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DON GIOVANNI, probably Mozart’s most famous opera, was the opening production of the Festival in 2008. Following his successful production of Le nozze di Figaro in Salzburg, German stage director Claus Guth is preparing his second Da Ponte opera. In the title role British baritone Christopher Maltman, Winner of the Lieder Prize at the 1997 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, will be making his first appearance in Salzburg in an opera production. Annette Dasch, highly celebrated last season as Armida, takes the role of Donna Anna. Bertrand de Billy, Anna Netrebko´s favourite conductor, directs the Vienna Philharmonic. Dorothea Röschmann, particularly renowned for her interpretation of the great Mozart roles, sings the Donna Elvira and Erwin Schrott appears as Leporello.
Opera in 2 acts, approx 3h. Performed at Salzburg Festival, Austria, August 2008
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte; Conductor: Bertrand de Billy; Directed: Claus Guth; Sets and costumes: Christian Schmidt; Lighting: Olaf Winter; Choreography: Ramses Sigl
Cast - Don Giovanni, baritone: Christopher Maltman; Il commandatore, bass:Anatoly Kocherga; Donna Anna, soprano: Annette Dasch; Don Ottavio, tenor: Matthew Polenzani; Donna Elvira, soprano: Dorothea Röschmann; Leporello, bass: Erwin Schrott; Zerlina, soprano: Ekaterina Siurina; Masetto, bass: Alex Esposito
ARTISTS’ BIOS
Christopher Maltman - baritone, Don Giovanni
The English baritone, Christopher Maltman, read biochemistry at Warwick University. He then entered the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1991, studying in the Opera course with Mark Wildman. He also studied with Sesto Bruscantini and, at the Brereton International Music Symposium, with Thomas Hampson. He won the Lieder Prize in the 1997 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition.
Recent concert engagements have included the Haydn St Nicholas Mass with the English Chamber Orchestra Stephen Cleobury, Vaughan Williams's A Sea Symphony in the Royal Albert Hall with Vernon Handley, the Faure Requiem in the Royal Albert Hall with Sir David Willcocks and Vaughan Williams's Serenade to Music with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle.
Annette Dasch - soprano, Donna Anna
Annette Dasch is to be seen and heard in the title role of Armida at this year's Salzburg Festival. Her other engagements include the Japan visit of the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Don Giovanni with Daniel Barenboim in Berlin, the new production of Idomeneo at the Bayerische Staatsoper with Kent Nagano and Das Paradies und die Peri in Vienna with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and the Vienna Philharmonic. Further concerts are planned with Helmuth Rilling, Marek Janowski and Ivor Bolton. Annette Dasch is a SonyBMG exclusive artist and released her first album of arias in July 2007. She received the German ECHO Classical 2008 award for best aria recording for this CD.
Matthew Polenzani - tenor, Don Ottavio
One of the most gifted and distinguished lyric tenors of his generation, and winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2008 Beverly Sills Artist Award, Matthew Polenzani has been praised for the artistic versatility and fresh lyricism that he brings to concert and operatic appearances on leading international stages. Also recognized as the 2004 Richard Tucker Award winner, Mr. Polenzani appears at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2008-09 season in Don Giovanni and makes his Los Angeles Opera debut under the baton of James Conlon in the beloved Die Zauberflöte.
Dorothea Röschmann - soprano, Donna Elvira
Born in Flensburg, Germany, soprano Dorothea Röschmann sang in the Fleinsburg Bach choir when she was seven yeas old. She started to study singing in 1979. Vocal training included studies with Angela Giblin, Sigrid Wagner, Annie Schoonus at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Hamburg, with Barbara Schlick at the Akademie für Alte Musik in Bremen, and with Natalie Zimonick in Los Angeles and Thomas LoMonaco in New York. Since 1992 she has continued her studies with Vera Rosza in London. In 1992, Röschmann made her opera debuts in the role of Barbarina in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at the Wiener Akademie under the direction of Martin Haselböck and as Zerlina in Don Giovanni in Israel. In 1993, she sang Dorinde in Händel's Orlando with the Händelfestpiele Halle, and Dorina in Caldara's I Disingannati under Sigiswald Kuijken. In 1994, she sang Arianna in Händel's Giustino at the Göttinger Händel Festival. Since the Spring of 1994, Röschmann has been attached to the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin (National German Opera of Berlin).
Alex Esposito - bass, Masetto
Alex Esposito was born in Bergamo, where he also studied piano and organ. Following singing studies with Romano Roma and Sherman Lowe, Mr. Esposito’s career took off in 1998 with first engagements at the Teatro Lirico of Cagliari, Ravenna Festival, Klagenfurt State Opera, Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, Salzburg State Opera, and Teatro Regio in Turin, among others. His career has been marked by a string of notable appearances. His 2006/207 highlights include Don Giovanni (Masetto and Leporello) at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, La Vedova Scaltra (Arlecchino) at the Teatro La Fenice, Così fan Tutte (Guglielmo), Die Zauberflöte (Papageno) and Tancredi (Orbazzano) at Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, and Die Zauberflöte (Papageno) at the Teatro La Fenice and at the Teatro Regio in Turin, a Mozart’s arias concert with the Philharmonic Orchestra of La Scala and Stabat Mater in Rome under the baton of Antonio Pappano.
Erwin Schrott - bass, Leporello
Hailed as one of the most exciting singers on the opera stage today, Erwin Schrott has been acclaimed across Europe and America as one of the most thrilling and charismatic artists of his generation. In particular, his compelling portrayals of Don Giovanni and Leporello in Don Giovanni and in the title role of Le nozze di Figaro, together with his dark, chocolaty, sensuous bass-baritone voice, have created a frenzy amongst critics and audience alike. He has now appeared at the world’s most prestigious opera houses including the Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and many others.
Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1972, Schrott made his professional debut in Montevideo at the age of 22 as Roucher in Andrea Chénier. This led to an invitation to the Teatro Municipal in Santiago where he made his first appearances in several leading roles, including Timur in Turandot, Colline in La Bohème, Sparafucile in Rigoletto and Ramfis in Aida. In 1996, Schrott received a scholarship to study in Italy, making his Italian stage debut shortly afterwards at the Teatro Regio de Torino in Boris Godunov. He was catapulted to international attention in 1998 when he won the first prize of both the public and jury in the Operalia international competition sponsored and organzied by Plácido Domingo.
