Inside Opera: Becoming Zerlina - From first rehearsal to stage (The Royal Opera)
In a specially created documentary, follow soprano Elizabeth Watts as she takes on the role of Zerlina for the first time in Kasper Holten's production of Don Giovanni. A film by Pinny Grylls. Find out more at www.roh.org.uk/dongiovanni Mozart's Don Giovanni -- first staged in 1787 -- offers boundless scope for directors. Kasper Holten's interpretation focuses on the power of the creative 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 ultimately comes at a high price. Holten's production is rich in both colourful comedy and exhilarating drama. Set designs by Es Devlin (Les Troyens) and costume designs by Anja Vang Kragh (Stella McCartney, John Galliano for Christian Dior), with video projections by Luke Halls and choreography by Signe Fabricius, portray the visually entrancing world of Don Giovanni. At the heart of the production are 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.
