Don Giovanni (; K. 527; full title: , literally 'The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legend about a libertine, Don Juan, as told by playwright Tirso de Molina in his 1630 play El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra. It is a dramma giocoso blending comedy, melodrama and supernatural elements (although the composer entered it into his catalogue simply as opera buffa). It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the National Theatre (of Bohemia), now called the Estates Theatre, on 29 October 1787. Don Giovanni is regarded as one of the greatest operas of all time and has proved a fruitful subject for commentary in its own right; critic Fiona Maddocks has described it as one of Mozart's "trio of masterpieces with librettos by Da Ponte".
Composition and premiere
The opera was commissioned after the success of Mozart's trip to Prague in January and February 1787.The background of the production is summarized in . The subject may have been chosen because the sub-genre of Don Juan opera originated in that city.The first eighteenth-century Don Juan opera produced in Europe was the pastiche La pravità castigata (Prague, 1730), and the second one was Vincenzo Righini's Il convitato di pietra (Prague, 1776). Lorenzo Da Ponte's libretto is based on Giovanni Bertati's for the opera Don Giovanni Tenorio, which premiered in Venice early in 1787. In two aspects he copied Bertati: by opening with the Commendatore's murder and by avoiding mention of Seville (for Bertati the setting was Villena, Spain; Da Ponte simply writes "city in Spain").See , for a discussion of Da Ponte's vague specification, including a theory about why it is so vague that is based on suspiciously archaic cultural references incompatible with the modern city of Seville as it existed in Da Ponte's day.
The opera was supposed to premiere on 14 October 1787 for Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria's visit, but it was not ready in time and Le nozze di Figaro was substituted.Mozart's letter sent to Gottfried von Jacquin, dated 15 October Mozart recorded its completion, finally, on 28 October, the night before the premiere (29 October).
The opera was rapturously received, as was often true of Mozart's work in Prague. The Prager Oberpostamtzeitung reported, "Connoisseurs and musicians say that Prague has never heard the like", and "the opera ... is extremely difficult to perform." The Provincialnachrichten of Vienna reported, "Herr Mozart conducted in person and was welcomed joyously and jubilantly by the numerous gathering."
Scoring The score calls for double woodwinds, two horns,"Il dissoluto punito ossia il Don Giovanni, orchestral score", p. 5, Neue Mozart-Ausgabe, vol. 17. (Since its introduction, the French horn is mainly used.) two trumpets, three trombones (at the end of act 2 only, alto, tenor, bass), timpani, basso continuo for the recitatives, and the usual string section. The composer also specified occasional special musical effects. For the ballroom scene at the end of the first act, Mozart calls for two onstage ensembles to play separate dance music in synchronization with the pit orchestra, each of the three groups playing in its own metre (a 3/4 minuet, a 2/4 contradanse and a fast 3/8 peasant dance), accompanying the dancing of the principal characters. In act 2, Giovanni is seen to play the mandolin, accompanied by pizzicato strings. In the same act, two of the Commendatore's interventions ("" and "") are accompanied by a wind chorale of oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and trombones (with cellos and basses playing from the string section).
Revision for Vienna
Mozart also supervised the Vienna premiere of the work, which took place on 7 May 1788. For this production, he wrote two new arias with corresponding recitatives – Don Ottavio's aria "" (K. 540a, composed on 24 April for the tenor Francesco Morella), Elvira's aria "" (K. 540c, composed on 30 April for the soprano Caterina Cavalieri) – and the duet between Leporello and Zerlina "" (K. 540b, composed on 28 April). He also made some cuts in the Finale in order to make it shorter and more incisive, the most important of which is the section where Anna and Ottavio, Elvira, Zerlina and Masetto, Leporello reveal their plans for the future (""). In order to connect "" ("It must have been the ghost she met") directly to the moral of the story "" ("This is the end which befalls to evildoers"), Mozart composed a different version of "" ("So the wretch can stay down there with Proserpina and Pluto!"). These cuts are very seldom performed in theatres or recordings.Wolfgang Plath and Wolfgang Rehm, Neue Mozart-Ausgabe, Serie II, Werkgruppe 5, Band 17, Don Giovanni (Kassel, 1968)
Later performance traditions The opera's final ensemble was generally omitted until the early 20th century, a tradition that apparently began very early on. According to the 19th-century Bohemian memoirist Wilhelm Kuhe, the final ensemble was only presented at the first performance in Prague, then never heard again during the original run. It does not appear in the Viennese libretto of 1788; thus the ending of the first performance in Vienna without the ensemble as depicted in the film Amadeus may be an accurate portrayal. Nonetheless, the final ensemble is almost invariably performed in full today.
Modern productions sometimes include both the original aria for Don Ottavio, "", and its replacement from the first production in Vienna that was crafted to suit the capabilities of the tenor Francesco Morella, "". Elvira's "" is usually retained as well. The duet "" and the whole accompanying scene involving Zerlina and Leporello from the Viennese version is almost never included.
Although the same singer played both Masetto and the Commendatore roles in both the Prague and Vienna premieres, in modern-day productions, the roles are typically taken by different singers (unless limited by such things as finance or rehearsal time and space). The final scene's chorus of demons after the Commendatore's exit gives the singer time for a costume change before entering as Masetto for the sextet, though not much time.
Roles +RoleVoice typePage 2 of the score at NMAPrague premiere cast,29 October 1787Conductor: W. A. MozartVienna premiere cast,7 May 1788Conductor: W. A. Mozart Don Giovanni, a young, extremely licentious noblemanbaritoneLuigi BassiFrancesco Albertarelli Il CommendatorebassGiuseppe LolliFrancesco Bussani Donna Anna, his daughter, promised in marriage to Don OttaviosopranoTeresa SaporitiAloysia Weber Don OttaviotenorAntonio BaglioniFrancesco Morella Donna Elvira, a lady of Burgos abandoned by Don GiovannisopranoKatherina MicelliCaterina Cavalieri Leporello, Don Giovanni's servantbassFelice PonzianiFrancesco Benucci Masetto, a peasant, in love with ZerlinabassGiuseppe LolliFrancesco Bussani Zerlina, a peasantsopranoCaterina BondiniLuisa MombelliChorus: peasants, servants, young ladies, musicians, demons
Instrumentation The instrumentation is: Woodwinds: two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets and two bassoons Brass: two horns, two trumpets, three trombones (trombones in act 2 only) Percussion: timpani Strings: first violins, second violins, violas, cellos and double basses Basso continuo (harpsichord and violoncello) Mandolin
Synopsis
Don Giovanni, a young,Don Giovanni Schirmer piano-vocal score , p. iv arrogant, and sexually promiscuous nobleman, abuses and outrages everyone else in the cast until he encounters something he cannot kill, beat up, dodge, or outwit.
Act 1
The overture begins with a thundering D minor cadence, followed by a short sequence which leads into a light-hearted D major allegro.
The garden of the Commendatore Leporello, Don Giovanni's servant, grumbles about his demanding master and daydreams about being free of him ("" – "Night and day I slave away"). He is keeping watch while Don Giovanni is in the Commendatore's house attempting to seduce the Commendatore's daughter, Donna Anna. Don Giovanni enters the garden from inside the house, pursued by Donna Anna. Don Giovanni is masked and Donna Anna tries to hold him and to unmask him, shouting for help. (Trio: "" – "Do not hope, unless you kill me, that I shall ever let you run away!"). He breaks free and she runs off as the Commendatore enters the garden. The Commendatore blocks Don Giovanni's path and forces him to fight a duel. Don Giovanni kills the Commendatore with his sword and escapes with Leporello. Donna Anna, returning with her fiancé, Don Ottavio, is horrified to see her father lying dead in a pool of his own blood. She makes Don Ottavio swear vengeance against the unknown murderer. (Duet: "" – "Ah, swear to avenge that blood if you can!")
A public square outside Don Giovanni's palace
Leporello tells Don Giovanni that he (Giovanni) is leading a rotten life; Don Giovanni reacts angrily. They hear a woman (Donna Elvira) singing of having been abandoned by her lover, on whom she is seeking revenge ("" – "Ah, who could ever tell me"). Don Giovanni starts to flirt with her, but it turns out he is the former lover she is seeking. The two recognise each other and she reproaches him bitterly. He shoves Leporello forward, ordering him to tell Donna Elvira the truth about him, and then hurries away.
Leporello tells Donna Elvira that Don Giovanni is not worth her feelings for him. He is unfaithful to everyone; his conquests include 640 women and girls in Italy, 231 in Germany, 100 in France, 91 in Turkey, but in Spain, 1,003 ("Madamina, il catalogo è questo" – "My dear lady, this is the catalogue"). In a frequently cut recitative, Donna Elvira vows vengeance.
The open country
A marriage procession with Masetto and Zerlina enters. Don Giovanni and Leporello arrive soon after. Don Giovanni is immediately attracted to Zerlina, and he attempts to remove the jealous Masetto by offering to host a wedding celebration at his castle. On realising that Don Giovanni means to remain behind with Zerlina, Masetto becomes angry ("" – "I understand! Yes, my lord!") but is forced to leave. Don Giovanni and Zerlina are soon alone and he immediately begins his seductive arts (Duet: "Là ci darem la mano" – "There we will entwine our hands").
Donna Elvira arrives and thwarts the seduction ("" – "Flee from the traitor!"). She leaves with Zerlina. Don Ottavio and Donna Anna enter, plotting vengeance on the still unknown killer of Donna Anna's father. Donna Anna, unaware that she is speaking to her attacker, pleads for Don Giovanni's help. Don Giovanni, relieved that he is unrecognised, readily promises it, and asks who has disturbed her peace. Before she can answer, Donna Elvira returns and tells Donna Anna and Don Ottavio that Don Giovanni is a false-hearted seducer. Don Giovanni tries to convince Don Ottavio and Donna Anna that Donna Elvira is insane (Quartet: "" – "Don't trust him, oh sad one"). As Don Giovanni leaves, Donna Anna suddenly recognises him as her father's murderer and tells Don Ottavio the story of his intrusion, claiming that she was deceived at first because she was expecting a night visit from Don Ottavio himself, but managed to fight Don Giovanni off after discovering the impostor (long recitative exchange between Donna Anna and Don Ottavio). She repeats her demand that he avenge her and points out that he will be avenging himself as well (aria: "Or sai chi l'onore Rapire a me volse" – "Now you know who wanted to rob me of my honour"). In the Vienna version, Don Ottavio, not yet convinced (Donna Anna having only recognised Don Giovanni's voice, not seen his face), resolves to keep an eye on his friend ("" – "On her peace my peace depends").