Don Giovanni - Kasper Holten's Video Diary #5: Working with the Chorus (The Royal Opera)
3,636 views · Published 3 January 2014 · 2:22 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: Royal Ballet and Opera · 2014 · Entertainment
The fifth instalment of director Kasper Holten's video diary series following The Royal Opera's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni sees the director speaking about working with The Royal Opera Chorus. Although the opera doesn't feature a large amount of Chorus pieces, Kasper sees their contribution as extremely important in portraying Don Giovanni's world. Mozart's Don Giovanni -- first staged in 1787 -- offers boundless scope for directors. Kasper Holten offers a new interpretation that foregrounds the theme of imagination. Don Giovanni is cast as an artist who seduces an endless stream of women through his ability to create wonderful illusions. His catalogue of sexual conquests is a vain attempt to escape his own mortality and comes at a high price. Holten presents an exciting visual universe that ranges from colourful comedy to exhilarating drama. Set designs by Es Devlin -- who was most recently at Covent Garden with Les Troyens -- and costume designs by Anja Vang Kragh (Stella McCartney, John Galliano, Christian Dior) complete an impressive creative team. The production highlights the beauty and invention of Mozart's dazzling score, which ranges from gorgeous arias and dramatic duets to the brilliant layering of dance melodies that bring Act I to a virtuoso close.
