Our audiences not only joined us to celebrate and enjoy our opera performance kicking off the season: many offered their feedback about Iván Fischer’s direction of Don Giovanni. We hope you enjoy this selection of their comments. We were delighted to receive hundreds of such messages!
“Thank you for the fantastic experience! The skill of the singers was outstanding, the direction perfect, the choreography and the performance of the dancers marvelous, and the costumes and sets tastefully expressive and authentic. The performance was one of the most defining artistic experiences of my life.”
“It was a stunningly beautiful experience. The incredible set, the costumes and the lights supported the brilliant performance of the orchestra and the singers through surprising solutions and expressive strength. Despite such novel and so shockingly revolutionary and original solutions, the performance remained whole. Every minute of it was a joy to experience.”
“A strikingly energetic performance.”
“Outstanding performers, and an outstanding orchestra. The director’s clever ideas were superb, and showed his full appreciation of Mozart’s humor. It was highly entertaining.”
“A perfect understanding of proportions: novel yet classical; stunning and uplifting; exhilarating and captivating; unusual yet respectful of traditions; staged with brilliant ideas. Musical interpretation and dramaturgy bolstering one another, shoulder to shoulder. World-class singers. Mozart would have loved it; a congenial performance.”
“Fabulous, monumental and perfect.”
“Can I give it ten stars? Because that is what it would deserve. Iván Fischer’s most brilliant opera staging. […] A must-see for all, and especially young people. I had my three teenaged children with me; they, too, loved every minute of it.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed this performance of Don Giovanni as a magical cross-genre masterpiece; I had the sort of catharsis I rarely experience as a member of the audience. […] The BFO delivered the quality we are used to (which is world-class). There was not a single moment when I felt a disturbance in the perfect harmony between song and music or between visual and aural elements. It is these kinds of performances which make being a fan of the BFO worthwhile. They make life more bearable, and more enjoyable, in fact. Bravo and sincere thanks to each and every member of the orchestra, and particularly to Iván Fischer. They deserved the long ovation at the end!”
“I turn 80 next year. Perhaps it is no exaggeration to say that the performance last night was one of the most defining opera experiences of my life. I think that says it all.”
“I have never heard such a high-quality live performance of Don Giovanni before. And I don’t believe I ever will again. This evening was about perfect harmony; the music was at the forefront.”
“A miracle. Professionalism. A joy to experience. The highest level of art.”
“I was captivated. It was new and sweeping, full of brilliant ideas and music pleasing to the ears. Thank you for this special experience.”
“I have seen many performances of Don Giovanni over the years, but never before have I experienced such perfect harmony between drama and music, singers and orchestra.”
„Like a breath of fresh air among all the ill-faded „modern” productions offered in these days. Bravo, BFO!”
“A fearless, impressive, sensual, moving and impactful performance.”
“I would have loved to have grown ten heads so as to be able to take in all the sights and sounds at the same time. But thankfully the performance completely captivated the one head and the two ears I have, in a joyfully mesmerizing way. Talk about ethical seduction!”
