Don Giovanni Synopsis - An Opera by Mozart Zerlina (soprano) The Story of Don Giovanni, ACT I Late one evening outside of Commendatore's (an old nobleman) palace, Leporello (Don Giovanni's servant) is keeping watch as Don Giovanni tries to seduce Commendatore's daughter, Donna Anna. The masked Don Giovanni fools Donna Anna initially as she thinks he is her betrothed, Don Ottavio. When she realizes that it may not be him, she demands he remove his mask and screams for help. Commendatore rushes to her aid. As the two men fight, Donna Anna disappears to call for Don Ottavio. When they return, they discover Commendatore has been killed. continue reading below our video Best Vacation Reads of 2015 They swear vengeance to the masked intruder. The following morning, Don Giovanni and Leporello are outside of a tavern in a busy town square when Don Giovanni hears a woman singing about her lover abandoning her. Her distress is music to Don Giovanni's ears; he slithers over to her in order to seduce her. Before setting his eyes upon her, he quickly starts flirting.

When his eyes catch up to his mouth, he realizes she is Donna Elvira - one of his many past conquests. Donna Elvira has been on the hunt for him. He pushes Leporello in front of her and demands him to divulge the truth of his many lovers before fleeing. Leporello tells her she is just one of many hundreds of girls within Don Giovanni's catalog of women. (Read the lyrics and translation of the "Catalog Aria" .) Donna Elvira storms away, infuriated. A little while later, a wedding party arrives celebrating the marriage of Zerlina and Masetto, both peasants. It isn't long before Don Giovanni takes notice of Zerlina and sets his sights on her. He tries to persuade Masetto to let him host a wedding party for them at his castle, but Masetto quickly realizes his dishonest intentions. Don Giovanni is just trying to get Zerlina alone with him. Masetto gets angry, but Leporello is able to remove him from the scene.

Now alone with Zerlina, Don Giovanni starts working his charm and the two begin singing the duet "La ci darem la mano." Donna Elvira cuts in and snatches Zerlina away from him. Donna Anna and Don Ottavio arrive in mourning of her father's death. Still plotting their revenge, they ask Don Giovanni for help. He readily agrees. Donna Elvira cuts in and tells them that he cannot be trusted as he is a womanizer. When Don Giovanni shouts that Donna Elvira is just a mad woman, Donna Anna recognizes his voice as the masked perpetrator. In Don Giovanni's castle, the wedding celebration for Zerlina and Masetto is underway. Don Giovanni, full of confidence, tells Leporello to invite as many girls as he can find. Meanwhile, Zerlina and Masetto are walking to the castle. Still angry, Zerlina tries to reason with him that she has remained faithful. When they hear Don Giovanni approaching, Masetto quickly hides. He wants to see how Zerlina will act around Don Giovanni in order to prove herself. Don Giovanni starts to charm her, but realizes that Masetto is spying on them.

Smartly, he calls out Masetto and scolds him for leaving the poor Zerlina alone. He hands her back to Masetto and they proceed inside the castle. Not long after, three masked guests arrive, having been invited by Leporello. The three guests are Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, and Donna Elvira. They pray for their protection and vengeance before entering the ballroom with everyone else. During the activities and extravagances, Leporello distracts Masetto as Don Giovanni takes Zerlina into another room where they can be alone. Zerlina screams, but Don Giovanni is able to drag Leporello into the room. When everyone arrives, Don Giovanni places the blame on Leporello. The three remove their masks and proclaim Don Giovanni's guilt. When Don Ottavio approaches him with a sword, Don Giovanni narrowly manages to escape. The Story of Don Giovanni, ACT II Underneath a balcony at Donna Elvira's house, Don Giovanni has concocted a plan to seduce Elvira's house maid. He switches clothes with Leporello and hides in the bushes.

While hiding, he sings a song of repentance as Leporello stands below the balcony. Donna Elvira accepts his apology and greets Leporello outside. Still in costume, he leads Donna Elvira away. Don Giovanni emerges from hiding and starts singing a song to the maid. Midway through his song, Don Ottavio and a few friends arrive looking for Don Giovanni. Dressed as Leporello, he convinces them he also hates Don Giovanni and will join them in their hunt to kill him. He manages to send Don Ottavio's friends away and beats Ottavio with his own weapons. Don Giovanni laughs as he leaves the scene. Donna Anna arrives shortly after and consoles her fiancé. Leporello abandons Donna Elvira in a darkened courtyard. Having difficulty finding a door in which to escape, Donna Anna and Don Ottavio arrive. Leporello finally finds his exit, but only as Zerlina and Masetto enter through it. Upon seeing the disguised servant, they capture him. It isn't long before Anna and Ottavio catch on to what is happening.

As they threaten to kill him, Elvira pleads for their mercy as she claims he is her reconciled husband. Scared for his life, Leporello removes his cloak and hat to reveal his true identity. He begs for forgiveness before seizing his opportunity to escape. Leporello meets Don Giovanni in the graveyard next to Commendatore's statue and tells Giovanni of the dangers he encountered. Don Giovanni brushes them off and tells Leporello that he tried to seduce one of Leporello's past girlfriends. Leporello is not amused, but Don Giovanni laughs heartily. All of a sudden, the statue begins to speak. He warns Don Giovanni that he won't be laughing any more after the morning's sunrise. Don Giovanni invites the statue to dinner, and to his surprise, the statue accepts. Inside Donna Anna's room, Ottavio is asking for marriage. Anna refuses to marry until her father's death is avenged. Back in Don Giovanni's dining room, he is enjoying an extravagant meal fit for a king. Donna Elvira arrives to tell him that she is no longer mad at him. Curious, he asks her why.

It is because she now only feels pity for him. She asks him to change his lifestyle, but he refuses, claiming that wine and women are the essences of humankind. Angrily, she leaves. Moments later, she screams and rushes back through the dining room before disappearing into another room. Don Giovanni demands Leporello to figure out what has frightened her. Moments later, Leporello screams and runs back to the dining room. Diving under the dining room table, he tells Don Giovanni that the statue has arrived for dinner. Don Giovanni greets the statue at the door. The statue asks Don Giovanni to repent for his sins, but Don Giovanni refuses. Then, with a great flash, the earth opens up beneath their feet and the statue pulls Don Giovanni with him to hell. Don Ottavio, Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, Masetto, and Zerlina return to the dining room to tell the moral of the story. Extras Did you know there is an actual monument to Mozart's Don Giovanni? The Don Giovanni Monument is located in Prague at the National Theatre where the opera first premiered.

Mozart: Don Giovanni Don Giovanni Time: unspecified; Place: A city in Spain Act I Leporello waits outside the Commendatore's home as Don Giovanni, his master, is inside ravishing the Commendatore's daughter, Donna Anna. The masked Don Giovanni suddenly runs from the house with Donna Anna following him. Awakened by the clamor, the Commendatore challenges Don Giovanni to a duel which ends in the Commendatore's death. After Don Giovanni and Leporello flee, Donna Anna and her betrothed, Don Ottavio, swear vengeance upon the Commendatore's masked killer. Don Giovanni and Leporello overhear the plaint of a forsaken woman. Giovanni approaches, planning to seduce her until he recognizes her as Donna Elvira, a woman he recently seduced and abandoned. Giovanni orders Leporello to distract her while he escapes. Leporello tells Donna Elvira that she is merely one of Don Giovanni's thousands of conquests. Villagers celebrate the impending wedding of Zerlina and Masetto.

Giovanni, lusting after Zerlina, charges Leporello to amuse Masetto and the revelers so that he may be alone with Zerlina. Giovanni has nearly conquered Zerlina when Donna Elvira interrupts. Donna Anna and Don Ottavio arrive and ask for Giovanni's help in finding the Commendatore's mysterious murderer. Donna Elvira's denunciations of Giovanni arouse their suspicions, but he assures them that Elvira is mad. After Giovanni departs, Donna Anna tells Ottavio that she recognized Giovanni's voice as that of her father's murderer. Masetto chastises Zerlina for fraternizing with Giovanni, but she convinces him to forgive her. Giovanni invites the couple, along with three mysterious masquers, to festivities at his residence. The masked trio - Donna Anna, Don Ottavio and Octavion - brace themselves before entering. At Giovanni's celebration, Zerlina's screams interrupt the dancing revelers, and Giovanni falsely accuses Masetto of attacking her. Donna Anna, Don Ottavio and Donna Elvira reveal their identities and confront Don Giovanni, who manages to escape.

Act II Leporello threatens to leave Don Giovanni's service, but Giovanni convinces him to stay and help him seduce Donna Elvira's maid. Exchanging clothes with Leporello, Don Giovanni serenades the maid while Leporello, dressed as Giovanni, diverts Donna Elvira. Giovanni, still dressed as Leporello, encounters Masetto leading a vengeful mob in search of the Don. After Don Giovanni dupes Masetto and makes his escape, Zerlina comforts her fiancée. Leporello, disguised as Giovanni, is trying to flee Elvira when he is trapped by Ottavio, Anna, Zerlina, and Masetto, who believe they've finally captured Giovanni. Leporello reveals his identity, pleads for mercy, and finally escapes. Ottavio reaffirms his intention to avenge Donna Anna, and Elvira, left alone, laments her betrayal by Giovanni. Meeting up in a cemetery, Don Giovanni and Leporello encounter a statue of the slain Commendatore.

Giovanni orders Leporello to invite the statue to dinner, and, to Leporello's horror, the statue nods its acceptance. Don Ottavio reassures Donna Anna that her father's death will soon be avenged, leaving them free to marry. Anna, however, still feels reluctant to marry so soon after her father's death. Don Giovanni feasts, waited upon by Leporello and entertained by a band. Donna Elvira bursts in, urging Don Giovanni to mend his ways, but he scorns her entreaties. Elvira and Leporello encounter the statue of the Commendatore as it arrives for dinner. The Commendatore demands that Giovanni atone for his sins, but he defiantly refuses. Finally, he meets his doom. Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, Donna Elvira, Masetto, and Zerlina arrive in search of Giovanni but find only the stunned Leporello, who reports his master's bizarre fate. They agree that all evildoers must meet such a terrible end.

Don Giovanni (Mozart) - Synopsis Don Giovanni An Opera by W A Mozart Opera in two acts by Mozart; text by Lorenzo da Ponte. Productions, Prague, Oct. 29, 1787; Vienna, May 17, 1788; London, April 12, 1817; New York, Park Theatre, May 23, 1826. Original title: "Il Dissoluto Punito, ossia il Don Giovanni" (The Reprobate Punished, or Don Giovanni). The work was originally characterized as an opera buffa, or drama giocoso, but Mozarts noble setting lifted it out of that category.

CHARACTERS DON PEDRO, the Commandant ..Bass DONNA ANNA, his daughter .Soprano DON OTTAVIO, her betrothed ..Tenor DON GIOVANNI Baritone ZERLINA .Soprano MASETTO, betrothed to ZERLINA Tenor "Don Giovanni" was presented for the first time in Prague, because Mozart, satisfied with the manner in which Bondinis troupe had sung his "Marriage of Figaro" a little more than a year before, had agreed to write another work for the same house. The story on which da Ponte based his libretto -- the statue of a murdered man accepting an insolent invitation to banquet with his murderer, appearing at the feast and dragging him down to hell -- is very old. It goes back to the Middle Ages, probably further. A French authority considers that da Ponte derived his libretto from "Le Festin de Pierre," Molieres version of the old tale.

Da Ponte, however, made free use of "Il Convitato di Pietra" (The Stone-Guest), a libretto written by the Italian theatrical poet Bertati for the composer Giuseppe Gazzaniga. Whoever desires to follow up this interesting phase of the subject will find the entire libretto of Bertatis Convitato" reprinted, with a learned commentary by Chrysander, in volume iv of the Vierteljahrheft für Musikwissenschaft (Music Science Quarterly), a copy of which is in the New York Public Library. Mozart agreed to hand over the finished score in time for the autumn season of 1787, for the sum of one hundred ducats ($240). Richard Strauss receives for a new opera a guarantee of ten performances at a thousand dollars -- $10,000 in all -- and, of course, his royalties thereafter. There is quite a distinction in these matters between the eighteenth century and the present.

And what a lot of good a few thousand dollars would have done the impecunious composer of the immortal "Don Giovanni!" Also, one is tempted to ask oneself if any modern ten thousand dollar opera will live as long as the two hundred and forty dollar one which already is 130 years old. Luigi Bassi in the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni in the premiere production (1787) Bondinis company, for which Mozart wrote his masterpiece of dramatic music, furnished the following cast: Don Giovanni, Signor Bassi, twenty-two years old, a fine baritone, an excellent singer and actor; Donna Anna, Signora Teresa Saporiti; Donna Elvira, Signora Catarina Micelli, who had great talent for dramatic expression; Zerlina, Signora Teresa Bondini, wife of the manager; Don Ottavio, Signor Antonio Baglioni, with a sweet, flexible tenor voice; Leporello, Signor Felice Ponziani, an excellent basso comico; Don Pedro (the Commandant), and Masetto, Signor Giuseppe Lolli.

Mozart directed the rehearsals, had the singers come to his house to study, gave them advice how some of the difficult passages should be executed, explained the characters they represented, and exacted finish, detail, and accuracy. Sometimes he even chided the artists for an Italian impetuosity, which might be out of keeping with the charm of his melodies. At the first rehearsal, however, not being satisfied with the way in which Signora Bondini gave Zerlinas cry of terror from behind the scenes, when the Don is supposed to attempt her ruin, Mozart left the orchestra and went upon the stage. Ordering the first act finale to be repeated from the minuet on, he concealed himself in the wings. There, in the peasant dress of Zerlina, with its short skirt, stood Signora Bondini, waiting for her cue. When it came, Mozart quickly reached out a hand from his place of concealment and pinched her leg. She gave a piercing shriek. "There! That is how I want it," he said, emerging from the wings, while the Bondini, not knowing whether to laugh or blush, did both.

One of the most striking features of the score, the warning words which the statue of the Commandant, in the plaza before the cathedral of Seville, utters within the hearing of Don Giovanni and Leporello, was originally accompanied by the trombones only. At rehearsal in Prague, Mozart not satisfied with the way the passage was played, stepped over toward the desks at which the trombonists sat. One of them spoke up: "It cant be played any better. Even you couldnt teach us how." Mozart smiled. "Heaven forbid," he said, "that I should attempt to teach you how to play the trombone. But let me have the parts." Looking them over he immediately made up his mind what to do. With a few quick strokes of the pen, he added the wood-wind instruments as they are now found in the score. It is well known that the overture of "Don Giovanni" was written almost on the eve of the first performance. Mozart passed a gay evening with some friends.

One of them said to him: "Tomorrow the first performance of Don Giovanni will take place, and you have not yet composed the overture!" Mozart pretended to get nervous about it and withdrew to his room, where he found music-paper, pens, and ink. He began to composed about midnight. Whenever the grew sleepy, his wife, who was by his side, entertained him with stories to keep him awake. It is said that it took him but three hours to produce this overture. The next evening, a little before the curtain rose, the copyists finished transcribing the parts for the orchestra. Hardly had they brought the sheets, still wet, to the theatre, when Mozart, greeted by enthusiastic applause, entered the orchestra and took his seat at the piano. Although the musicians had not had time to rehearse the overture, they played it with such precision that the audience broke out into fresh applause. As the curtain rose and Leporello came forward to sing his solo, Mozart laughingly whispered to the musicians near him: "Some notes fell under the stands. But it went well." The overture consists of an introduction which reproduces the scene of the banquet at which the statue appears.

It is followed by an allegro which characteristizes the impetuous, pleasure-seeking Don, oblivious to consequences. It reproduces the dominant character of the opera. Without pause, Mozart links up the overture with the song of Leporello. The four principal personages of the opera appear early in the proceedings. The tragedy which brings them together so soon and starts the action, gives an effective touch of fore-ordained retribution to the misdeeds upon which Don Giovanni so gaily enters. This early part of the opera divides itself into four episodes. Wrapped in his cloak and seated in the garden of a house in Seville, Spain, which Don Giovanni, on amorous adventure bent, has entered secretly during the night -- it is the residence of the Commandant -- Leporello is complaining of the fate which makes him a servant to such a restless and dangerous master. "Notte e giorno faticar" (Never rest by day or night), runs his song. Don Giovanni hurriedly issues from the house, pursued by Donna Anna.

There follows a trio in which the wrath of the insulted woman, the annoyance of the libertine, and the cowardice of Leporello are expressed simultaneously and in turn in manner most admirable. The Commandant attracted by the disturbance, arrives, draws his sword, and a duel ensues. In the unequal combat between the aged Commandant and the agile Don, the Commandant receives a fatal wound. The trio which follows between Don Giovanni, the dying Commandant, and Leporello is a unique passage in the history of musical art., The genius of Mozart, tender, profound, pathetic, religious, is revealed in its entirely. Written in a solemn rhythm and in the key of F minor, so appropriate to dispose the mind to a gentle sadness, this trio, which fills only eighteen measures, contains in a restricted outline, but in master-strokes, the fundamental idea of this mysterious drama of crime and retribution. While the Commandant is breathing his last, emitting notes broken by long pauses, Donna Anna, who, during the duel between her father and Don Giovanni, has hurried off for help, returns accompanied by her servants and by Don Ottavio, her affianced.

She utters a cry of terror at seeing the dead body of her father. The recitative which expresses her despair is intensely dramatic. The duet which she sings with Don Ottavio is both impassioned and solicitous, impetuous on her part, solicitous on his; for the role of Don Ottavio is stamped with the delicacy of sentiment, the respectful reserve of a well-born youth who is consoling the woman who is to be his wife. The passage, "Lascia, O cara, la rimembrenza amore!" (Through loves devotion, dear one) is of peculiar beauty in musical expression. After Donna Anna and Don Ottavio have left, there enters Donna Elvira. The air she sings expresses a complicated nuance of passion. Donna Elvira is another of Don Giovannis deserted ones. There are in the tears of this woman not only the grief of one who has been loved and now implores heaven for comfort, but also the indignation of one who has been deserted and betrayed. When she cries with emotion: "Ah!

Qui mi dice mai quell barbaro dovè?" (In memory still lingers his loves delusive sway) one feels that, in spite of her outbursts of anger, she is ready to forgive, if only a regretful smile shall recall to her the man who was able to charm her. Don Giovanni hears from afar the voice of a woman in tears. He approaches, saying: "Cerchiam di consolare il suo tormento" (I must seek to console her sorrow). "Ah! yes," murmurs Leporello, under his breath: "Cosi ne consolò mille e otto cento" (He has consoled fully eighteen hundred). Leporello is charged by Don Giovanni, who, recognizing Donna Elvira, hurries away, to explain to her the reasons why he deserted her. The servant fulfills his mission as a complaisant valet. For it is here that he sings the "Madamina" air, which is so famous, and in which he relates with the skill of a historian the numerous amours of his master in the different parts of the world. The "Air of Madamina," "Madamina!

il catalogo"  (Dear lady, the catalogue) is a perfect passage of its kind; an exquisite mixture of grace and finish, of irony and sentiment, of comic declamation and melody, the whole enhanced by the poetry and skill of the accessories. There is nothing too much, nothing too little; no excess of detail to mar the whole. Every word is illustrated by the com posers imagination without his many brilliant sallies injuring the general effect. According to Leporellos catalogue his masters adventures in love have numbered 2065. To these Italy has contributed 245, Germany 231, France 100, Turkey 91, and Spain, his native land, 1003. The recital enrages Donna Elvira. She vows vengeance upon her betrayer. The scene changes to the countryside of Don Giovannis palace near Seville. A troop of gay peasants is seen arriving. The young and pretty Zerlina with Masetto, her affianced, and their friends are singing and dancing in honour of their approaching marriage. Don Giovanni and Leporello join this gathering of light-hearted and simple young people.

Having cast covetous eyes upon Zerlina, and having aroused her vanity and her spirit of coquetry by polished words of gallantry, the Don orders Leporello to get rid of the jealous Masetto by taking the entire gathering -- excepting, of course, Zerlina -- to his chateau. Leporello grumbles, but carries out his masters order. The latter, left alone with Zerlina, sings a duet with her which is one of the gems, not alone of this opera, but of opera in general: "Là ci darem la mano!" (Your hand in mine, my dearest). Donna Elvira appears and by her denunciation of Don Giovanni, "Ah! fuggi il traditore," makes clear to Zerlina the character of her fascinating admirer.

Donna Anna and Don Ottavio come upon the stage and sing a quartette which begins: "Non ti fidar, o misera, di quel ribaldo cor" (Place not thy trust, O mourning one, in this polluted soul), at the end of which Donna Anna, as Don Giovanni departs, recognizes in his accents the voice of her fathers assassin. Her narrative of the events of that terrible night is a declamatory recitative "in style as bold and as tragic as the finest recitatives of Gluck." Don Giovanni orders preparations for the festival in his palace. He gives his commands to Leporello in the "Champagne aria," "Fin, ch han dal vino" (Wine, flow a fountain), which is almost breathless with exuberance of anticipated revel.

Then there is the ingratiating air of Zerlina begging Masettos forgiveness for having flirted with the Don, "Batti, batti, o bel Masetto" (Chide me, chide me, dear Masetto), a number of enchanting grace, followed by a brilliantly triumphant allegro, "Pace, pace o vita mia" (Love, I see youre now relenting). The finale to the first act of "Don Giovanni" rightly passes for one of the masterpieces of dramatic music. Leporello, having opened a window to let the fresh evening air enter the palace hall, the violins of a small orchestra within are heard in the first measures of the graceful minuet. Leporello sees three maskers, two women and a man, outside. In accordance with custom they are bidden to enter. Don Giovanni does not know that they are Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Don Ottavio, bent upon seeking the murderer of the Commandant and bringing him to justice. But even had he been aware of their purpose it probably would have made no difference, for courage this dissolute character certainly had.

After a moment of hesitation, after having taken council together, and repressing a movement of horror which they feel at the sight of the man whose crimes have darkened their lives, Donna Elvira, Donna Anna, and Don Ottavio decide to carry out their undertaking at all cost and to whatever end. Before entering the chateau, they pause on the threshold and, their souls moved by a holy fear, they address Heaven in one of the most touching prayers written by the hand of man. It is the number known throughout the world of music as the "Trio of the Masks," "Protegga, il giusto cielo" -- (Just Heaven, now defend us) -- one of those rare passages which, by its clearness of form, its elegance of musical diction, and its profundity of sentiment, moves the layman and charms the connoisseur. The festivities begin with the familiar minuet. Its graceful rhythm is prolonged indefinitely as a fundamental idea, while in succession, two small orchestras on the stage, take up, one a rustic quadrille in double time, the other a waltz.

Notwithstanding the differences in rhythm, the three dances are combined with a skill that piques the ear and excites admiration. The scene would be even more natural and entertaining than it usually is, if the orchestras on the stage always followed the direction accordano (tune up) which occurs in the score eight bars before each begins to play its dance, and if the dances themselves were carried out according to directions. Only the ladies and gentlemen should engage in the minuet, the peasants in the quadrille; and before Don Giovanni leads off Zerlina into an adjoining room he should have taken part with her in this dance, while Leporello seeks to divert the jealous Masettos attention by seizing him in an apparent exuberance of spirits and insisting on dancing the waltz with him. Masettos suspicions, however, are not to allayed. He breaks away from Leporello. The latter hurries to warn his master. But just as he has passed through the door, Zerlinas piercing chriek for help is heard from within.

Don Giovanni rushes out, sword in hand, dragging out with him none other than poor Leporello, whom he has opportunely seized in the entrance, and whom, under pretence that he is the guilty party, he threatens to kill in order to turn upon him the suspicion that rests upon himself. But this ruse fails to deceive anyone. Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Don Ottavio unmask and accuse Don Giovanni of the murder of the Commandant; "Tutto già si sa" (Everything is known and you are recognized). Taken aback, at first, Don Giovanni soon recovers himself. Turning, at bay, he defies the enraged crowd. A storm is rising without. A storm sweeps over the orchestra. Thunder growls in the basses, lightning plays on the fiddles. Don Giovanni, cool, intrepid, cuts a passage through the crowd upon which, at the same time, he hurls his contempt. (In a performance at the Academy of Music, New York, about 1872, I saw Don Giovanni stand off the crowd with a pistol.) The second act opens with a brief duet between Don Giovanni and Leporello. The trio which follows: "Ah!

taci, ingiusto core" (Ah, silence, heart rebellious), for Donna Elvira, Leporello, and Don Giovanni, is an exquisite passage. Donna Elvira, leaning sadly on a balcony, allows her melancholy regrets to wander in the pale moonlight which envelops her figure in a semi-transparent gloom. In spite of the scene which she has recently witnessed, in spite of wrongs she herself has endured, she cannot hate Don Giovanni or efface his image from her heart. Her reward is that her recreant lover in the darkness below, changes costume with his servant and while Leporello, disguised as the Don, attracts Donna Elvira into the garden, the cavalier himself addresses to Zerlina, who has been taken under Donna Elviras protection, the charming serenade: "Deh! vieni alla finestra" (Appear, love at thy window), which he accompanies on the mandolin, or should so accompany, for usually the accompaniment is played pizzicato by the orchestra.

As the result of complications, which I shall not attempt to follow, Masetto, who is seeking to administer physical chastisement to Don Giovanni, receives instead a drubbing from the latter. Zerlina, while by no means indifferent to the attentions of the dashing Don, is at heart faithful to Masetto and, while I fancy she is by no means obtuse to the humorous aspect of his chastisement by Don Giovanni, she comes trippingly out of the house and consoles the poor fellow with the graceful measures of "Vedrai carino, se sei buonino" (List, and Ill find love, if you are kind love). Shortly after this episode comes Don Ottavios famous air, the solo number which makes the role worth while, "I1 mio tesoro intanti" (Fly then, my love, entreating). Upon this air praise has been exhausted. It has been called the "pietra di paragone" of tenors -- the touchstone, the supreme test of classic song. Retribution upon Don Giovanni is not to be too long deferred.

After the escapade of the serenade and the drubbing of Masetto, the Don, who has made off, chances to meet in the churchyard (or in the public square) with Leporello, who meanwhile has gotten rid of Donna Elvira. It is about two in the morning. They see the newly erected statue to the murdered Commandant. Don Giovanni bids it, through Leporello, to supper with him in his palace. Will it accept? The statue answers, "Yea!" Leporello is terrified. And Don Giovanni? "In truth the scene is bizarre. The old boy comes to supper. Now hasten and bestir yourself to spread a royal feast." Such is the sole reflection that the fateful miracle, to which he has just been a witness, draws from this miscreant, who, whatever else he may be, is brave. Back in his palace, Don Giovanni seats himself at table and sings of the pleasures of life.

An orchestra on the stage plays airs from Vincente Martinos "Una Cosa Rara" (A Rare Thing); Sartis "Fra Due Litiganti" (Between Two Litigants) and Mozart's own "Nozze di Figaro," Leporello announcing the selections. The "Figaro" air is "Non più andrai" (Play no more, boy, the part of a lover). Donna Elvira enters. On her knees she begs the man who has betrayed her to mend his ways. Her plea falls on deaf ears. She leaves. Her shriek is heard from the corridor. She re-enters and flees the palace by another door. "Va, veder che cos è stato" (Go, and see what it is) Don Giovanni commands Leporello. The latter returns trembling with fright. He has seen in the corridor "luom di sasso, luomo bianco" -- the man of stone, the big white man. Seizing a candle, drawing his sword, Don Giovanni boldly goes into the corridor. A few moments later he backs into the room, receding before the statue of the Commandant.

The lights go out. All is dark save or the flame of the candle in Don Giovannis hand. Slowly, with heavy footsteps that re-echo, the statue enters. It speaks. "Don Giovanni, you have invited me to sit at table with you. Lo! I am here." Well knowing the fate in store for him, yet, with unebbing courage, Don Giovanni nonchalantly commands Leporello to serve supper. "Desist!" exclaims the statue. "He who has sat at a heavenly banquet, does not break the bread of mortals. Don Giovanni, will you come to sup with me?" "I will," fearlessly answers the Don. "Give me your hand in gage thereof." "Here it is." Don Giovanni the Characters and Their Music Essay - 1627 Words Don Giovanni Essay ...Don Giovanni Don Giovanni is a comical opera, where the protagonists victor, that was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1787 in the midst of the Enlightenment of the 18th century. Per the textbook and class discussions, This was a time where people started questioning the authority of the nobility and clergy, and the middle class wanted more power in the government.

People were not depending as much on the church... 2291 Words | 12 Pages Operas of Mozart Don Giovanni Essay ...Donna Anna, Donna Elvira & Zerlino Mozart's Don Giovanni The choice of the “Three women of Don Giovanni” can give a good understanding of the type of music which was used to create an opera in the 18th century Italy. The opera buffa was a comic opera with a funny story line and light music. Mozart wrote at different levels. In order to have full understanding of the women's roles, it is necessary to... 1710 Words | 5 Pages music Essay ...the relative major, D major. In most of the traditional symphonies, double return is featured by the return of the themes in the home key. The symphony is also unconventional thematically. In Classic symphonies, the two themes have contrasting characters that usually the first theme is energetic while the second theme is more lyrical. In the Unfinished symphony, both the two theme is lyrical and expressive like a typical song. Moreover, the development section is based on...

897 Words | 3 Pages Music Essay ...Chapter One Music in which one tone predominates over the other tones is called tonal. Iteration is an important means of causing one tone to predominate over other tones. In simple tonal music the tone that receives the greatest stress through iteration is often the keynote or tonic. The term tonality means practically the same thing as key. Music in which a single tone predominates over the others is said to be tonal. In tonal music... 1232 Words | 3 Pages The Play Don Giovanni Essay ...Mr. Warren Don Giovanni After watching the Don Giovanni play ill conclude that Don Giovanni is not guilty in the rape of Donna Anna. She accused him of the rape, but there is no full evidence that she got raped. She apparently said that she got raped after the fact her dad was killed. Just because he killed The Commendatore doesn’t mean that he is guilty of the rape. The first piece of evidence... 867 Words | 2 Pages characters Research Paper ...Invent a Character By Kimberly Dana, Award-Winning Author ©Kimberly Dana Invent a Character - Introduction About the Packet: During author visitations, kids will often ask me how I invent my characters.

I tell them I think about someone interesting - then I think about their favorite candy bar. They chuckle and I say, “Seriously! This is how well you need to know and understand your characters.” In order to help kids invent... 507 Words | 6 Pages Essay on Music ...FORM in music is the organization of musical elements in time. In a musical composition, pitch, tone color, dynamics, rhythm, melody, and texture interact to produce a sense of shape and structure. Techniques That Create Musical Form Repetition, contrast, and variation are essential techniques in short tunes as well as in compositions lasting much longer. Repetition creates a sense of unity; contrast provides variety; and variation, in keeping some elements of a musical... 3933 Words | 11 Pages Music and A Essay ...[pic] |Enjoyment of Music 2012 CSUF Study online at quizlet.com/_8cnf0 | | |1.|12 | |How many major scales are there in Western music?

| |2.|active | |In Western music, dominant and subdominant chords are called _______ chords: | |3.|additive meter | |A grouping of beats that adds up to a larger overall pattern is called:... 1034 Words | 7 Pages Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' : NPR Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' November 2, 200712:00 AM ET WHO'S WHO Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Chorus Patrick Summers, conductor Donna Elvira (Ana Maria Martinez) resists Don Giovanni (Mariusz Kwiecien), yet can't give up on her love for him. Brett Coomer/Houston Grand Opera hide caption toggle caption Brett Coomer/Houston Grand Opera As the legend goes, he was the quintessential rake — a womanizing scoundrel with a list of amorous conquests so long that his right-hand man needs an entire aria just to outline it! His name is Don Juan or, in Mozart's musical version of the story, Don Giovanni. Mozart's opera has been described as a comedy, and it has any number of uproarious moments.

But there's far more to Don Giovanni than just a series of big laughs, just as the notorious Don is more than just an unprincipled, single-minded ladies' man. The opera's comic element is driven by Giovanni's devious schemes and hijinks. But both Lorenzo da Ponte's libretto and Mozart's matchless music ensure that the dire consequences of those schemes are as evident as their humor. The result is a disturbing ambiguity that's at the core of Mozart's masterpiece. The Don's personality is so beguiling that audiences actually tend to root for him, even as his dark side becomes more and more obvious. Still, when he eventually receives a personal invitation to hell, and his enemies rejoice, it's hard to blame them. Don Giovanni has been widely regarded as the greatest opera ever composed. That's a pretty bold statement, but however you rank it, Mozart's opera is a brilliant combination of stark human tragedy and touching comedy, set to music of limitless genius. On World of Opera host Lisa Simeone presents it in a new production from Houston Grand Opera , starring baritone Mariusz Kwiecien in the title role.

Article continues after sponsorship Email November 3, 200712:00 AM ET Don Ottavio (Garrett Sorenson) tries to comfort his fiance Donna Anna (Alexandra Deshorties) after Don Giovanni murders her father. Brett Coomer/Houston Grand Opera hide caption toggle caption Brett Coomer/Houston Grand Opera Don Giovanni finally meets his end when the statue of the Commendatore comes to life and challenges him to mend his ways, or face the consequences. Brett Coomer/Houston Grand Opera hide caption toggle caption Brett Coomer/Houston Grand Opera ACT ONE: The central character in Mozart's Don Giovanni is, of course, the Don himself — a quick witted love-'em-and-leave-'em type, with a trail of jilted women in his wake. But in Mozart's opera, we get the feeling that the Don's luck is turning sour. As the darkly colored Overture subsides, we find Don Giovanni already in trouble. His personal servant Leporello complains bitterly, to himself, about Giovanni's increasingly reckless behavior. And indeed, the Don's most recent attempted seduction — of a noblewoman, Donna Anna — is in the process of going completely haywire.

Donna Anna runs from her father's house screaming vengeance against an unknown intruder who entered her bedroom disguised in a cloak, pretending to be her fiance. Naturally, the intruder was Giovanni. Anna's father, the Commendatore, catches up with the disguised Giovanni and proposes a duel. In the ensuing swordfight, Giovanni kills him. That's just great, Leporello says — first rape the daughter, then murder the father. Giovanni is unconcerned, and strolls away calmly. But when Donna Anna and her fiance Don Ottavio show up and find her father dead, they swear revenge. The next morning, Giovanni and Leporello stumble across Donna Elvira, another one of Giovanni's conquests. She's tracked him down to insist that he live up to his romantic promises of true love and fidelity. To demonstrate why that's not likely to happen, Leporello reads her an exhaustive list of the Don's former lovers, in the well-known "Catalogue Aria." While Giovanni tries to make a clean getaway, Elvira, too, swears vengeance. Giovanni now spots a brand new temptation, a young peasant girl called Zerlina.

Leporello sidetracks her fiance, Masetto, and Giovanni sweet-talks Zerlina in the tender duet "La ci darem la mano." But Donna Elvira shows up, warning the naive girl to beware. She gives the same advice to Donna Anna and Don Ottavio. Giovanni dismisses Elvira's ravings as a symptom of madness. But eventually Anna recognizes the Don's voice as that of the cloaked man who killed her father. When Giovanni leaves, Anna urges Ottavio to avenge the murder immediately. Act One finishes up at Don Giovanni's estate, where he's throwing a pre-wedding party for Zerlina and Masetto. Anna, Ottavio and Elivra arrive with masks on, plotting their collective revenge. As the orchestra plays a few dance numbers, a scream is heard from somewhere in the palace. It's Zerlina, trying to fight off Giovanni's advances. The Don tries to blame Leporello for the attack, but everyone sees through the lies. They denounce Giovanni, as he makes yet another narrow escape.

ACT TWO: Leporello is still complaining about the treatment he gets from his boss, especially the dangers he's been forced to confront, and by now he's ready to quit. Giovanni talks him out of it, with the help of a little extra cash. Giovanni's next scheme is to have his way with the cute young maid who attends Donna Elvira. Giovanni and Leporello switch clothes. The plan is that Leporello — pretending to be Giovanni — will sweet-talk Elvira out of the way. Then Giovanni, dressed in his servant's clothes, can seduce the maid. At first, it all goes swimmingly. Elvira is entranced by the phony Giovanni's poetic words and goes off with Leporello, leaving Giovanni to serenade the maid. Things go downhill when Masetto shows up with a band of peasants, searching for Giovanni. They're well-armed, and plan to kill him if they find him. Giovanni, still dressed as Leporello, disguises his voice and says he knows where the scoundrel is.

After he sends everyone else off in various directions he's free to give Masetto a thorough beating. After Zerlina comforts Masetto, the scene changes to a dark courtyard. Leporello is still in Giovanni's clothes, and that's about to get him in trouble. As he grows tired of wooing Donna Elvira, Anna, Ottavio, Masetto and Zerlina accost him, believing that they've finally cornered the notorious Don. Leporello begs for his life, astounds everyone by removing his Giovanni disguise, and beats a hasty retreat. Next, Elvira gets a poignant moment to herself, with a dramatic aria lamenting her feelings of hate — and love — for Don Giovanni. The next scene finds Giovanni and Leporello in a local graveyard. They're discussing recent events when they get quite a start. They're sitting near the giant stone statue of the Commendatore, Giovanni's Act One murder victim — and the statue begins to speak. "You will have your last laugh before the next dawn," it tells Giovanni. Leporello is terrified, but Giovanni is characteristically calm.

He orders Leporello to invite the statue to dinner that evening. The statue accepts the offer. The opera's final scene is set in Don Giovanni's dining room. He's feasting alone, with Leporello attending. A small orchestra plays the popular tunes of the day, including music from Mozart's own opera, The Marriage of Figaro. Donna Elvira arrives, attempting once more to convince Giovanni to turn his life around. He laughs at the notion. As Elvira leaves she lets out a loud scream. Leporello goes to investigate, and screams even louder when finds the stone statue of the Commendatore knocking at the door. "You invited me to dinner, and I have come," the statue bellows. Giovanni takes the statue by the hand and a icy chill rushes over him. Three times, the statue demands that Giovanni repent his evil ways. Each time Giovanni refuses. "Your time is up!" declares the statue. Flames rise around the Don, the ground sinks beneath him, and Giovanni descends into hell. As the opera closes Leporello tells the others what happened, and in a large ensemble they each ponder their next moves.

Don Ottavio is anxious to marry Donna Anna — but Anna, who has had a taste of excitement amidst all the turmoil, now says she needs a full year of mourning before she can marry the sedate Ottavio. Donna Elvira is fed up with the perils of romance, and decides to join a convent. Masetto and Zerlina take everything in stride and head home for dinner. Leporello says he'll head for the nearest tavern to find a less troublesome employer. Finally, everyone concludes that Giovanni has met a just end in hell — the fate that awaits all evildoers. Still, that final ensemble leaves us feeling that somehow, with Don Giovanni gone, the world isn't quite as interesting as it used to be.

Don Giovanni | opera by Mozart | Britannica.com opera by Mozart Alternative Titles: “Il dissoluto punito ossia il Don Giovanni”, “The Libertine Punished, or Don Giovanni” Related Topics opera buffa Don Giovanni, in full The Libertine Punished; or, Don Giovanni, Italian Il dissoluto punito; ossia, il Don Giovanni, opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Italian libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte ) that premiered at the original National Theatre in Prague on October 29, 1787. The opera’s subject is Don Juan , the notorious libertine of fiction, and his eventual descent into hell . For Mozart, it was an unusually intense work, and it was not entirely understood in his own time. Within a generation, however, it was recognized as one of the greatest of all operas. Background and context The great popularity in Prague of Mozart’s previous opera, The Marriage of Figaro , led the theatre’s impresario to commission a new work from the composer. Mozart wanted to keep the same librettist, da Ponte, for the new work.

The librettist was extremely busy writing for other composers at the Viennese court and decided to adapt an existing libretto on the subject of Don Juan. Although there were hurdles and delays in bringing the opera to the stage, Don Giovanni was a great success in Prague and remained in the repertoire there for years. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, portrait by Johann Georg Edlinger; in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, … Sean Gallup/Getty Images Mozart revised the opera for Vienna , where it was performed in May 1788. His changes included substituting a simpler aria for “ Il mio tesoro ” (Don Ottavio in Act II) and adding a comic scene between Leporello and Zerlina. Although Vienna’s audiences were less enthusiastic than Prague’s, Don Giovanni was appreciated by sophisticated music lovers there. Page from the manuscript of Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni (1787). Bettmann/Corbis Mozart deftly underscores the action with his music.

For example, in an aria midway through Act I (the “ Catalogue Aria ”), Giovanni’s servant, Leporello, reads delightedly from his little black book, listing the many women who have been conquered by Don Giovanni in each of several nations—1,003 women in Spain alone! Mozart matches musical characteristics to various adjectives, so that petite women are portrayed with short notes and ladies of more grandeur are described with longer note values. Similar Topics Other clever musical touches can be found in the well-known duet “ Là ci darem la mano ” in Act I. As the duet begins, Giovanni and his prey have alternate verses, but, as the conquest ensues, they begin to blend in harmony, the music reflecting their emotional unity. Of far more dramatic musical impact is the entrance of the vengeful ghost (specifically, a stone statue come to life) near the end of the opera. He has come to demand repentance of the villain; otherwise he is prepared to take Giovanni to hell. The music by which the ghost appears is some of the most formidable that Mozart would ever write.

He had placed hints at the beginning of the overture; the foreboding chords symbolize Giovanni’s fate and foreshadow the massive movement of the statue that will end the libertine’s adventures. The scene is so powerful that many performances in the 1800s ended with Giovanni’s descent into hell rather than with Mozart’s light final scene. Don Giovanni, nobleman and rake ( baritone ) Don Pedro, Commandant of Seville and Anna’s father ( bass ) Don Ottavio, Anna’s fiancé ( tenor ) Leporello, Don Giovanni’s servant (bass) Donna Anna, the Commandant’s daughter ( soprano ) Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni’s former lover (soprano) Masetto, a peasant (bass) Zerlina, Masetto’s fiancée (soprano) Peasants, musicians, dancers, chorus of demons. Setting and story summary Don Giovanni is set in and around Seville (now Sevilla ), Spain , in the 17th century. Act I Music: Fact or Fiction? Scene 1. In the garden outside the Commandant’s mansion.

Leporello, servant to Don Giovanni, serves as lookout and waits impatiently as his master daringly breaks into the house to seduce the Commandant’s daughter. He grumbles about his thankless job—no sleep, little pay, hard work (“ Notte e giorno faticar ”). Suddenly, Giovanni and Donna Anna rush out of the palace. They are struggling. Anna screams and unsuccessfully tries to discover the masked Giovanni’s identity. Her father appears, brandishing a sword , and challenges Giovanni to a duel; Anna runs to get help. Giovanni, at first reluctant, accepts the challenge and proceeds to kill the old man, whereupon he and Leporello escape. Anna returns with her fiancé, Don Ottavio, to find her father dead; she makes Ottavio swear to avenge her father’s death. Britannica Stories Queen Elizabeth I’s Skirt Found Scene 2. Early morning the next day, in a square outside Seville. Leporello, having made Giovanni promise not to punish him for speaking freely, tells him that his life is scandalous. When Giovanni becomes angry, Leporello changes the subject to Giovanni’s catalogue of women.

As his master tells of his latest flame, they spot a veiled woman walking along the road. The men do not recognize her, but she is one of Giovanni’s former conquests, Donna Elvira. They hide as she rages at her betrayal at the hands of a scoundrel who had seduced and then deserted her (“ Ah! chi mi dice mai ”). When Giovanni, pleased at the prospect of another conquest, approaches to comfort her, she recognizes him as the man who had abandoned her. As she berates him, the dismayed Giovanni sneaks off. Leporello, curtly explaining to her that she is not his master’s only victim and will surely not be the last, relates the catalogue of Giovanni’s conquests to her (“ Madamina, il catalogo è questo ”): 640 in Italy, 231 in Germany, 100 in France, a mere 91 in Turkey, but 1,003 in Spain! Leporello quickly departs, leaving Elvira even angrier and bent on revenge. Scene 3. Outside a tavern in the countryside near Don Giovanni’s castle.

A group of peasants are celebrating the engagement of Zerlina and Masetto. Giovanni and Leporello admire the girls, and Giovanni is very interested in Zerlina. He invites everyone to enter his castle to eat and drink. But he detains Zerlina, to the annoyance of her fiancé, who is finally persuaded to go with the others. Giovanni promises to marry Zerlina (Duet: “ Là ci darem la mano ”). Won over, Zerlina agrees. Just then, Elvira comes in and warns Zerlina against him. The two women leave together. Illustration (c. 1914) of a scene from Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni … © Photos.com/Jupiterimages Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Anna and Ottavio arrive. Not realizing that Giovanni is the man who, masked, had assaulted her and killed her father, Anna seeks his help. Elvira returns and tries to tell the others what kind of man he really is, but Giovanni tells them that Elvira is mad and takes her away. Yet Anna has realized, from his voice, that Giovanni was indeed her attacker.

She tells Ottavio what happened to her on the night her father was killed and again begs him to seek vengeance (“ Or sai, chi l’onore ”). Ottavio, left alone, reflects on his love for her (“ Dalla sua pace ”). Giovanni and Leporello reappear. Leporello relates how he got the villagers drunk and managed to lock Elvira out of the house. Delighted, Giovanni orders a huge party (“ Finch’han del vino ”) and goes off to prepare for it. Scene 4. In the garden outside Don Giovanni’s castle. Listen: Mozart, W.A.: Don Giovanni Recitativo “ Orsù, spicciati presto ” (“Come on now, hurry … Masetto stalks into the garden, ignoring Zerlina’s entreaties and accusing her of infidelity. She urges Masetto to beat her if he wants, as long as they make up (“ Batti, batti, o bel Masetto ”). Masetto relents. When they hear Giovanni approaching, Zerlina becomes agitated, and Masetto, suspicious, hides so that he can watch them.

Giovanni renews his attentions and tries to draw her aside into the very place where Masetto is hiding. Masetto, furious, jumps out of the foliage and surprises him, but Giovanni recovers his composure and blithely says that he and Zerlina were just looking for Masetto. Giovanni reunites the two and invites them to his castle to join the party. Once they have left, three masked figures enter the garden. The three—Anna, Ottavio, and Elvira—are determined to expose Giovanni to everyone. Giovanni and Leporello see them from Giovanni’s balcony and, not recognizing them, invite them to the party as well. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Scene 5. Inside the ballroom of Don Giovanni’s castle. Listen: Mozart, W.A.: Don Giovanni The aria “ Madamina, il catalogo e questo ” (“My dear lady, this is a … As the guests dance, Giovanni continues his pursuit of Zerlina. He heartily welcomes the masked trio as they come in. As Giovanni dances with Zerlina, Leporello forces Masetto to dance, allowing Giovanni to drag Zerlina away.

When Zerlina’s screams are heard, interrupting the party, Masetto and the others rush to help her, but the door is locked. When the angry crowd threatens to break down the door, Giovanni reappears, with Leporello at sword’s point. Giovanni proclaims that his lackey is the attacker. Ottavio, Anna, and Elvira unmask and threaten Giovanni, who disarms Ottavio with his sword and keeps the mob away. Using Leporello as a shield, Giovanni escapes. Act II Scene 1. Outside Donna Elvira’s house. Leporello threatens to leave Giovanni, but he is given money and is persuaded to stay. Giovanni has a plan: Leporello is to pretend to be him and entice Elvira away, leaving Giovanni, dressed as Leporello, free to seduce her maid, Zerlina. They exchange clothes. It is dark, and, when Elvira appears at her window, she is persuaded by an apparently repentant “Giovanni” to come down to him. A false scare sends the pair running off.

Giovanni as “Leporello” then serenades Zerlina (“ Deh vieni alla finestra ”), but he is forced to hide when Masetto and some armed villagers come looking for him. “Leporello” tells them that he has left his master, and he sends them off in all directions to find Giovanni. The disguised Giovanni tricks Masetto into handing over his weapons and then thrashes him and runs off, leaving Masetto groaning on the ground. Zerlina appears, comforts him, and takes him home (“ Vedrai, carino ”). Scene 2. A dark courtyard by Donna Anna’s house. “Giovanni” and Elvira are in a courtyard; he is trying to find a way to escape. Just as he finds the door, Ottavio and Anna enter, followed by Zerlina and Masetto. Thinking Leporello is Giovanni, they corner him while Elvira begs them to spare him. Desperate, he reveals his true identity, to the astonishment of all. As they advance on him, he begs for mercy but manages to flee.

Ottavio urges the others to comfort Anna while he seeks revenge (“ Il mio tesoro ”). Elvira, left alone, expresses her mixture of emotions about Giovanni—pity for his doomed soul and hurt by his betrayal of her (“ Mi tradì quell’alma ingrata ”). Adolf Hitler Scene 3. A church graveyard. Giovanni laughingly relates his recent adventures to Leporello. Suddenly, a ghostly voice says that his mirth will soon end. Leporello, stuttering with fright, notices the funerary statue of the Commandant, on which is inscribed a vow of vengeance on his murderer. Giovanni brazenly orders the terrified Leporello to invite the statue to supper. The statue accepts, with a horrifying nod of its head. Scene 4. Inside Donna Anna’s house. Anna is still mourning her father’s death, and Ottavio tries to soothe her by proposing marriage and assuring her that Giovanni will soon be brought to justice . She tenderly confirms her love for him but says their marriage must wait until her father’s murder has been avenged (“ Non mi dir ”). Scene 5.

Dining hall inside Don Giovanni’s castle. Giovanni orders the orchestra to play as he dines, while Leporello sneaks food from the table. Elvira bursts in and begs Giovanni to change his ways, but he merely invites her to eat. As she is leaving, she suddenly stops at the door, screams, and runs out another door. Giovanni orders Leporello to investigate the commotion. He does so and returns stammering about a man of stone knocking at the door. The Commandant’s statue appears and announces that he has come for dinner. Giovanni offers his hospitality as Leporello hides. The statue refuses mortal food but invites Giovanni to sup with him. Giovanni accepts, giving the statue his hand as a promise, but he then finds himself trapped in the statue’s marble grasp. The statue demands that Giovanni repent, but the rake refuses. The statue proclaims Giovanni’s fate and sinks through the ground as flames surround them. Terrified, Giovanni tries to escape but is blocked by the fire. With a cry of despair, Giovanni is dragged off to hell as a chorus of demons condemns him to eternal damnation. Flames envelop the castle. Epilogue.

Don Giovanni’s dining hall, a few minutes later. Ottavio, Anna, Elvira, Zerlina, and Masetto arrive with ministers of justice to confront Giovanni. Leporello, who has escaped the inferno, relays the news and describes the terror he has witnessed. Justice has been done, they all agree. Anna agrees to marry Ottavio; Elvira will retire to a convent; Zerlina and Masetto will go home to eat; and Leporello will seek a new and better master. They turn to the audience and warn that a similar fate awaits all such libertines.

'Don Giovanni' Is a Lush Start to Union Avenue Opera's Season: Review | Arts & Entertainment | laduenews.com 'Don Giovanni' Is a Lush Start to Union Avenue Opera's Season: Review by Mark Bretz Jul 16, 2015 (…) Story: Nobleman Don Giovanni has cut a swath through Europe in the mid-18th century by the account of his servant Leporello, bedding down more than 2,000 women in Italy, France, Germany, Turkey and Spain, where in that one country alone he has seduced more than 1,000. Now, in Seville, he has killed the Commendatore after the man’s daughter, Donna Anna, screams for help. Finding her father murdered, Donna Anna and her fiancé, Don Ottavio, seek revenge against Don Giovanni. Another conquest, Donna Elvira, also is in pursuit of the licentious aristocrat for being unfaithful to her. As he flees from them, Giovanni sees a young peasant woman, Zerlina, and her fiancé Masetto celebrating their wedding with friends.

Giovanni angers Masetto when he flirts with Zerlina, but later he invites them and their friends to his home for a costume ball. When Giovanni attacks Zerlina in a bedroom, she runs and screams for help. The nobleman escapes and exchanges wardrobes with Leporello, who is mistaken for him and accosted. After Leporello reveals that Giovanni is wearing his clothes, he meets up with his master at a cemetery, where a statue of the Commendatore warns Giovanni to repent or face the consequences. When Giovanni contemptuously refuses, he meets a most unpleasant fate. Highlights: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s lush musical version of the Don Juan legend, with a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, has been a mainstay of the operatic repertoire since its premiere in 1787. Union Avenue Opera has opened its 21st season with a strong and wonderful performance that features many excellent voices, some familiar and others making their UAO debut, in a production guided masterfully by conductor Scott Schoonover and director Jon Truitt.

Other Info: Making their UAO debuts in this handsome rendition are no fewer than five of the eight principal performers, including Galen Scott Bower in the title role. Others performing on the stage at Union Avenue Christian Church for the first time are Neil Nelson as Leporello, Geoffrey Cox as the Commendatore, Amy Murray as Donna Anna and Karina Brazas as Zerlina. Nelson takes command of the servant’s role with gusto and a flair for its comic elements. He also possesses a powerfully persuasive voice that resonates throughout the grand UAO venue, highlighting this production. St. Louis native Gina Galati puts her soaring soprano to fine use in the role of the wronged Donna Elvira, who nevertheless finds it hard to let go of Don Giovanni because of his wily charms. Amy Murray delivers a fine performance as the outraged Donna Anna, as does Anthony Webb as her faithful fiancé, Don Ottavio. Karina Brazas makes for a fiery and fetching Zerlina, playing nicely off E. Scott Levin as Masetto, the simple peasant who is unimpressed with Don Giovanni’s slick talk and sleight-of-hand sincerity, and they shine in their numbers.

Geoffrey Cox is solid as Donna Anna’s outraged father, Il Commendatore. Bower cuts a handsome figure as the roguish title character, working well opposite Nelson in the give and take between master and servant and standing his own among the many finely tuned singers on stage. The chorus includes several performers who literally stand as statues, covered in ghastly pale makeup to accentuate their ethereal nature, in lengthy poses at various parts of the stage at any time. David Fournie, Anthony Heinemann, Lori Hoffman, Gina Malone, Randell McGee, Katherine Menke, David Pierce, Frederick Rice, Adam Stefo, Megan Sturdevant, Sharon Sullivan and Caetlyn Van Buren make up the entourage of spirits, wedding celebrants and partygoers at Giovanni’s ball. Schoonover conducts the Union Avenue Opera orchestra with clarity and conviction, realizing the rich and remarkable Mozart score with a stirring reading interpreted by nearly two dozen musicians. Truitt’s direction makes good use of the handsome scenic design of Kyra Bishop, an imposing gray background structure that allows for the action to occur in a courtyard at center stage, where one can detect subtle variations in the movements of the statues.

Teresa Doggett’s costumes effectively evoke the time and place of 18th century Spain, Patrick Huber adds shrewdly appointed lighting and Bishop provides props. Philip Touchette serves as supertitle translation editor and designer. Don Giovanni has been a popular favorite for more than two centuries. Sparkling productions such as the one currently on display at Union Avenue Opera indicate why its charms are so enduring. Opera: Don Giovanni

Question: Leporello is a principal character in which opera?
Answer: DON GIOVANNI