READ Chapter 7 in Kelly. It's confusing that we are covering, in the same week, two operas, both about love and betrayal, and both set in the Spanish city of Seville! But they could not be more different musically. Anyway, please read up on the story (p. 184) and musical style (pp. 189-199) of Don Giovanni, as well as Mozart's life and times (p. 181), before you listen to the music below. The account of the first performance in Prague (pp. 178-188) is fascinating but less essential.
PRINT the questionnaire and fill it out as you LISTEN to the following selections from Mozart's opera Don Giovanni.
Be sure to FOLLOW along with the text of the opera, either in Kelly or at this site.
Overture; Act I: Scene 1 (10'34)
sung by Gregory Yurisch (Leporello), Amanda Halgrimson
(Donna Anna), Andreas Schmidt (Don Giovanni), and Alastair
Miles (Commendatore), with the London Classical Players
conducted by Roger Norrington
(Tip: follow along with the text of the opera)
Leporello, Don Giovanni's manservant, complains to himself about having to work for such a dissolute master. Donna Anna rushes on shouting that Don Giovanni has assaulted her. Donna Anna's father, the Commendatore, fights with Don Giovanni and is killed.
Act I: Duet - Là ci darem la mano (3'07)
sung by Nicolas Rivenq (Don Giovanni) and Sophie Marin
Degor (Zerlina) with La Grande Ecurie conducted by Jean-Claude Malgoire
Interactive listening guide
(Tip: search for "darem" in the text of the opera)
Don Giovanni tries to seduce yet another woman, the peasant Zerlina, engaged to Masetto. She is reluctant at first but eventually seems to be won over by his charms.
Act I: Finale - Venite pure avanti,
vezzose mascherette (8'08)
sung by Bo Skovhus, Adrienne Pieczonka, Torsten Kerl,
Regina Schorg, Renato Girolami, Boaz Daniel, and Ildiko
Raimondi with the Hungarian Radio Chorus and Nicolaus Esterhazy
Sinfonia conducted by Michael Halasz
Interactive listening guide
(Tip: search for "mascherette" in the text of the opera)
At a ball thrown by Don Giovanni, three bands play on stage. Don Giovanni encourages the guests to dance. Leporello distracts Masetto while Don Giovanni lures Masetto's fiancée, Zerlina, into a back room. When she screams, three masked ballgoers ‐ Elvira, Anna, and Ottavio ‐ rush to her rescue. They unmask and confront Don Giovanni, who tries to blame Leporello for assaulting Zerlina.