Closing the 2011-12 season, Mozart’s Don Giovanni returns to the Atlanta Opera at the end of April. As we look forward to these performances, a brief overview may be helpful for those unfamiliar…
The opera’s overture opens with a sinister andante statement that will be heard later on during the climatic apparition scene in the second act finale. This section leads to an animated allegro that fades seamlessly into the first scene of act one. We are in eighteenth century Seville, outside the palace of the Commendatore Don Pedro and his daughter Donna Anna. It is midnight, and the moonlight reveals the cloaked figure of Don Giovanni’s servant, Leporello, who is awaiting the return of his master. His patter mutterings are cut short as a masked Don Giovanni hurriedly exits the palace, pursued by an outraged Donna Anna whom he had attempted to rape. As Donna Anna struggles to unmask her attacker, her cries awaken her aging father who enters the stage ready to defend his daughter’s honor. Donna Anna runs off in search of help as Mozart suddenly changes the trajectory of the scene and introduces a duel set to music. Don Giovanni swiftly disarms his rival and delivers a fatal blow. In a trio frozen in time, the terrified Leporello marvels at what has transpired as Don Giovanni looms over the Commendatore until he has gasped his last breath. The spectacular opening scene of Don Giovanni, with its masterful shift from comedy to tragedy, can be sampled here:
Accompanied by her fiancée Don Ottavio, Donna Anna returns to the scene to assist her father, but is too late. She faints at the sight of her father’s lifeless corpse and awakens in the arms of the concerned Don Ottavio. Filled with rage, she enlists Don Ottavio in her vow for vengeance against the perpetrator. The scene ends with the pair struck by the magnitude of what has taken place.
The next scene takes us to a street in Seville. Not concerned with his last disastrous excursion, we find Don Giovanni again in search of new prey. He spots a potential new victim from a distance, and though he cannot readily see her face, he is near enough to hear her bemoan a former unfaithful lover. Feigning concern, Don Giovanni approaches the woman, who to his surprise turns out to be Donna Elvira of Burgos, a former conquest who has come to Seville in search of him.
In the confrontation that follows, Donna Elvira complaints that Don Giovanni lied to her and even called her “his wife” (Implying that he took more than her heart in the process, and for three days even). As Donna Elvira hears out Leporello’s hastily assembled defense of his master’s deeds, Don Giovanni takes advantage of this distraction and makes a hurried retreat. Leporello comforts the distraught Donna Elvira, pointing out that she is neither the first nor the last of Don Giovanni’s victims. In his famous “Catalogue aria”, he describes his master’s exploits. The aria is comprised of two sections, the first a comic allegro where Don Giovanni’s adventures are described in a quantitative fashion. The second, marked Andante con moto, goes deeper into the anti hero’s agenda, describing in rich detail the types of women that make up the list (there’s even a creepy, unsettling staccato figure used to emphasize Don Giovanni’s preference for virgins).
Leporello leaves as a thoroughly disgusted Donna Elvira vows revenge. As the scene changes, a gathering of young peasants enters the stage in celebration of the impending marriage between Masetto and Zerlina. The festive affair catches the eye of Don Giovanni, who quickly zeroes in on the young Zerlina. With the promise of more extravagant merriment, Don Giovanni clears the stage of the wedding guests, and even manages to dismiss a suspicious Masetto. Alone with Zerlina, Don Giovanni quickly clears past the young woman’s defenses and seduces his vacillating prey in the duet “La ci darem la mano”.
Just as Don Giovanni is about to lead the now thoroughly convinced Zerlina to his villa, his path is blocked by Donna Elvira. She warns Zerlina of the deception she nearly fell pray to, and takes the horrified peasant girl away with her. Smarting from this set back, Don Giovanni is forced to gather himself as he unexpectedly encounters Donna Anna and Don Ottavio who try to enlist Don Giovanni’s help in finding the Commendatore’s killer. Before this can go any further, Donna Elvira enters the stage once again, and in the quartet “Non ti fidar, o misera”, she warns the noble couple that Don Giovanni is not who he appears to be.
Having dismissed Donna Elvira’s complaints as the rants of an insane woman, Don Giovanni kisses Donna Anna’s hand and leaves. Now alone with Don Ottavio, Donna Anna makes the startling confession that she now recognizes Don Giovanni as her attempted rapist and the murderer of her father. In a dramatic recitative she describes the events of that dreadful night, and adds more pressure on Don Ottavio by repeating her cries for revenge in the aria “Or sai chi l’onore”, which is a monster of a thing. Though the following example is hardly ideal in terms of sound quality and what we would now consider proper Mozartian style, few have served this number like the great Rosa Ponselle (here under the baton of the legendary Tullio Serafin).
The following scene takes place in Don Giovanni’s villa. After Leporello tells his master of his latest evasion of Donna Elvira, a joyous Don Giovanni declares that he’s ready to party. As preparations for the celebration take place, Zerlina enters the scene pleading her innocence to the jealous Masetto. Using all of her guile and charm, Zerlina manages to steer her fiancée back on her favor, but as the voice of Don Giovanni is heard approaching she panics, prompting Masetto to believe that she indeed has something to hide, thus embarking in the finale of the first act. Masetto hides as Don Giovanni enters to rouse the peasants into joining the festivities. He spots the anxious Zerlina and attempts to reawaken her interest in him. In a tense moment, he backs Zerlina against Masetto’s hiding place, and Don Giovanni allows the couple to leave. As all exit the stage, a trio of hooded masked figures enter. Its Donna Elvira, Don Ottavio and Donna Anna, who have joined forces against their common foe. Noticing their elegant fashions, Leporello invites them to the ball. The three ask the heavens to protect them in the exquisite trio “Protegga il giusto cielo”
Inside the villa, the party is in full swing. A massive ball is taking place, while Zerlina shields Masetto from losing his cool. Leporello announces the entrance of the three unknown masked guest, and all accompany Don Giovanni in a hymn to freedom. As the guests dance, Don Giovanni catches up to Zerlina, and cleverly leads her to his quarters to exercise the dreaded droite du seigneur. Her cries alert the rest that something terrible has happened, and Don Giovanni drags Leporello to the center of the ballroom, blaming him for the offense against Zerlina. To his discontent, the three unknown guests reveal their true identity and intentions; and as they vow to reveal Don Giovanni’s crimes to all of the world, Don Giovanni and Leporello manage to escape, and the act ends.
The second act opens on a street outside Donna Elvira’s home. It is night, and we find Don Giovanni in pursuit of an angry Leporello who has just quit his post. At the promise of gold, Leporello recants, and Don Giovanni enlists him in a new ruse designed to seduce Donna Elvira’s maid. Believing that Don Giovanni is likely to seduce the maid quicker if he appears to be of lowly birth, the two exchange clothes, but are suddenly interrupted by the figure of Donna Elvira standing at her balcony and pining over Don Giovanni. In the Cyrano-like trio “Ah taci, ingiusto core”, Don Giovanni convinces Leporello to impersonate him while he loudly woes Donna Elvira unseen.
The torn Donna Elvira relents, and quickly joins Don Giovanni (Leporello) in an embrace. The pair departs quickly as they hear a loud ruckus approach (caused on purpose, of course, by Don Giovanni himself). Now alone, he serenades his new victim with the famous “Deh vieni alla finestra”.
The maid appears, but before Don Giovanni can snare his prey, he is met by a band of armed peasants led by Masetto. They are all looking for Don Giovanni, and believing him to be Leporello, they question the whereabouts of his master. Leporello (Don Giovanni) disperses the men in every direction, and once he is sure that he remains alone with Masetto, he savagely attacks him and leaves the scene. Hearing his cries, Zerlina comes to her fiancee’s aid and promises to heal him with a “special cure.” Interpret that as you may.
The scene shifts to a dark courtyard in Donna Anna’s estate. Donna Elvira and Leporello have managed to find their way to this spot and in the darkness they lose track of one another. During a masterful septet, Leporello finds himself running into Donna Anna and Don Ottavio in the darkness. Zerlina and Masetto, possibly arriving to the dark location to sample that “cure” Zerlina has been going on about, join the group, and all corner Leporello believing him to be Don Giovanni. In his panic, Leporello reveals his true identity, much to the horror of all, particularly Donna Elvira. All have been outsmarted by Don Giovanni again, and they intend to take their frustration out on the fearful Leporello. He in turn, patters his way out of the situation in the lightening fast “Ah pieta signori miei”.
Further convinced of Don Giovanni’s treachery by this latest series of events, Don Ottavio reaffirms all of his resolve to carry out his vengeance against their common menace. Thinking only of his beloved Donna Anna, he embarks in the treacherously difficult aria “Il mio tesoro intanto”.
Left alone in the darkness, Donna Elvira’s internal battles come to the surface in a fantastic scena beginning with the cry “In quali eccessi o nume,” culminating in the classic aria “Mi tradi, quell’ alma ingrata.” Rather than the hatred she should feel for Don Giovanni, she knows she is still in love with him and can only watch him helplessly as he follows a path towards self-destruction. This aria, along with Don Ottavio’s act one lament “Dalla sua pace” was added to the opera for the Vienna premiere in 1788.
At a nearby cemetery, Don Giovanni catches up with Leporello. As the two exchange another one of the Don’s scandalous affairs, the sound of a grave voice interrupts their tale. They spot the nearby statue of the late Commendatore and in jest, Don Giovanni forces the terrified Leporello to invite the statue to dinner that very evening. To the horror and confusion of the men, the statue accepts the invitation. The economy with which Mozart suddenly takes us from a world of comedy to a vision of hell with one sudden stroke is absolutely extraordinary.
The actions shifts back to a room in Donna Anna’s home. The anxious Don Ottavio begs Donna Anna to put aside her constant state of mourning and join his hand in marriage. She rejects his request, and in the aria “Non mi dir” she reminds him of her love for him, and implies that once her father has been avenged, she may perhaps agree to his proposition.
The next scene sets in motion the finale of the second act. In a lavish room in Don Giovanni’s villa, a pompous dinner for the master of the house has been prepared. While a troupe of musicians play tunes of the most popular operas of the day, Don Giovanni greedily feasts as the hungry Leporello looks on. Enter Donna Elvira, but this time not to reignite their past affair – rather, she has arrived to convince Don Giovanni to abandon his infelicitous lifestyle. Don Giovanni orders her to leave him eat in peace, or join him is she rather choose, as he has no intention of following her advice. Donna Elvira makes to leave, but she astounds the men when her sudden scream is heard offstage. Just what could be the matter? Leporello follows her trail to investigate. Again, another scream, and this time his, alarms Don Giovanni. The terrified Leporello returns, but his warnings are cut short as the statue of the Commendatore enters the room in a scene that could very well be the envy of any composer of the late romantic period. The colossal apparition points out that he has come to dinner as promised, and asks Don Giovanni to now come to dine with him in heaven. The bold Don Giovanni is not afraid, and at his acceptance he seals the deal with the statute with a handshake. Though Don Giovanni senses the life fleeting his body, he remains defiant when the statue demands his repentance. Suddenly, a chorus of dark demonic voices surrounds Don Giovanni, and as the anti-hero cries out in terror, they drag him to hell.
The remaining characters rush unto the stage and are briefed by Leporello of his master’s terrifying demise. With the threat now eliminated, Don Ottavio revisits his proposition of marriage to Donna Anna, who again deflects him. One more year, she asks, and her fiancée acquiesces. Donna Elvira resolves to enter the cloister life, Masetto and Zerlina look forward to return to their simple home, and Leporello will search for a new, less troublesome master. All join voices to underline the moral of the story, and the curtain falls.
The Atlanta Opera will present Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Cobb Energy Centre on April, 28 through May 6th. For tickets, please visit the www.atlantaopera.org
-Daniel Vasquez