Ravinia 2022, Issue 4

SYNOPSIS Overture. According to various accounts, Mozart composed the overture one or two days before the first performance. Listeners immediately confront a major-/minor-key conflict that tonally underscores the ap- proaching contest between good and evil. Act One. Seated in a darkened courtyard, Leporello laments the fate of a servant while waiting for Don Giovanni to emerge from the palace after his most recent encounter (“Notte e giorno faticar”). Don Giovanni struggles down the stairs, trying to hide his face behind a cloak and fighting off the frantic young Donna Anna. Unexpectedly, the Commenda- tore appears with torch and sword in hand to defend his daughter’s honor. Don Giovanni first refuses to fight. When the two finally en- gage, the end comes swiftly and decisively as the libertine slays the Commendatore. Soon after Don Giovanni and Leporello leave the scene, Donna Anna and her betrothed, Don Ottavio, discover the lifeless body and swear revenge (“Fuggi, crudele, fuggi!”). Traveling the road to Seville, Leporello de- cries Don Giovanni’s shameful ways. His words have little effect, as Giovanni describes his latest victim so Leporello can add her name to his list of conquests. Donna Elvira enters, bemoaning her abandonment by a rogue (“Ah, chi mi dice mai”). Don Giovanni consoles Donna Elvira—neither recognizing the other at first. Leporello comments sarcas- tically on his master’s special type of comfort. When the Don kisses Donna Elvira’s hand, she realizes he is the offender. Don Giovanni flees, leaving Leporello to outline a long his- tory of seductions (“Madamina, il catalogo è questa”)—some 2,065 total by his recording. Having done nothing to cheer Donna Elvira, Leporello departs. The scene shifts to the countryside, where a peasant wedding is underway. Beautiful village girls pique the interest of both Don Giovanni and Leporello. Don Giovanni sets his sights on the soon-to-be bride Zerlina and convinces Leporello to occupy her intended, Masetto, while he charms the maiden (“La cì darem la mano”). An enraged Donna Elvira arrives, warns Zerlina about Giovanni, and whisks the peasant girl away to safety (“Ah, fuggi il traditor!”). The situation grows even more complicated for Don Giovanni when Donna Anna, dressed in black mourning garb, and Don Ottavio seek his help in track- ing down the villain who killed her father. Giovanni explains away Donna Elvira’s ram- blings as madness. However, Donna Anna soon recognizes his voice as that of her re- cent attacker and her father’s killer (“Or sai chi l’onore”). Don Ottavio confesses his love and his desire to make Donna Anna happy (“Dalla sua pace”). Don Giovanni and Lep- orello retreat to the seclusion of his castle and prepare a party for the villagers (“Fin ch’han dal vino caldo la testa”). In the garden outside Don Giovanni’s castle, Masetto accuses Zerlina of unfaithfulness. She protests her innocence and, out of des- peration, invites Masetto to beat her, if he must, to restore peace between them (“Batti, batti, o bel Masetto”). Don Giovanni arrives, and the suspicious Masetto hides in the bush- es to watch how Zerlina handles the lecher- ous nobleman. Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, and Donna Elvira enter the garden—wearing masks and dominoes. As the music begins, Leporello summons the gathered partygoers into the ballroom. The brightly lit ballroom resounds with the mild cacophony of three orchestras playing different styles of music simultaneously. Don Giovanni continues his pursuit of Zerlina, to Masetto’s obvious consternation. Leporello dances with Masetto as Giovanni attempts to ravage Zerlina in a side room. The peasant maiden lets out a scream, sending the party into turmoil. Giovanni blames Leporello for the transgression, but Donna Anna, Don Ot- tavio, and Donna Elvira see through his lie. With gun in hand, Ottavio confronts Giovan- ni, who draws his sword and escapes by hid- ing behind Leporello. Act Two. Not long after, Leporello and Don Giovanni stagger into a wooded square out- side Donna Elvira’s abode. Leporello again ex- presses his desire to leave Giovanni’s service, an issue soon silenced by a bag of coins and a failed attempt to reform his master’s lech- erous ways. Enraged, Don Giovanni spouts that remaining faithful to one woman would make so many others unhappy. He convinces Leporello to exchange cloaks and stand in the open square while the Don sings a serenade to Donna Elvira. The music soothes, and Donna Elvira descends from her room when the suitor threatens suicide. Making like a robber, Giovanni frightens the cloaked Lep- orello and Donna Elvira away. Giovanni picks up the mandolin and serenades Elvira’s maid (“Deh, vieni alla finestra, o mio tesoro”). Ma- setto leads an angry crowd in search of Don Giovanni, whom they mistake for Leporello. Luigi Bassi as Don Giovanni (Prague, 1787) The disguised Don directs the men on a wild goose chase, seizes the gun fromMasetto, and mercilessly beats the peasant. After Giovanni flees, Zerlina discovers her injured fiancé and nurses him back to health (“Vedrai, carino”). Later that evening, Leporello maintains his deception of Donna Elvira, though he desper- ately seeks a way of losing her. Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, Zerlina, and Masetto confront the cloaked figure, thinking him to be Don Giovanni. General confusion ensues as the characters unravel the truth of this entangled situation. All agree that Leporello deserves some punishment, though he claims inno- cence and pleads for mercy (“Ah, pietà, si- gnori miei!”). Don Ottavio is now convinced of Don Giovanni’s guilt and, before leaving to seek revenge, asks the others to comfort Don- na Anna (“Il mio tesoro intanto”). Zerlina and Leporello rush into a closed room. She threatens him with a razor and, with the help of a peasant, ties him to a chair. Leporel- lo begs leniency, but Zerlina proclaims that this is the only proper way to handle a man (“Per queste tue manine”). Zerlina leaves. Leporello requests a drink of water from the peasant, then escapes through the open win- dow. Zerlina, Masetto, and a group of peas- ants again chase Don Giovanni, certain that he assisted Leporello’s escape. Donna Elvira remains behind to contemplate her mixed feelings toward Giovanni (“In quali eccessi, o Numi …Mi tradì, quell’almo ingrata”). In the darkness of night, Leporello and Don Giovanni leap over a churchyard wall into the graveyard dominated by a statue of the deceased Commendatore. Giovanni asks how Leporello fared with Donna Elvira and pro- ceeds to recount his latest tryst with a young woman who mistook the Don for his servant. A ghostly voice soon squelches the laughter, ordering Don Giovanni to leave the dead in peace. The two startled fugitives eventual- ly realize that the voice emanates from the Commendatore statue. Leporello reads the inscription on the sculpture: “Here I await vengeance on the wicked man who brought me to my death.” Don Giovanni invites the statue to join him for dinner. The magnifi- cent, eerie figure nods his head in agreement. Don Giovanni and Leporello leave to prepare the palace. Don Ottavio comforts Donna Anna over the loss of her father and offers his love to fill the void in her heart. Donna Anna rejects her lover’s inappropriate gesture. Don Ottavio calls her cruel, able to confront only one emo- tion at a time (“Crudele? Ah no, giammai mio ben! … Non mi dir, bell’ idol mio”). Dinnertime has arrived. The banquet hall has been prepared, and a table is set with food and wine. Don Giovanni decides to enjoy the festivities; while waiting for the stone guest to arrive, he orders the musicians to play. As Leporello steals a large mouthful of food, the band strikes up “Non più andrai” from The Marriage of Figaro . Donna Elvira enters the room and begs Don Giovanni to repent. He invites Elvira to the table and drinks a toast to wine and women. A discouraged Donna Elvi- ra runs toward the door and shrieks when she sees the stone statue of the Commendatore approaching the palace. Don Giovanni is in- credulous. He hears a knock and commands the frightened Leporello to open the door. The Commendatore enters, announcing that he has come to accept Don Giovanni’s invita- tion. After a moment of surprise, Giovanni prepares to host the statue. The Commenda- tore refuses mortal food but invites Don Giovanni to dine with him. As Giovanni plac- es his hand in the ice-cold statue’s, the Com- mendatore orders Don Giovanni to repent. Time and again the impenitent Don refuses until the statue drags him through smoke and flames into hell. Giovanni screams as demons usher him into the abyss. In a moralizing epilogue, Leporello, Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, Donna Elvira, Zerlina, and Masetto move on with their lives. Donna Anna agrees to marry Don Ottavio after one year of mourning. Donna Elvira decides to enter a convent. Zerlina and Masetto return to their village together. Leporello announces he will go to the inn to find another master. All six realize that sinners cannot escape pun- ishment for their transgressions. –Program notes © 2022 Todd E. Sullivan Set design for graveyard scene (Prague, 1790s) RAVINIA.ORG • RAVINIA MAGAZINE 37