24. Commendatore scene - Thomas Allen (Don Giovanni ROH'88)

[dweiner2]

Such an amazing aria from Don Giovanni!

Such fantastic voices. I first head this while watching Sherlock Holmes 2: A game of Shadows.

[SocrateAdmirer]

the sound is untolerable F- ! and Commendatore is shaking voice like a retired person.

[MasterIsh91]

@SocrateAdmirer It has a few imperfections but as far as atmosphere and performance goes this is by far the best version on youtube.

[SocrateAdmirer]

@MasterIsh91 I agree with you, the most vivid !!!

[carnivorousslushee23]

Either that fellow playing Leporello forgot that the line is "Ah, padron, siam tutti morti" or some annoying person changed it.

[banefang]

@carnivorousslushee23 Pretty sure he sang it correctly...

[TheTorfabrik]

best interpretation i found -sound is really bad anyway...

[Kitabo27]

Do you not see? We are Damned.

[peachmelba16]

This is fanatstic. Subtitles are distracting however.

[PiroozAzDirooz]

Bad sound.

[godzilloid]

I'll bet Don Giovanni had to change his drawers

[chacaloso361]

this is the darkest and most terrifying version i have seen to date yet. also the best sounding. i cannot imagine what was going through mozarts head while writing this scene.....

[subzerovice]

WHO THE HELL WAS THE WICKED OLD FOOL WHO PRESS THE THUMBS DOWN?

[drtmuir]

@subzerovice Thomas Hampson. Or Bryn Terfel.  :P

[HOTRODRICO]

LOVE THIS STORY... REMINDS ME OF MYSELF... IM JUST WAITING FOR THE GHOST TO PAY ME A VISIT WHEN I THINK IM ON TOP OF THE WORLD... LMAO

[entropyftw]

If this dude was screaming at me I would totally repent.

[varfordogjesus]

Very good scenery. Great interpretation muscially, good tempo. Great voices!!! 

[hkranjc]

very moving

[callasfan100]

ruth.says.its.maraculous.stunn­ing.fantastic

[throttlelever]

Oh, this is the culmination of all that is in the soul!

[gamgee87]

WHY ISN'T THIS AVAILABLE ON DVD!?

*sigh*

Thanks so much for posting this excellent performance!

[Bobofwestoregonusa]

The Commendatore felt a bit overbearing. I mean, I would have loved to hear the pit a bit more clearly.

[drtmuir]

Howell-- one of many severely underrated, underappreciated British singers with great technique, and great theatrical sensibilities. To say nothing of Stafford Dean, a thorough pro down to the ground. Three of the greatest living Mozartians together in this scene.

[sweetypete1]

I think one of the Best DG around. I think Gwynne Howell is one of the best Commendatore that has sung this role. With Gwynne Howell and Thomas Allen two great British International singers, you can't get a better casting than this DG.

[inter215]

Gwynne Howell is stupendous here and what realistic statue makeup!

[stevendurr]

repent!!!

[singerswithpresence]

Thank you for sharing this. Wonderful ! Gwynne Howell giving it welly and showing us the 4 corners of the opera house! An under-rated singer in many ways I fear. A simply glorious Commendatore.

[lubidog]

Utterly brilliant! Incredible. Wow-what can you say? Amazing!!!!

[TS57ovr4]

The staging here is really quite good.

[BigglesWatch]

Very good Commendatore from Gwynne Howell. Leporello is good too, who is it? Thomas Allen technically inadequate, sadly, no notes at the bottom and often out of tune but he does act it (over act it?).

[decoculaeselmariachi]

Gwynne Howell, what a wonderful voice... I like the Commendatore more with a basso cantante like Howell and not with a profondo because it needs good top notes... Great, great singer. Underated!

[vonmeppen]

Bravo Gwynne Howell!

[sirrington]

The scene from this one made my jaw drop, simply amazing

[elephantbarbiegirl]

Crikey! I hardly recognised Thomas Allen. He makes a cool DG

[drtmuir]

Nice yell there, Tom. :P

[nineteenforty7]

Stunning and I feel stunned. Almost incoherent. That's how this wonder leaves me! Mozart forever. I remember that this production was televised. Has 21 years passed by? That was the first time is saw DG and have seen many times since. Can anyone tell me if this can be bought on DVD please?

[antmusique]

It has not been released on DVD.

[nineteenforty7]

Thank you for the info'. It's a pity!

[chrizosthemis]

quality of sound is a little bit bad, but that's make music more scary.

[zegermans750]

that's probably the best statue-esque makeup I've seen

[Ardenwolfe]

@zegermans750 Agreed. That's wildly creepy and good.

[PrometheusZer00]

@zegermans750 I think it was the same stylist that worked for Dick Cheney 

[TheBasilio]

definitivamente este papel en thomas no suena tan bien como el del conde almaviva. de todos modos me gusta

[antmusique]

Bueno, en parte depende de la grabación de Nozze o de DG que escojas. Por ejemplo, en Le Nozze de Salzburgo de 1991, que también está en YouTube, tiene la voz un poco cascada.

(En general, a mi me gusta por igual en los dos papeles.)

[TheBasilio]

gracias por la replica. si, tienes razon se oye muy cansado. pero el conde que me encanta es el del met 1985, fabuloso. en don giovanni la grabacion no ayuda mucho.

[CheeseWheel3]

Haha, I always love it when Leperello hides under the table like a little bitch.

[TheBasilio]

Lastima ese ritardando al final que no va. me dejo sin catarsis

[AriodanteITA]

umhh....

just a little n note...

costumes don't seems to be of the 1700...

actually....looks like that the whole staging has been dated backward to the renaissance/medieval period....

it's Don Juan...

not Rigoletto or Romeo& Juliet :D ahaha :D

[RiccardoP1983]

E' giusto così: secondo il libretto originale l'opera è ambientata nella Spagna del primo '600.

[gssq]

You won't like the M22 2006 staging then ;)

Look for the scene - it's on youtube!

[antmusique]

Or the Calixto Bieito staging from the Liceu in Barcelona ;)

[gssq]

Wow, I wouldn't like to be his flatmate :P

[SatanAteMySocks]

The story takes place in spain around 1600. So says the libretto.

[AriodanteITA]

lol.... yes...i noticed :-D :-D

[ChristianistheLawr]

Singing rocks, staging sucks. Where are the real flames? Some red light isn't enough here... the new London DG staging is way better.

[antmusique]

But I love how hard Allen tries to makes us see the flames. Nice try, Tom!

In all seriousness, I don't think this is a bad staging. Okay, it's outdated and not very pleasing aesthetically. I suspect people will feel the same way about the current ROH staging in twenty year's time.

[spyridon77]

I Think this is one of the bests "commendatore scenes" in youtube. Great trio of basses! Long live Mozart!

[soren476]

The commendatore sings sharp! Awful to the ears!

[GSUPanther2001]

I dont know exactly that it's sharp, but it seems a little less controlled and more shrill, if that makes any sense, than his parts earlier in the opera. I wonder if it was on purpose....?

[eplv2]

Thomas Allen is the Don!