Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 1787 opera was based on the legendary figure Don Juan, a rake and a seducer of women, but Mozart makes him a real villain. Set at a wedding, in Tuscany, the lead’s character is quickly shown to be charming, controlling and without conscience. Seducing anything in a skirt and finally killing the father of one of his conquests.
Rossini’s comic opera about a barber who is also a matchmaker maintains its popularity through the years and this production, back from touring interstate, is as fresh as any modern piece.