Mozart dubbed Don Giovanni a dramma giocoso - in other words, a comedy drama - but the comedy evaporates unless the production takes the work seriously. Fortunately, this Welsh National Opera production had a seriousness of purpose evident even in the clean-cut and dramatic playing Anthony Negus obtained from the excellent Welsh National Opera Orchestra.
Elaine Kidd's revival of Katie Mitchell's 1996 production could, admittedly, lose some bits of silly business, particularly in the finales, but one could believe in Robert Hayward's brusque Don and Arwel Huw Morgan's thankfully non-exaggerated Leporello.
There was some fine singing from Nuccia Focile as Donna Elvira and Cara O'Sullivan as Donna Anna, although one would have liked more of the beauty of tone that Timothy Robinson produced in Don Ottavio's solos.
Matthew Hargreaves was a light-toned Masetto, but Anna Margolis (replacing an indisposed Linda Kitchen as Zerlina) and Grant Dickson (Commendatore) sang well, and I liked Paule Constable's crepuscular lighting and Rae Smith's wonderfully dingy sets (The opera was convincingly relocated to the early 20th century).
With its brutalist sets and lurid red lighting, Patrick Mason's production of Rigoletto seemed to be set in Don Giovanni's final destination.
Few of the performances compensated for a lack of dramatic involvement. Philip Joll was an impressive stage figure, stumbling around the stage like a baited bear. But vocally his roughly-sung Rigoletto was a disappointment, and I preferred Panajotis Iconomou's Sparafucile to Carlo Ventre's Duke.
Musical satisfaction came from Claire Rutter's attractively and intelligently sung Gilda, and from the very fine orchestra under Julian Smith.