Don Giovanni

Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. It was premiered

Plot

ACT I

:Place: Seville.

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:Time: the 17th century.

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The garden of the Commander. Leporello is keeping watch outside Donna Anna's house. Don Giovanni, Leporello's master, has crept into the house in order to seduce Donna Anna. (Leporello aria: "Notte e giorno faticar -- I work night and day") Donna Anna appears, chasing a masked Giovanni. She wishes to know who he is and cries for help. The Commendatore, Anna's father, appears and challenges Giovanni to a duel. Giovanni stabs the Commendatore and escapes unrecognised. Anna is horrified, and Don Ottavio, Donna Anna's fiancé, swears vengeance. (Duet: "Fuggi, crudele fuggi -- Flee, cruel one, flee.")

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Change of scene: A public square outside the palace of Don Giovanni. Giovanni and Leporello arrive and hear a woman speaking of having been recently spurned and calling for revenge (Elvira aria: "Ah, chi mi dice mai -- ah, who could tell me.") Giovanni starts to seduce her but then realizes she is a recent conquest, Donna Elvira. Upon this realization, he shoves Leporello to the front and hurries away. Leporello endeavours to console Elvira by unrolling a list of Don Giovanni's amours. He comically rattles off the number of lovers his master has taken and their countries of origin: 640 in Italy, 231 in Germany, 100 in France, 91 in Turkey, and 1,003 in Spain. (Leporello aria: "Madamina! Il catalago e questo -- My little lady, this is the catalogue.") In a frequently cut recitative, Elvira vows vengeance.

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When she has departed, a marriage procession with Masetto and Zerlina enters the scene. Don Giovanni and Leporello arrive soon thereafter. Giovanni immediately sees and is attracted to Zerlina, and he attempts to remove the jealous Masetto. (Masetto aria: "Ho capito! Signor, si. -- I understand! Yes, dear sir.") Don Giovanni and Zerlina are soon alone. He immediately begins his seductive arts. (Duet: "Lá ci darem la mano -- There we will entwine our hands.")

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Elvira arrives and thwarts the seduction (Elvira aria: "Ah, fuggi il traditor. -- Fly from the traitor!") When Ottavio and Anna then arrive, plotting vengeance on the still unknown murderer of Anna's father, Elvira announces Giovanni's recent betrayal of her. Giovanni answers her reproaches by declaring to Ottavio and Anna that both Zerlina and Elvira are insane. (Elvira aria: "Non ti fidar, o misera -- Don't trust him, sad one.") With Giovanni's departing oath to help find the Commendatore's murderer, Anna suddenly recognizes Giovanni as her seducer and, thus, said murderer (Anna aria: "Or sai chi l'onore. -- He is the one who robbed me of my honour") Ottavio, not convinced, determines to keep an eye on his friend. (Ottavio aria: "Dalla sua pace -- On Her Peace").

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Leporello informs Don Giovanni that all the guests of the peasant wedding are in Giovanni's house, that he distracted Masetto from his jealousy, but that the return of Zerlina post-seduction had spoiled everything. Don Giovanni, however, is extremely cheerful. (Giovanni's champagne aria: "Fin ch'han dal vino -- Finally, with the wine.") He hurries to his palace.

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Zerlina follows the jealous Masetto and tries to pacify him. (Zerlina's aria: "Batti, batti o bel Masetto -- Beat me, oh lovely Masetto") Don Giovanni leads both to the bridal chamber, which has been lavishly decorated, and Leporello also invites three masked guests, the disguised Elvira, Octavio, and Anna.

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Change of scene: Ball room. Don Giovanni, in the midst of merry dancing, leads Zerlina away, while Leporello engages Masetto's attention. When Zerlina's cry for help is heard, Don Giovanni tries to fool the onlookers by rushing upon Leporello with drawn sword and accusing him of seducing Zerlina. The guests do not believe Giovanni and attack him, but he fights his way through the crowd and escapes.

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ACT II

Outside Elvira's house. Leporello threatens to leave Giovanni, but Giovanni calms him with a peace offering of money (Duet: "Eh via buffone -- come on, buffoon.") Giovanni, wanting to seduce Elvira's maid, persuades Leporello to exchange cloak and hat with him. Elvira comes to her window (trio: "Ah taci, ingiusto core -- Ah, be quiet unjust heart") and Giovanni and Leporello convince her to descend to the street. Elvira thinks Leporello (who is wearing Giovanni's clothes) is Giovanni, and Leporello exits with her to occupy her while Giovanni attempts to seduce her maid, accompanying himself on the mandolin(Giovanni aria: "Deh vieni alla finestra -- Come to the window").

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Before Giovanni can complete his seduction of the maid, Masetto and his friends arrive, searching for Giovanni. Giovanni (dressed as Leporello) convinces the posse that he, too, wants Giovanni dead and joins the hunt. After getting the posse to separate (Giovanni aria: "Metá di voi qua vadano -- Half of you go this way,") Giovanni beats up an unarmed Masetto. Zerlina arrives and consoles Masetto. (Zerlina aria: "Vedrai carino -- come dear one.")

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Change of scene: In a dark courtyard, Leporello abandons Elvira. As he tries to escape, Anna and Ottavio arrive and, thinking him Giovanni (he's still dressed as Giovanni), threaten to kill him. Masetto and Zerlina, on their way home, happen upon the scene and join in the threatening. Elvira tries to protect the man whom she thinks is Giovanni, claiming that he is her husband and begging for pity (Sextet: "Sola, sola in buio loco -- alone in this dark place.") The other four ignore her, and Leporello removes his cloak to reveal his true, un-Giovanni identity. Everyone is so taken aback, Leporello is able to escape in the confusion (Leporello aria: "Ah pietá signori miei -- ah, pity me, good people.") With all these circumstances, Ottavio is convinced of Giovanni's guilt and swears vengeance (Ottavio aria: "Il mio tesoro -- my treasure.") and Elvira is furious at Giovanni for betraying her. (Elvira aria: "Mi tradi quell'alma ingrata -- The one who betrayed me")

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Change of scene: A graveyard with the statue of the Commendatore. Leporello tells Don Giovanni of his near-death experience, and Giovanni taunts him. The voice of the statue commands Giovanni to be silent; upon threat of death by Giovanni, Leporello reads the inscription upon the statue's base: "Vengeance here awaits my murderer." Leporello trembles, but the unabashed Giovanni mockingly invites the statue to dine with him at the evening meal. (Duet: "Oh, statua gentilissima -- Oh most gentle statue"). The statue nods its head and answers, "Yes."

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Change of scene: Donna Anna's room. Ottavio pressures her to marry him, but Anna thinks it inappropriate so soon after her father's death. (Anna aria: "Non mi dir -- Don't tell me.")

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Change of scene: Don Giovanni's chambers. Giovanni revels in the luxury of a great meal and musical entertainment (during which the orchestra plays contemporary operatic music -- that of the late 18th century -- including a reference to the aria "Non piu andrai" from Mozart's own Le nozze di Figaro), while Leporello serves (Finale "Giá la mensa preparata -- already the meal is prepared.") Elvira appears, hoping to move Giovanni to repentance. Giovanni taunts Elvira and ignores her pleas, so she departs. As Elvira leaves, the statue of the Commandatore suddenly appears. It exhorts the careless villain to repent, but Giovanni refuses. The statue sinks into the earth and drags Giovanni with him. Hellfire surrounds Don Giovanni as he is carried below.

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A concluding chorus of the entire cast of the opera delivers the moral of the opera - essentially, that evildoers will receive their comeuppance. This chorus was sometimes omitted in the past by few conductors (e.g. von Karajan) claiming that this concluding chorus was never really considered to be part of the opera. This approach did not survive, and today's conductors almost always perform the complete opera as composed by Mozart.

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