CCCXXXIV. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)
Sometimes life just comes at you backwards!
As a young 17-year-old only vaguely aware of opera of any kind, I heard P.D.Q. Bach's The Stoned Guest. Even with absolutely no knowledge of this masterpiece -- perhaps the greatest opera ever written -- my fellow IAA musician friends and I were ROTFLOAO ...
... the rollicking overture, everything false and in the wrong key, but still very Mozartian.
"Let's face it, I'm lost ... "
"Let's face it, I'm lost ... "
"Look at me," sings the countertenor Don Octave in octaves ... "it's really true, that singing octaves is the only thing that I can do ..."
The two female singers sing a duet in rising tones, until one can go no higher:
"I'm only a mezzo, you know!"
"I'm only a mezzo, you know!"
**
The Overture begins -- D Minor, Andante -- almost frozen in time. How curious that Mozart gives a half-note to the lower strings and bassoon which hangs over the atmosphere after all the other instruments have stopped.
Things pick up and WAM introduces the "Commendatore" running scales theme --
-- which leads to the Allegro where many different themes and variants appear:
**
Act One
The garden of the Commendatore
1. Introduction (Donna Anna, Don Giovanni, Leporello, Commendatore). Notte e giorno faticar.
Leporello is keeping watch while his boss, Don Giovanni, is attempting to seduce the Commendatore's daughter, Donna Anna. He complains and dreams of being free of him:
Leporello is keeping watch while his boss, Don Giovanni, is attempting to seduce the Commendatore's daughter, Donna Anna. He complains and dreams of being free of him:
2. Trio (Donna Anna, Don Giovanni, Leporello). Non sperar, se non m'uccidi, Ch'io ti lasci fuggir mai!
The masked Don Giovanni is being chased by Donna Anna, who tries to restrain him.
3. Duet (Donna Anna, Don Ottavio). Ah, vendicar, se il puoi, giura quel sangue ognor!
Don Giovanni breaks free from Donna Anna, but the Commendatore blocks his path. The fight a duel; Giovanni kills him and escapes with Leporello. Donna Anna finds her father lying dead, and makes her fiancée, Don Ottavio, swear to avenge the unknown murderer.
A public square outside Don Giovanni's palace
4. Trio (Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni, Leporello). Ah, chi mi dice mai.
Elvira is singing about a lover who abandoned her. Giovanni flirts with her, but of course he is the rogue she was singing about!
5. Aria (Leporello). Madamina, il catalogo è questo.
Meanwhile, Giovanni orders Leporello to tell her the truth about him. Leporello catalogues Giovanni's conquests:
The open country
6. Aria (Masetto). Ho capito! Signor, sì.
Masetto is to marry Zerlina. Giovanni cannot even resist a bride-to-be. He schemes to get Zerlina alone, by offering to hos a wedding celebration at his castle.
7. Duet (Zerlina, Don Giovanni). Là ci darem la mano.
He attempts to seduce her.
8. Aria (Donna Elvira). Ah, fuggi il traditor.
Elvira saves Zerlina from Giovanni's clutches. Ottavio and Anna enter, unaware that she is speaking to her father's murderer. Giovanni -- unrecognized -- offers to help them track down the killer.
9. Quartet (Donna Elvira, Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni). Non ti fidar, o misera.
Elvira returns and tries to tell the couple that Giovanni is guilty. He in turn claims that Elvira is insane.
Elvira returns and tries to tell the couple that Giovanni is guilty. He in turn claims that Elvira is insane.
Anna finally recognizes Giovanni as her attacker (she was expected Ottavio) and again demands revenge:
11. Aria (Ottavio). Dalla sua pace la mia dipende.
Don Ottavio vows to keep an eye on Giovanni ...
He orders Leporello to organize a party and invite every girl he can find:
A garden outside Don Giovanni's palace
13. Aria (Zerlina). Batti, batti o bel Masetto.
13. Aria (Zerlina). Batti, batti o bel Masetto.
Masetto seems to believe that his beloved Zerlina has cheated on him with Giovanni. Zerlina begs him, "Beat me, handsome Masetto." There's some good old fasioned 18th-century domestic violence for ya ...
14. Trio (Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, Don Ottavio). Protegga il giusto cielo.
Just as Zerlina has persuaded Masetto of her innocence, Giovanni enters and frightens her Masetto hides himself to observe his fiancée. Giovanni tries to pick up where he left off, until he finds Masetto hiding.
Quickly putting on an act, he reproaches Masetto for leaving his woman alone. Ottavio, Anna and Elvira enter the ballroom in disguise, and pray for protection (note Anna's high B-Flats!):
15. Septet (Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, Zerlina, Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni, Leporello, Masetto). Da bravi, via ballate!
In an early preview of Charles Ives, WAM has three different orchestras playing in three different meters (3/4, 2/4 and 3/8)!!! Leporello distracts Masetto by dancing with him, while Giovanni leads Zerlina to a private room where he again tries to assault her. When she screams, Giovanni tries to put the blame on Leporello.
No one is fooled. Ottavio pulls a pistol on Don Giovanni, who somehow manages to escape the chaos.
Act Two
No one is fooled. Ottavio pulls a pistol on Don Giovanni, who somehow manages to escape the chaos.
Act Two
Outside Donna Elvira's house
16. Duet (Leporello, Don Giovanni). Eh via buffone.
Leporello wants out. Giovanni calms him, offering a raise in salary.
17. Trio (Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni, Leporello). Ah taci, ingiusto core.
Giovanni has now set his sights on Elvira's maid! Believing he'll have a better chance with a lower-class look, he changes clothes with Leporello. Elvira appears at the window.
18. Canzonetta (Don Giovanni). Deh, vieni alla finestra.
In their switched roles, Leporello (as Giovanni) serenades Elvira, keeping her occupied while Don Giovanni serenades the maid with his mandolin:
19. Aria (Don Giovanni). Metà di voi qua vadano.
Before Giovanni can seduce the maid, Masetto and his friends show up looking to kill the bastard. Still dressed as Leporello, Giovanni joins them. After thinning their ranks ("half of you go this way, the others, go that way"), he disarms Masetto, beats him up, and runs off.
20. Aria (Zerlina). Vedrai carino.
Zerlina consoles her lover.
A dark courtyard
21. Sextet (Donna Anna, Zerlina, Donna Elvira, Don Ottavio, Leporello, Masetto). Sola, sola in buio loco.
Leporello abandons Elvira, only to find himself surrounded by Ottavio, Anna, Zerlina and Masetto, who -- because he's disguised -- think him to be Giovanni. They threaten to kill him, but Elvira protests. [The movement starts with just Leporello and Elvira then eventually turns into the sextet ...]
22. Aria (Leporello). Ah pietà signori miei.
Tearing off Giovanni's clothes, Leporello begs for mercy and runs off.
23. Aria (Don Ottavio). Il mio tesoro.
Now convinced that Giovanni is the murderer, Ottavio (again) swears vengeance:
Elvira has conflicting emotions. She is mad at Giovanni for betraying her, but feels sorry for him.
A graveyard with the statue of the Commendatore
25. Recitative (Leporello). Dell'empio che mi trasse al passo estremo qui attendo la vendetta.
25. Recitative (Leporello). Dell'empio che mi trasse al passo estremo qui attendo la vendetta.
Giovanni and Leporello meet in a graveyard, with Giovanni taunting Leporello about his adventures. Suddenly the statue interrupts and warns Don Giovanni that he will not laugh after sunrise. Leporello reads the inscription on the base of the statue: "Here am I waiting for revenge against the scoundrel who killed me."
26. Duet (Don Giovanni, Leporello). O, statua gentilissima.
Giovanni orders Leporello to invite the statue to dinner. The poor servant is too frightened to complete the task, so Giovanni asks himself. Surprisingly, the statue accepts the invitation.
Donna Anna's room
27. Aria (Donna Anna). Non mi dir.
27. Aria (Donna Anna). Non mi dir.
Don Ottavio wants to marry Anna already, but she cannot commit so soon after her father's murder. She tries to reassure him
Don Giovanni's chambers
28. Finale (Don Giovanni, Leporello). Già la mensa preparata.
28. Finale (Don Giovanni, Leporello). Già la mensa preparata.
Nothing like a feast with great music. The orchestra plays three popular late 18th-century arias, including Non più andrai from Mozart's own Marriage of Figaro [see Post CCLXXXVI] ... Leporello slyly comments that he is all too familiar with that final tune (!)
29. Aria (Donna Elvira). L'ultima prova dell'amor mio.
Elvira expresses pity for Giovanni and begs him to change his ways.
30. Duet (Don Giovanni, Commendatore). Don Giovanni! A cenar teco m'invitasti.
The opening chords of the Overture are now reharmonized in terrifying diminished seventh chords. The statue now invites Don Giovanni to dinner. As he shakes hands with the stone image, he collapses. The image gives him one last chance to repent, but Giovanni refuses.
Mozart pulls out all the stops here, and the music is as terrifying as the drama.
Mozart pulls out all the stops here, and the music is as terrifying as the drama.
31. Sextet (Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, Zerlina, Don Ottavio, Masetto, Leporello). Ah! dov'è il perfido?
The survivors try to figure out what just happened. The characters discuss their future plans: Anna and Ottavio will marry when her mourning year is completed (poor Don O ...); Elvira will withdraw from society; Zerlina and Masetto will go home for dinner, and poor Leporello will go to the tavern and try to find a better boss ...
32. Tutti. Questo è il fin di chi fa mal!
No comments:
Post a Comment