Don Giovanni (opera)
"Don Giovanni" is an opera composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1787, with a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. This two-act opera is inspired by the legendary figure of Don Juan, portraying the title character as a lustful libertine whose immoral escapades ultimately lead to his downfall. The story begins with Don Giovanni attempting to seduce Donna Anna, which results in a confrontation that escalates to murder. Throughout the opera, Giovanni evades the vengeful efforts of his wronged lovers while continuing his reckless pursuits. The narrative culminates in a supernatural encounter with a statue of the slain Commendatore, who demands Giovanni repent for his sins. Rejected three times, Giovanni is eventually dragged into hell, symbolizing the consequences of his actions. Despite being completed just before its premiere, "Don Giovanni" quickly gained popularity, establishing itself as a significant work in the operatic canon and is regarded as one of Mozart's masterpieces. Today, it remains a staple of opera repertoires worldwide, celebrated for its intricate blend of comedy, drama, and moral lessons.
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Don Giovanni (opera)
Don Giovanni is an opera written in 1787 by renowned classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte (1749–1838). Based on the story of legendary fictional libertine Don Juan, Don Giovanni is a two-act opera that follows the unrepentantly lustful title character through his cruel, immoral pursuits until he ultimately meets his fate and is dragged into hell. Although Mozart considered it to be a purely comic opera buffa, da Ponte's landmark libretto included a stirring blend of comic, melodramatic, and even supernatural elements. In any event, Don Giovanni was an immediate hit with audiences in Prague and Vienna and quickly became a permanent staple of the standard operatic repertoire that is still performed around the world today. In the centuries since it was first staged, Don Giovanni has earned widespread recognition as both the best of Mozart's many operas and one of the greatest works of its kind ever composed.
Background
Widely acclaimed as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music, Mozart was a veritable prodigy from childhood. A talented pianist, organist, and violinist, Mozart began performing in tours across Europe when he was just six years old. He also began composing symphonies and a wide variety of other works. Mozart completed his first operatic work, a German sing-play called Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots (The Obligation of the first and foremost Commandment) in 1767. He subsequently made his Italian opera debut with Mitridate, re di Ponto (Mithridates, King of Pontus) in 1770. However, it was not until the 1780s that Mozart truly reached his operatic maturity. His first major success was The Abduction from the Seraglio, a three-act opera that premiered in Vienna in 1782. After producing several more successful operas in the years that followed, Mozart collaborated with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte for the first time in 1786. Together they created a well-received opera called The Marriage of Figaro. On the heels of that work's success, Mozart immediately tapped de Ponte for a second time.
In search of a subject for what was to be Mozart's next opera, de Ponte turned to the notorious fictional libertine Don Juan. Although the character may have origins dating back even farther, Spanish friar Gabriel de Tellez is generally credited with first introducing Don Juan when he wrote a play called The Trickster of Seville; or, the Stone Guest as Tirso de Molina around 1630. Tirso's Don Juan was a dashing gentleman of noble birth whose unquenchable lust and overwhelming seductive abilities led him to become an unrelenting womanizer. In the end, Don Juan is punished for his immoral lifestyle with eternal condemnation. Already exceedingly busy writing librettos for many of Mozart's fellow composers at the Viennese court and unable to commit to developing another entirely original work at the time, de Ponte chose to adapt the Don Juan story instead. This decision ultimately resulted in his masterpiece libretto for Don Giovanni, one of the works for which he is most often remembered.
Overview
Mozart's Don Giovanni presents the Don Juan story to an extreme. Whereas Don Juan was traditionally portrayed as a serial seducer, the titular Don Giovanni actually takes his womanizing so far that he eventually resorts to outright rape. Also unlike the traditional Don Juan, Mozart's Don Giovanni has become careless to the point that his sinful escapades are beginning to catch up with him.
As Act One begins, a masked Don Giovanni is in the bedroom of his latest attempted conquest, a noblewoman called Donna Anna. Pretending to be Anna's fiancé Don Ottavio, Giovanni attempts to take advantage of the young woman. When she realizes that her aggressive romancer is not Ottavio, Anna cries out and begins to fight back. Her screams alert her father, the Commendatore. He quickly enters and challenges the mysterious intruder. After a brief sword fight, Giovanni kills the Commendatore and flees with his identity still a secret. Anna and Ottavio vow revenge and soon begin a search to reveal the identity of the masked man. The next day, Giovanni and his personal servant Leporello meet Donna Elvira, one of Giovanni's previous conquests. She demands that Giovanni fulfill his promise of true love to her, but Leporello makes it clear that this will not happen by reading her a long list of his master's past romantic exploits. Enraged, Donna Elvira also vows revenge. When later events bring Elvira and Anna together, the two realize they are both after the same man and join forces to bring down Giovanni once and for all.
In Act Two, Giovanni deftly evades Anna, Elvira, and Ottavio while continuing his romantic pursuits. After making one final escape by using Leporello as a decoy, Giovanni finds himself in the local cemetery, standing before a towering statue of the Commendatore. To Leporello's horror, the Commendatore's statue begins to speak, warning Giovanni of impending doom. Giovanni is unmoved, however, and amusedly invites the statue to dinner. Later that evening, Giovanni is enjoying a lavish feast in his dining room when Elvira arrives and pleads with him to change his ways. When Giovanni scoffs at the idea, Elvira leaves. Moments later, she is heard screaming with terror outside the door. Leporello investigates and screams himself when he finds the Commendatore's statue standing at the doorstep. The statue enters, takes Giovanni, and asks him three times to repent. Giovanni refuses each time. After the third and final refusal, flames engulf the dining room and the statue drags Giovanni to hell. In some versions of the opera, this is followed by a final scene in which Leporello explains what happened to the other characters, and they all talk about what they will do next.
Despite the fact the Mozart did not complete his score until the day of its premiere, Don Giovanni was a great success when it was first staged in Prague on October 29, 1787. Don Giovanni proved to be even more successful in the long run, with contemporary critics often citing it as one of the greatest operas of all time.
Bibliography
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Goehr, Lydia and Daniel Herwitz, eds. The Don Giovanni Moment: Essays on the Legacy of an Opera. Columbia University Press, 2006.
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