Thomas Allen: Three decades of "Là ci darem la mano" (Don Giovanni)

[a96agli]

Are you guys on facebook? We should start a closed fb group for sharing banter and photos and stuff.

[interpreterr]

Well, It's really the costume talk that sets us off, is it... It's more about who's wearing these outfits and how!

Fridayitis or not, we DO get some very sensible comments as well!

[drtmuir]

@interpreterr I'll try to remedy that. ;)

[a96agli]

I do like the 1992 outfit, but I keep thinking he looks like King Phillip from Don Carlo in it. Mr Darcy is very nice as well, only Zerlina's outfit is from a completely different era. So, I still choose the 1987 as my favourite - it looks smashing even on his wife in the picture in his book. I find it quite interesting how these costumes are commented in it, and how he thinks they set up the mood for him. DG in the 1992 costume cannot be a lighthearted man and so on...

[interpreterr]

My vote would go to the 1992 costume too... Though Mr Darcy outfit isn't bad either...;)

[antmusique]

Mr Darcy outfit = never a bad thing, as far as I'm concerned.

Oh dear. In Allen-comment-land, things tend to go downhill as soon as anyone mentions costumes.

[a96agli]

@antmusique Right now I tend to call it Fridayitis - just remember last week.

[antmusique]

I wasn't online Friday last week. It wasn't me.

[a96agli]

@antmusique I think the guilty parts were Dtmuir and me...

[antmusique]

Tut tut.

(Someone should compile an anthology of wacky Allenophile comments on YouTube. There's not many of us, but boy are we devoted.)

[drtmuir]

@a96agli Given the right inspiration, I will do that on days other than Friday.

[a96agli]

Okay, I have to ask this: what where the costume designers thinking?!? Lace collars, ruffs, black leather, bad wigs, no wigs, ruffle, lace, embroidery, sequins, rhinestones - you name, they have it. The only really nice thing on display is the coat on Allen in the La Scala production. They sure did use to make being sexy difficult in the then days... :D

[antmusique]

Oh well. The 80s saw questionable fashion choices both on stage and off.

(I think his costume in the 1992 production is awesome though.)

[drtmuir]

@a96agli 1986: The sleeves that ate Tom Allen.

I actually hate that La Scala coat, I hate the whole Scala production, down to Muti's tempi, and Strehler's thrashing around. I don't know if I hate that coat or the Cologne wig more. :P

[lhrlyc]

the first role I saw him in was giovanni in the glyndbourne tour, his first year in the role

[antmusique]

That was in 1977, if I'm not mistaken. I wish I had been there.

[lhrlyc]

delving back into time, I think you are right - manchester opera house

[fairlytaleofnewyork]

Faburous video, it is like seeing Allen's Don Giovanni career and his biography. Thank you so much for interesting beautiful video. Well done :-)

[LilliVanessi]

Great video!! Thank you!

[a96agli]

It's remarkable how little his voice has changed over the years, and how fresh it still sounds, especially compared to the few others of his generation still performing. It would be great to see him do this role once more, see how he would approach it now - would his Don be world-weary old man, or lecherous aging playboy (think Flavio Briatore), or something completely different?

Also, great compilation!

[drtmuir]

@a96agli It almost hurt me when I saw him with James Morris in "Meistersinger"-- Sir Tom still sounded so good, and poor Jamey sounded so frayed and patchy-- and they acted so beautifully together-- so sweet and funny.

[interpreterr]

@a96agli I think he could be a rather nasty old man, but whenever fancy takes him, he switches on the charm and all the women swoon, regardless of how he looks and what he's done...

(all the other males in the cast shaking their heads in disbelief and helplessness...)

[drtmuir]

@a96agli Berlusconi!!

[schweitzer006325]

Lovely video and an excellent idea...it gives us an idea of how much of a presence he's been onstage as the Don during the past few decades and how many different productions he's been in!

And perhaps he can do a few more, I suppose, since he is basically in a sense 'vocally immortal' =)

[teresa59]

Wonderful composition, THANKS!