Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni – Fritz Busch / Glyndebourne Festival Orchestra (3CD)

UPC: 077776103020 

MPN: CHS 7 61030 2 (PM 508) 

Brand Name: EMI Classics – References Series

Overview

This historic EMI Classics References release presents Mozart’s Don Giovanni (Il dissoluto punito), recorded at the very first Glyndebourne Festival in 1936, under the inspired direction of Fritz Busch and producer Carl Ebert.

Featuring an extraordinary international cast led by John Brownlee (Don Giovanni), Ina Souez (Donna Anna), Luise Helletsgruber (Donna Elvira), and Salvatore Baccaloni (Leporello), this landmark recording captures one of the most influential operatic productions of the 20th century.

Digitally remastered from the original 78 rpm shellac discs in 1988, this ADD edition restores the vitality and immediacy of a historic moment in Mozart performance history—the Glyndebourne Festival’s first Don Giovanni.

Product Features

• Format: 3 Compact Discs (Mono, Digitally Remastered)
• Recording Label: EMI Classics – References Series
• Catalogue Number: CHS 7 61030 2 (PM 508)
• Audio Quality: Analog-Digital Remaster (ADD)
• Recording Dates: June 29 – July 5, 1936
• Recording Location: Glyndebourne Festival, England
• Genre: Classical – Opera
• Style: Italian Opera (Classical Era)
• Country of Manufacture: England
• Digital Remastering: EMI Records Ltd., 1988
• Original Source: HMV 78 rpm recordings (DB 2961–83 / ER 130–175)

Cast and Performers

• Don Giovanni: John Brownlee (Baritone)
• Donna Anna: Ina Souez (Soprano)
• Donna Elvira: Luise Helletsgruber (Soprano)
• Leporello: Salvatore Baccaloni (Bass)
• Don Ottavio: Koloman von Pataky (Tenor)
• Commendatore: David Franklin (Bass)
• Zerlina: Audrey Mildmay (Soprano)
• Masetto: Roy Henderson (Bass)

The Glyndebourne Festival Orchestra and Chorus Conductor: Fritz Busch Producer: Carl Ebert Artistic Supervisor: David Bicknell Digital Transfer Engineer: Keith Hardwick

Interesting Facts

• A Founding Festival Recording: This 1936 performance inaugurated the Glyndebourne Festival Opera tradition, marking a milestone in British and international operatic history.
• Legendary Collaboration: The partnership between Carl Ebert and Fritz Busch defined Glyndebourne’s artistic identity—fusing Continental musical excellence with British theatrical elegance.
• Authentic Performance Revival: One of the first modern revivals of Mozart’s Don Giovanni performed with Classical stylistic clarity, decades before the early-music movement gained prominence.
• Archival Restoration: The EMI digital remastering of the fragile 78 rpm discs preserves remarkable fidelity and balance for its age, making this edition a vital historical document.
• Cultural Legacy: The cast—drawn from the finest European and British singers of the pre-war era—represents a golden age of Mozart interpretation, timeless in spirit and character.

Track Overview

• CD 1 (65:22): Ouverture & Act I, Scenes 1–3
• CD 2 (68:32): Act I, Scenes 4–5; Act II, Scenes 1–2
• CD 3 (37:52): Act II, Scenes 3–5

Language: Italian (libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte) Included Materials: Full bilingual libretto and historical introduction (English–German translation)

Publishers

Published by: EMI Records Ltd., Hayes, Middlesex, England Original Producer: Carl Ebert Digitally Remastered by: EMI Records Ltd., 1988 Audio Restoration by: Keith Hardwick Printed in: England / Imprimé en Angleterre

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