You might look at the cast and roles and wonder
what, if any, is the relationship this opera had with the one
by Mozart, or others, relating to the same or similar story.
Mozart’s librettist, Da Ponte, based his libretto more
or less on Molière’s original play Don Juan,
whilst Dargomyzhsky, in his The Stone Guest, used Pushkin’s
derivation. Not many had heard of Pacini’s work until
this performance was heard at Bad Wildbad in 2008. No wonder,
as the performances were the first since the work was premiered,
and then at a private family occasion, not in a theatre.
Giovanni Pacini was born eighteen months before his compatriot
Donizetti. His father, Luigi, was a singer who created Geronio
in Rossini’s Il Turco in Italia. The young Giovanni
studied singing and composition from the age of twelve and his
second opera was staged in 1813 when he was seventeen. He continued
to produce mainly comic operas over the next few years with
the speed of a typical primo ottocento composer and very much
in the Rossini style. The latter quality perhaps helped when
he was called upon to assist the great man with three numbers
for Matilde di Shabran, premiered in Rome in February
1822 (Review).
By then Pacini had made an impact in Milan and San Carlo in
Naples. Donizetti had had to earn his spurs in Naples at the
small Teatro Nuovo with his opera La zingara of
1822. An invitation to write for the San Carlo arrived and Pacini
went straight to the top with his Alessandro nell’Indie,
which,after a rocky first night, (29 September 1824)
had a resounding success (see review).
As Jeremy Commons explains in his detailed note, like all ottocento
composers Pacini lived an itinerant life composing rapidly wherever
and whenever opportunity arose. Having established himself in
Viareggio he gathered his family and wrote this work for a performance
by them in the private theatre of his sister’s husband,
a wealthy doctor. Strangely, given the vocal demands of his
writing, only his father was a professional, albeit retired,
with the creator of the role of Masetto being one of his students
who doubled as the Commendatore. The work calls for a small
orchestra and a small male chorus.
The major differences from Mozart are in the designated vocal
register of some of the characters. Don Giovanni is a high tenor
role, whilst Zerlina is the prima donna and a high soprano.
Donna Anna is designated mezzo, whilst Ottavio has no aria.
Leporello has become Ficcanaso. There are many similarities
with the well-known Mozart such as a catalogue aria; with this
Don having mistresses in Peru in addition to those Da Ponte
gave for Mozart’s Leporello to list (CD 1 Tr.10). Also
a duet between Giovanni and Zerlina (CD 1 Tr.8) might be likened
to La ci darem in Mozart’s opera with a contrite
Zerlina in act two (CD 2 Tr.6), and so on.
In this performance the tenor Leonardo Cortellazzi as Don Giovanni
is pleasing in tone and encompasses the demanding tessitura
with vocal surety (CD 2 Tr.2). The light coloratura Zerlina
is sung by the Greek soprano Zinovia Maria Zafeiriadou with
equally pleasing tone albeit a little thin at the very top of
her voice. She has a good range of expressiveness and vocal
presence (CD 2 Tr.10). Also particularly pleasing to my ear
is the warm-toned singing of the mezzo Geraldine Chauvet as
Anna, particularly in the long act two duet with the steady
bass Ugo Guagliardo as Masetto (CD 2 Tr.6). Anna’s suitor
Ottavio gets little to sing whilst the Giulio Mastrototaro relishes
Ficcanaso’s Catalogue Aria (CD 1 Tr.10). The small
band is excellently conducted by Danielle Ferrari and the chorus
of young singers are suitably vibrant. The acoustic of the small
Kursaal Theatre at Bad Wildbad seem ideal. There is periodic
appreciative applause.
Pacini’s longevity gave him a great advantage over his
many compositional rivals. He took the opportunity after the
failure in 1834 of Carlo di Borgogna to withdraw from
composition for five years and rethink his ideas of dramatic
theory and structure. His return to the theatre saw some of
his finest works, the likes of Sapho (1840), La findanzante
corsa (1841), Maria Regina d’Inghilterra (1843)
and Medea (1857) are quoted in this context by Dr. Jeremy
Commons’ in the brief introduction. Pacini’s last
opera, Berta, was staged a mere seven months before his
death in 1867, the year of the premiere of Verdi’s Don
Carlos in Paris. Between the first and last of Pacini’s
operas, compositional styles changed immeasurably. The Opera
Rara issue Pacini Rediscovered (see review)
explores something of the breadth of his creativity. It must
be heard in the context of the changes that took place during
even that part of Pacini’s life.
Giovanni Pacini wrote some 74 operas. This is not only the first
recording of Il convitato di pietra, but also the first
ever-public performance. It was originally written for
private performance in 1832. As explained by Jeremy Commons
in the booklet essay the manuscript score and original performing
parts, as well as the partially preserved hand-written libretto,
were used as the basis for reconstructing the entire work.
There is an excellent track-related synopsis and welcome artist
profiles. A full libretto, in Italian, is available from Naxos
online.
Robert J Farr
Don Giovanni - Leonardo Cortellazzi (tenor); Donna Anna - Geraldine
Chauvet (mezzo); Zerlina - Zinovia Maria Zafeiriadou (soprano);
Masetto - Ugo Guagliardo (bass); Duca Ottavio - Giorgio Trucco (tenor);
Il Commendatore - Ugo Guagliardo (Bass); Ficcanaso - Giulio Mastrototaro
(baritone) 
