As part of this season’s BOV Opera Week, the Manoel Theatre is staging a brand new production of Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni today, on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

This year’s opera week, being dedicated to the memory of maestro Joseph Vella, will also include a concert by renowned Greek pianist Vassilis Varvaresos tomorrow, a concert by flautist Rebecca Hall with pianist Lucia Micallef Hunt on Thursday and a concert by soprano Miriam Gauci with the Goldberg Ensemble, who will perform Mozart’s sacred music, conducted by Michael Laus  at St Augustine’s church, Valletta, on Saturday.

Don Giovanni is the second in the trilogy of operas Mozart wrote to libretti by Lorenzo da Ponte. The first, Le nozze di Figaro (which the Manoel produced last year) was premiered in Vienna on May 1, 1786, while Don Giovanni was premiered in Prague on October 29, 1787.

Così fan tutte (which the Manoel will produce next year) was to follow with a premiere in Vienna on January 26, 1790.  This collaboration was to be one of the most famous in the history of opera and Da Ponte’s name is forever linked with Mozart’s.

The opera features a cast of top local and foreign opera singers: Christian Bowers as Don Giovanni, Pauls Putnins as Leporello, Amy Corkery as Donna Anna, Richard Wiegold as Il Commendatore, Tommaso Barea as Masetto and the Maltese sopranos Claire Debono as Donna Anna and Nicola Said as Zerlina and tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens as Don Ottavio.

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will be conducted by Philip Walsh.

Jack Furness is the opera’s director and designer.

Don Giovanni will be staged at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta, today, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 7.30pm. For more information about the BOV Opera Week and bookings, visit www.teatrumanoel.com.mt or call 2124 6389.