CURRENT SEASON
Listen to the Metropolitan Opera's 2003 production of Don Giovanni
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
ACT I
Seville, 16th century. Leporello keeps watch outside the Commendatore’s palace at night, unhappy with his position as servant to the nobleman Don Giovanni (Introduction: “Notte e giorno faticar”). Suddenly, the Commendatore’s daughter, Donna Anna, rushes out of the building, struggling with the masked Giovanni. Her cries for help wake her father, who challenges Giovanni to a duel and is killed in the ensuing fight. Giovanni and Leporello escape. Anna runs for help and returns with her fiancé, Don Ottavio. When she discovers her father’s body, she makes Ottavio swear to avenge his death.
In the morning, Giovanni and Leporello accidentally encounter one of Giovanni’s former conquests, Donna Elvira, in despair over his betrayal (“Ah! chi mi dice mai”). Recognizing her too late to make his exit undetected, Giovanni pushes Leporello forward to explain. Leporello tells Elvira she is neither the first nor the last woman to fall victim to Don Giovanni and shows her the catalogue he keeps, with the name of every woman Giovanni has seduced (“Madamina, il catalogo è questo”).
Peasants celebrate the marriage of Masetto and Zerlina. Attracted to the bride, Giovanni invites the entire party to his palace and sends them all ahead, except Zerlina. Alone with her, he tells her she is destined for a better life and promises to marry her (Duet: “Là ci darem la mano”). As they are about to leave for the palace, Elvira appears and vehemently warns Zerlina about her suitor (“Ah, fuggi il traditor!”), then leads her away. Anna and Ottavio enter and ask Giovanni’s help in finding the Commendatore’s murderer. Just then, Elvira appears again and warns Anna not to trust Giovanni, who insists that Elvira is mad. Anna and Ottavio wonder what to believe (Quartet: “Non ti fidar, o misera”). As Elvira runs off, followed by Giovanni, Anna suddenly recognizes his voice as that of her father’s murderer. Devastated but determined, she once more asks Ottavio to avenge her (“Or sai chi l’onore”). Left alone, Ottavio thinks about his love for Anna and wonders how to restore her peace of mind (“Dalla sua pace”). Giovanni tells Leporello to get ready for an evening of drinking and dancing (“Fin ch’han dal vino”).
In the garden of Giovanni’s palace, Zerlina asks Masetto to forgive her (“Batti, batti, o bel Masetto”). When Giovanni’s voice is heard, she becomes nervous and Masetto’s suspicions return. Giovanni enters and leads Zerlina and Masetto inside. Anna, Elvira, and Ottavio appear masked, and Giovanni instructs Leporello to invite them in. In the ballroom, Giovanni dances with Zerlina and, while Leporello distracts Masetto, drags Zerlina into the adjoining room. When she cries for help and runs back into the ballroom, Giovanni blames Leporello. Anna, Elvira, and Ottavio take off their masks and, along with Zerlina and Masetto, accuse Giovanni. Though momentarily surprised, he manages to outface them and slips away.
ACT II
Leporello threatens to resign, but when Giovanni offers him money, he decides otherwise. The men exchange hats and cloaks in the dark under Elvira’s window, and Leporello, in his master’s clothes, leads Elvira away, leaving Giovanni free to serenade her maid (“Deh, vieni alla finestra”). When Masetto arrives with a band of peasants he has gathered to hunt down Giovanni, the disguised Don divides them into search parties and sends them off in various directions. He then beats up Masetto and leaves. Zerlina finds her bruised fiancé and comforts him (“Vedrai, carino”).
Later that night, Leporello—still believed by Elvira to be Giovanni—is surprised by Anna, Ottavio, Zerlina, and Masetto, who all denounce the supposed Don, despite Elvira’s protests. Fearing for his life, Leporello reveals his true identity and escapes. Ottavio proclaims that he will take revenge on Giovanni and asks the others to look after Anna (“Il mio tesoro”). Elvira thinks about her betrayal by Giovanni, whom she still loves in spite of everything (“Mi tradì quell’alma ingrata”).
Leporello finds Giovanni in a cemetery. As he talks about his latest conquest, Giovanni is interrupted by the voice of the statue on the Commendatore’s grave. It warns him that by morning he will laugh no longer. Giovanni forces the terrified Leporello to invite the statue to dinner (Duet: “O statua gentilissima”), and the statue accepts.
Ottavio once again asks Anna to stop grieving and marry him, but she says she can’t until her father’s death hasn’t been avenged (“Non mi dir”).
Leporello serves supper in Giovanni’s palace. Elvira arrives and makes a last desperate attempt to persuade Giovanni to change his life, but he only laughs at her. Elvira runs off. There is a knock on the door and the statue enters. Giovanni greets it while Leporello hides under the table. The statue asks Giovanni to repent (“Don Giovanni, a cenar teco”). When he boldly refuses he is consumed by flames. Elvira, Anna, Ottavio, Zerlina, Masetto, and Leporello appear, contemplating their futures and the fate of an immoral man (“Questo è il fin di chi fa mal”).
