When Ezio Pinza moved up Broadway from the Metropolitan Opera to South Pacific last spring, many a Met-goer was left wondering who would fill his shoes as the Met's most popular and winning villain, Don Giovanni. The answer came from Vienna—and it was not the only question that stocky Bass-Baritone Paul Schoeffler, 42, answered for the Met.
In his first Don last February, some missed Pinza's dash and derring-do; instead, Schoeffler gave them suavity and elegance. They also missed the ringing excitement of Pinza's voice. Schoeffler's lower voice seemed slightly gruff; but he covered...