Don Giovanni

Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a libretto by the Italian author Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its first performance was held in Prague, at the Teatro di Praga, specializing in Italian opera, on October 29, 1787.

Synopsis:

Act I (exterior of Dona Ana's house)

Don Giovanni is inside, masked and trying to seduce her. Waiting outside and complaining about the hardships of her work is Don Giovanni's servant Leporello. Don Giovanni appears, who hastily leaves the house of Dona Ana, who comes after him trying to discover the identity of the seductive masked man. Her old father, the Commander, also comes out and fights with Don Giovanni; in the duel, the Commander is treacherously killed. Don Giovanni and Leporello flee: Ana and her fiancé Don Otávio find the Commander's corpse. Dona Ana makes Don Otávio swear, out of his love for her, that he will avenge the death of the commander.

Don Giovanni and Leporello are on the street when a woman appears singing a song about the lover who abandoned her. Don Giovanni is determined to " console her", but when approaching discovers that it is Dona Elvira, of Burgos, the one that she left. She escapes from there and leaves Leporello the cruel job of forcing Elvira to listen to the list of Don Giovanni's conquests.

In a nearby village, two peasants, Masetto and Zerlina, are getting married. Don Giovanni arrives and tasks Leporello with finding Masetto, while he tries to dazzle Zerlina with her aristocratic charm. Don Giovanni is about to declare himself to Zerlina, when Elvira appears and warns her. Ana and Otávio enter and the four argue. Elvira says that Don Giovanni is a rogue and treacherous, while Don Giovanni says that she is crazy. Dona Ana recognizes Don Giovanni by his voice and when he left. Dona Ana gets sick and tells Don Otávio that he was her father's murderer and that now Don Otávio could fulfill his oath. Don Giovanni intends to invite the villagers to a party and add to his list of achievements. At this point Masetto enters, offended by his fiancée, Zerlina. But Zerlina gets him to reconcile with her. Masetto's revenge desires are shown before the invitation to the party.

Otávio, Ana and Elvira, masked, think about going to the party to disturb Don Giovanni. At the ball, they play in turns: a minuet (for the gentlemen), a contradance (for the villagers) and a German dance (which Leporello insists that Masetto dance for him). Don Giovanni tries again to win Zerlina and when she screams, the guests hear the screaming and this alerts Masetto who realizes that Zerlina is in danger. She enters the ballroom and goes straight into her fiancé's arms. The masked men (Dona Elvira, Dona Ana and Don Otávio) offer their solidarity to the weeping girl and Don Giovanni enters through another door and with him brings Leporello and accuses him of being the cause of Zerlida's screams and her tears. He says he will punish you extremely. Dom Otávio takes out a pistol and puts it on Don Giovanni's head and the three remove their masks and claim that he is a fool to think that they would believe that lie created by him, and accuse him of his crimes. Then Leporello manages to put a knife in Don Giovanni's hand and he scares those who accused him with the knife, while Leporello drops the pistol in the confusion. Don Giovanni and Leporello flee and are pursued by a mob of accusers.

Act II

Don Giovanni changes his objective: his prey is a servant of Dona Elvira. And to achieve his purpose, he switches clothes with Leporello. He is now preparing another cruel trick on Elvira, singing a passionate serenade under her balcony, in which he says he loves her; when he is silent, Elvira receives Leporello disguised as Don Giovanni and when he is alone again, he begins to sing to the maid, accompanied by a mandolin.

Masetto arrives with some friends, with the intention of killing Don Giovanni. But this one, in the obscurity, impersonates Leporello, makes his plot to get away from Masetto in the search, then he manages with his lip to keep holding the firearms carried by Masetto and then throws him blows and kicks: leaving him bruised and thrown. in the middle of the street.

He arrives after Zerlina and consoles Masetto. Elvira and the disguised Leporello meet with Zerlina and Masetto and then with Dona Ana and Otávio; thinking that Leporello is Don Giovanni, the four threaten him, but to their surprise, Elvira defends him and Leporello is forced to identify himself. Otávio confesses his love for Dona Ana and Elvira regrets having been betrayed.

In the cemetery, where they had fled, Don Giovanni and Leporello contemplate the statue of the Commander. Suddenly, a voice “from the other world” is heard, that of the statue, which reproaches Don Giovanni's conduct and promises revenge. Leporello is terrified; but Don Giovanni, fearless and audacious, invites the statue to dine with him that night. And the invitation is accepted. Dona Ana begs her betrothed Otávio to understand her grief over her father's death and agree to postpone the wedding. Don Giovanni is happily dining at his house, while some musicians and some women lighten the mood.

Elvira appears, begging Don Giovanni to change his life, but he replies arrogantly: “Long live women, long live good wine, sustenance of glory and humanity!” As she leaves, Elvira gives an amazing scream at something she saw outside. And the same happens with Leporello when she goes out to see what is happening: it is the statue of the Commander, ready to fulfill the invitation given to her by Don Giovanni. The Commander enters and tells Don Giovanni to repent, without succeeding; then he takes his hand and drags him with him to the flames of hell, while an invisible chorus of demons can be heard.

Dona Elvira, Dona Ana, Don Otávio, Zerlina and Masetto enter the castle, all with the idea of ​​revenge, but Leporello tells them that the Commander has anticipated them. Everyone now decides their future.

Elvira will go to a convent; Dona Ana will mourn for a year before marrying Don Otávio: Zerlina and Masetto celebrate their wedding and Leporello will look for a new master. Everyone happily tells the audience to learn their lesson from Don Giovanni's fate: "The death of the perfidious is always equal to their life."