The World's Most Famous Operas: "Don Giovanni"

Music by: Wolfgang Mozart (1756–1791)
Rendered into Arabic by: Samir Shikhani

An opera in two acts, adapted from the legend of Don Juan; first produced in Prague in 1787.

The Characters:
• Don Giovanni
• Don Pedro: the Commander of Seville
• Donna Anna: his daughter
• Don Ottavio: Donna Anna's betrothed
• Donna Elvira
• Leporello: Don Giovanni's servant
• Zerlina: a young peasant girl
• Masetto: a peasant, Zerlina's betrothed
• Peasants, dancing girls, musicians.

The Time: the eighteenth century.
The Place: Seville and its environs.

Act One

Scene One: the garden of the Commander's palace.

The servant Leporello is heard grumbling, because his master Don Giovanni has left him outside, as usual, to wait until he has finished courting one of the ladies inside the palace. This time, however, the famous lover comes out defeated, running, pursued by an angry lady — Donna Anna, daughter of the Commander of the city. She cries out for help, then retraces her steps before discovering the lover's identity. Her father quickly comes at the sound and challenges Don Giovanni to a duel, but meets his death in it. Don Giovanni and his servant make their escape before the return of Donna Anna and her betrothed Don Ottavio with a party of servants bearing torches. And in the middle of the darkened square, by the light of the torches, the grieving girl and her betrothed swear vengeance upon the slayer of her father the Commander.

Scene Two: a street.

Don Giovanni and Leporello meet a lady who seems the prey of grief and gloom, and Don Giovanni offers her his help — only to discover before long that she is Donna Elvira, once a mistress of his, whom he abandoned years ago; nor did she then conceal her desire for revenge upon him. He offers her his feeble apologies and withdraws in good order, leaving his servant to console her. The servant recites into her ears a list of his master's amorous conquests — no fewer than two thousand and 65 names of ladies: Italians, Germans, Frenchwomen, and Spaniards... some tall of stature, some short; blondes and brunettes. And in the midst of this recital of the "Catalogue Song" he draws from his pocket an enormous register, which he opens upon the stage.

Scene Three: a village.

The curtain rises and we are in the thick of festivities in a village, held on the occasion of the betrothal of the pretty, coquettish girl Zerlina to her fellow villager Masetto. Don Giovanni and his servant soon arrive; he catches sight of Zerlina, and she takes his fancy, so he decides that she shall be his next conquest. On his instructions, Leporello rids him of the villagers and peasants — Masetto among them — by inviting them all to the palace to take refreshments.

Don Giovanni proposes marriage to Zerlina in a tender song beginning "O love, your hand is small," and she consents. But by her good fortune, Donna Elvira arrives at that very moment, exposes him, and rescues the innocent girl from his clutches. Donna Anna and her betrothed also arrive — they are still searching for the Commander's slayer, not knowing that it is Don Giovanni; yet suspicions of Don Giovanni have begun to steal over them. The scene closes with a song by Don Ottavio in which he declares that he will devote himself to the peace of mind of his beloved Donna Anna.

Scene Four: a room in Don Giovanni's palace.

Don Giovanni is on the point of finishing the preparation of the clothes he will wear at a party he is giving, and he sings a merry drinking song entitled "For Frolic and Play."

Scene Five: the garden of Don Giovanni's palace.

Zerlina fervently entreats Masetto to forgive her passing flirtation with Don Giovanni, in the exquisite song "Scold me, dear Masetto." The betrothed is not long in pardoning his sweetheart. Shortly afterward Don Giovanni arrives and brings the two young lovers into the palace.

At dusk, Ottavio, Elvira, and Anna come down to the garden, all of them masked. From the balcony the Don — supposing them to be nobles in disguise — invites them to join in the party, and they accept his invitation. The scene closes with the song of "the three masked ones," in which they ask Heaven's aid in taking vengeance on the Don.

Scene Six: the ballroom of the palace.

In the thick of the revelry, the merriment, and the drink, the wicked Don Giovanni induces Zerlina to accompany him to one of the rooms of the palace. Her scream is heard, and Masetto makes to go after her. At once the servant Leporello rushes onto the stage, followed by the Don with his sword drawn, giving the guests to believe that it was the servant who tried to assault the poor girl.

Act Two

Scene One: before Donna Elvira's house.

Don Giovanni is about to serenade a new sweetheart — Donna Elvira's maid. He and his servant exchange cloaks and hats; then he stands behind the servant in the darkness and breaks into song, addressing Donna Elvira so that she may leave the way clear for him to turn his attentions to the maid. The stratagem succeeds: Donna Elvira comes out and goes down to where Leporello stands — believing him to be Don Giovanni — and begins to make love to him. Thereupon the Don, disguised in his servant's clothes, springs from his hiding place and threatens the pair, and they take to their heels.

He takes up the mandolin and sings a second serenade, asking the girl to appear at the window. But Masetto and some of his friends, armed peasants, break in upon his idyll — they have come to make an end of the accursed Don. He succeeds in getting them away from him with ease, since he is wearing Leporello's clothes, and dispatches them in various directions to search for his "master," keeping Masetto at his side. By a clever ruse he takes away his pistol and his musket, then fells him to the ground with a heavy blow, showers blows upon him, and goes his way. But Zerlina is not long in arriving; she finds him in this state, and comforts him with a touching song beginning "Shall I tell you, my dear?"

Scene Two: before Donna Anna's house.

Leporello is still with Donna Elvira, who takes him for Don Giovanni. He is trying to rid himself of her when Donna Anna and Don Ottavio arrive, followed shortly by Masetto and Zerlina.

To save himself, Leporello reveals to them his true identity, protesting that he has suffered agonies from his master's tyranny and cruelty; then he takes to his heels. And when Don Ottavio is assured that the slayer of the Commander, his beloved's father, is none other than Don Giovanni, he renews his resolve of vengeance, for his whole care is bent upon securing happiness and comfort for Donna Anna.

Scene Three: a graveyard.

The Don and Leporello are jesting and trading recollections of their love affairs when suddenly they are interrupted by a solemn voice, issuing from the statue of a knight, which repeats: "Your laughter shall turn to weeping and wailing by dawn." The Don pays no heed, and orders his servant to invite the statue to supper. The servant is aghast, and scarcely has he stammered out the invitation when the statue moves its head in token of acceptance. To make certain, Don Giovanni repeats the invitation himself. It is accepted once more, with the repeated word "Yes." And in spite of these supernatural portents the Don does not turn from his course, but gives his servant instructions that everything must be made ready for the formidable guest.

Scene Four: a room in Donna Anna's house.

Don Ottavio urges Donna Anna to be joined to him in marriage, promising to bring Don Giovanni soon to justice. She answers him, in a sweet song brimming with dignity and nobility, that she returns his love, but that she cannot think of the happiness to come until justice has been exacted from her father's slayer.

Scene Five: the banquet hall in Don Giovanni's palace.

Don Giovanni is passing a pleasant hour teasing Leporello as he takes his supper and listens to the airs of his own private orchestra. Suddenly Donna Elvira enters and falls upon her knees before the Don, begging him to repent before it is too late, that he may show one virtue at the least. He mocks her, and she rushes

out; and the cries of terror that break from her are heard.

The Don orders his servant to see what is passing outside; no sooner does he do so, peering out at the door, than he recoils, terror knotting his tongue: he has seen the stone statue of the Commander advancing toward the door. The strange visitor enters and declines the courteous invitation extended to him to share in the supper, saying that the spirits that come from Heaven eat nothing but the manna and quails of Heaven. But he asks the Don whether he will accept his own invitation to take supper at his "dwelling." Poor Leporello, hidden under the table in the extremity of his fear, urges his master to refuse — in vain. He has accepted the invitation, and he stretches out his hand to shake the statue's in conclusion of the bargain. He cannot break free of the iron grip. The statue calls upon him to repent of his sins, but he cries: "No, no — I scorn repentance." So the statue promises him the fires of hell, and vanishes as tongues of flame and clouds of smoke rise up and flood the room...

As for the living characters who remain, they appear upon the stage: now Don Ottavio may be joined to Donna Anna, and Masetto may wed Zerlina. Poor Leporello may seek out a new and kindly master. Only the forsaken Donna Elvira, who tried to the very last to save Don Giovanni, is fated to remain alone. And the opera closes with a merry song in which all join, turning upon the just fate to which Don Giovanni has come...