The performers in one of Mozart's most beautiful operas received a standing ovation after the premiere at the Wielki Theater Dec. 8.

Viewers gave high ratings to the new interpretation of Don Giovanni, directed by Mariusz Treliński, with set design by Borys Kudlicka and costumes by Arkadius, a fashion designer famous for his fresh ideas.

The new production is a spectacle thanks to the innovative set design and costumes. The plot of the opera takes place in a "magic cube" concocted by Kudlicka. As the action of the play progresses, so does the cube. In the first act, the space is shaped by horizontal lines of blinking neon lights on the cube's two walls. In the second act, the cube suddenly falls apart, and red fiber-optic strands are left hanging from the ceiling with the characters of the opera walking among them. Mirrors were placed in the background, suggesting a reflection into the history of the seducer. At the end of the opera, all decorations disappear, and smoke seeps out of slits in the black cube, revealing the Commander who embodies destiny.

The imaginative costumes by Arkadius give a touch of humor to the opera, in harmony with the spirit of Mozart, who himself called Don Giovanni "dramma giocoso," that is, a comic drama. The viewer is presented with a wide range of striking colors, such as fluorescent yellow worn by figures from the wedding entourage of Zerlina and Masetto. Ladies hurt by Don Giovanni, Donna Anna and Donna Elvira, wear hoop skirts in darker colors: turquoise and sapphire. However, Arkadius did not remain faithful to Baroque-he upgraded the hoops attaching some fiber-optic strands to them. He chose an interesting way to present the main hero-Don Giovanni has a crimson costume and at the end of the first act, a machine lifts him to the ceiling, where his glittering coat spreads above the entire stage.

The performers were Mariusz Kwiecień (baritone) as Don Giovanni, and the moving Romuald Tesarowicz (bass) as the Commander. The female voices were less powerful, except for Monika Cichocka (soprano), who played Donna Anna.

Don Giovanni at the Wielki Theater is a modern show which will certainly appeal to those viewers who like experiments on the opera stage. Grażyna Torbicka, a well-known Polish TV presenter and a theater expert, says that the director had invited her to see a virtual opera, set in an unreal world just like a computer game. The intense fluorescent colors and sharp neon light lines fit such a world.