions. I am very glad that this recording has been issued on DVD, which substantially improves the quality of sound and image. This DVD is also reasonably priced. Previously, I've cherished a very expensive ($80) and rare VHS tape, somewhat blurry in both sound and image. Now I am given a bliss of seeing it again in sharp and bright colors on wide screen, as if I've been sitting right there, in the orchestra pit, beside good old scary Furtwaengler, breathing the fresh evening air of that miraculous night in Salzburg, watching Don Giovanni, that archetype of modern irresponsibility, being consumed by the flames of confusion and pain he caused to others. Curiously enough, when I was very young, Don Giovanni seemed to me a hero rejecting prejudice and irrationality; the older I became, the uglier stood this freak who flouts prejudice only because he is full of it, because he has challenged the mediocrity not from above but from below. Self-destruction never comes uninvited: "M'invitasti, e son venuto."
Rating:
Summary: Furtwangler's Don Giovanni, one excellence after another!
Review: The DVD of Furtwangler's 1954 Salzburg Festival production of Mozart's Don Giovanni is a document of an extraordinary performance, the only filmed version of an opera conducted by the legendary maestro, Wilhelm Furtwangler. The production is wonderfully conducted, beautifully sung by an all-star cast of the era, photographed in excellent color and recorded in very good monophonic sound. Especially outstanding among the cast is Cesare Siepi as the Don, perhaps the most lauded Don of the 20th century. His renditions of the Champagne Aria and the Serenade are masterful. And Lisa Della Casa's Donna Elvira is extremely moving and well-sung. The rest of the cast also is very good. The production by Herbert Graf is a bit clunky and dated in places although the sets and costumes are very lavish. The banquet scene at the end of Act II is very dramatically staged. For Furtwangler fans, the shots of F conducting the overture are especially rewarding. Overall, a treat not to be missed by opera lovers and those devoted to Furtwangler's extraordinary conducting.
Rating:
Summary: This Don deserves 6 stars
Review: There are others who went in great detail regarding this performance. I will only add that this is the best Don Giovanni performance I've ever seen or heard. Siepi is absolutely the most superb and sexiest Don ever and this is why he is so believable. The acting of others is great too, and this is all on top of extraordinary singing. Although I like the La Scala production with Thomas Allen, and other Dons were OK - like Raimondi and Ramey, this is an absolutely outstanding performance from all standpoints - singing, conducting, acting, costumes and everything else. A true work of art and a must-see for opera fans.
Rating:
Summary: Germans now how to conduct Mozart!!!
Review: This DVD brings to life 1954 Salzburg festival production of Don Giovanni. The very first shot of the camera is on Furtwangler, when he steps up t0 the conductor's plate and gives the gesture to the orchestera. And then sounds two terrifying cords signaling the beginning of the amazing performace.
The first thing that comes to your mind is how precise is Furtwangler with all the tempos. It is one of the most pedantic conducting you will ever hear. But this is how one should interpret Mozart. His music is so brilliant, it seems so simple, but in order to achieve this beauty and simplicity you have to be very organized when performing it. On this DVD this organization starts with Furtwangler and the amazing Salzburg orchestra and spreads to all the performers. I don't know with whom to start: Cesare Siepi is magnificant. His voice is so rich, so beautiful. He is probably the best Don Giovanni of 20th century. Also I want to mention Anton Dermota's Don Ottavio. Dermota is the best Don Ottavio you will ever hear. My favourite moment from this DVD is Donna Anna - Don Ottavio duet in the first scene. It makes you cry. Leporello, Commendatore, Donna Elvira, Mazetto, Zerlina - all are brilliant. Sound and video quality is surprisingly very good.
This DVD is a masterpiece, especially for Mozart lovers. This is must have. Get it!!!
Rating:
Summary: Don Giovanni for the ages
Review: This perfomance goes all the way back to 1954 and although some would have you believe the opera is contemporary in style, you should be advised that it is not. But please don't dismiss it for that reason You would be missing out on a real treat. The overall impact of this great performance is wonderful and could be one of the highlights of your opera watching season The delicate balance of drama and comedy is pulled off admirably and the acting is exemplary.We are fortunate that someone had the good sense to record Siepi's incredible performance. He is regarded as one of the best Giovannis ever and this DVD allows us to see why His interpretation of the role is one you won't soon forget. He is suave, sinister, comic, seductive---everything you've ever imagined the Don to be. Siepi is very much like a musical version of John Barrymore Lisa Della Casa is superb as Donna Elvira Her "Mi Tradi" is just ravishing and as heartfelt a version as I can remember hearing. Other highlights are an Il Mio Tesoro which is impeccably sung, a dazzling Champagne aria that takes you on a magical flight and an extremely gripping confrontation with the Commendatore at the end.
Furtwangler's fine job of conducting brings out textual details you may not have known were there. My only real reservations about this disc is I wish it had been re-colored---it all looked a bit drab and washed out on my player. This didn't help make it feel any more recent, but despite the flawed visuals, this is truly a Giovanni for the ages.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning print, peerless Siepi in the title role
Review: Those who owned the first muddied, dark and blurry VHS print of this on VAI will be shocked but pleased (as I certainly was) to discover that this pristine copy on Deutsche Grammophon DVD is almost a different film. The VHS release had one thinking that the concept was of the opera as being set perpetually at night; here on the DVD we see day and night scenes. Plus, colors are vivid, faces are clear, and all looks clean and fresh.
The performance is a mixed bag though. Furtwängler is possibly the wrongest conductor of Mozart as can be, as evidenced by his dirge-like tempi, sludgy textures and Mahlerian heaviness. The value in this film comes in seeing the performers captured - rarely, as it turns out - as they were in their heyday, and pretty close to their prime. In some aspects there is only historical value, as in the case of the Donna Elvira, Lisa Della Casa, who is otherwise photogenic and voluptuous. Tonally though, she is white sounding and "tubular" in vocal production, which after a fashion creates a sense of monotony, despite her committed performance. Then there's Erna Berger, perennially touted in this role as being vocally well-preserved and fresh of voice. I hear a nasality and spinsterish tone, and as far as the performance goes, the results here are of a matronly, sexless Zerlina, where the attempt at girlishness is arch, coy and downright embarrassing. Otto Edelmann's very German, very broadly played Leporello doesn't match Siepi's very Italian, very subtle Giovanni. Much better is the young Walter Berry as Masetto, masculine and firm in tone; and Anton Dermota as Ottavio, not ideally fluent but sweet in voice and certainly one of the best tenors in the role to be had at the time. Elisabeth Grümmer is a spontaneous, emotionally appealing Donna Anna. Grümmer had the ability to project a very feminine sincerity, and her singing and acting always had a from-the-heart manner which made her an outstanding artist and personality. Her singing is admirably precise, the tone steady and which peals forth with shining clarity, with its unique timbral "tear". That leaves Siepi, perhaps the most memorable and natural Don Giovanni of the last 50 years. He has everything for the role: elegant dash, rakish charm, dark, romantic matinee-idol looks, athletic physique, a careless savoir-faire, and not least, a golden, suavely beautiful tone. Siepi has a way of moulding a line which can depict an ardent kind of romanticism and elegance that befits the character; he sees Giovanni as a hedonistic charmer who has a fatal lack of concern for the feelings of others. Of course, when his irresponsible behavior finally catches up with him and Hell beckons, Siepi has no trouble whatsoever in conveying Giovanni's fright as he's being dragged down to the subterranean depths of Devil Land. Siepi is frighteningly intense here, and really does sound like a man scared out of his wits. It's a eerie, effective sequence. How fortunate that Siepi was caught in a role which he practically owned during his career, and which was a hard act to follow - which this release certainly proves.
Rating: 
Summary: Sound quality IS important!
Review: Wonderful picture quality, act, interpretation, directing... but awful sound quality in MONO!!! I was expecting more from this DVD.
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