Don Giovanni
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Two-act opera (1787)
Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte
Show performed in Italian, subtitled in Romanian.
SYNOPSIS
ACT I
Leporello, the servant of Don Giovanni, is waiting for his master busy with his usual nightly romantic adventures. This time, the victim is Donna Anna, a young aristocrat. Don Giovanni is masked and Donna Anna in vain tries to uncover his face. The Commander helps his daughter to challenge the daring stranger. Donna Anna runs for help. Stroked by death, the Commander collapses and Don Giovanni runs away. In front of the old man’s innocent body, Donna Anna swears to take revenge. Don Ottavio, her fiancé, promises to help her. Escaping from this dangerous adventure, Don Giovanni is ready to be trained in another, tempted by the attractive figure of a woman he sees in the street. Disappointed, when he realizes that he has met Donna Elvira, his ex-girlfriend who pursues him with her allegations and love, Don Giovanni becomes unseen by letting Leporello solve the situation. The fiddly valet will really know how to handle it. He consoles Donna Elvira, showing her the impressive, unfinished catalog of his master’s victims. Don Giovanni chooses a new victim: the bride of Masetto-beautiful Zerlina. The weddings party is invited to celebrate at his palace, but Masetto who understands the cavalier’s intentions, feeds thoughts of vengeance.
Leporello does his best to calm him, while his master is trying to convince Zerlina of the sincerity of his feelings. Donna Elvira‘s inappropriate appearance ruins her plans and reveals to Zerlina the cruel truth she had learned from Leporello herself.
Donna Anna, along with Don Ottavio, come to ask Don Giovanni for help to find the commander’s murderer. For a moment, the knight promises them with serenity that he will help them. Donna Anna finally realizes that he is the stranger who killed her father. Her fiancé assures her once again of his love and faith.
In the garden of his palace, Don Giovanni is more cheerful than ever. The celebration he gives to Zerlina is grandiose. The two fiancées, Masetto and Zerlina, have come to terms, but the appearance of Don Giovanni rages again Masetto‘s jealousy. In the garden appeared three masked guests: Donna Elvira, Donna Anna and Don Ottavio. Invited by Leporello, they get into the palace. Honestly, deafly and ceremoniously, Don Giovanni does not pay much attention to the guests, concerned with Zerlina’s conquest. Jumping to her aid, revealing her identity, Donna Elvira, Donna Anna and Don Ottavio accuse the knight of the crimes committed. Uncovered, Don Giovanni manages to escape this time, and manages to run this time as well.
ACT II
Don Giovanni is swapping clothes with Leporello to make it easier to conquer Donna Elvira. Overwhelmed by the passionate words whispered by him, Donna Elvira disappears with Leporello. Unstoppable, Don Giovanni can address the maid’s love words. Instead of what was expected, Masetto appeared with a group of armed men behind him. Taking him as Leporello, because of his clothes, Masetto listened to Don Giovanni‘s advice, sending his men to where they were, in search of the alleged master. Masetto receives a gruesome fight from Don Giovanni, which disappears in the night, but Zerlina‘s comforts will console him. Donna Elvira is very happy to have found her husband, not knowing that the one who is in her arms is no other than Leporello. He tries to flee, but he sees himself surrounded by his master’s enemies, who resolutely declare the death of the guilty. Revealing his identity, Leporello manages to escape.
Returning to the cemetery, Don Giovanni, delighted with what has happened, meets Leporello, just next to the Commander’s statue. By playing with him, he invites him to dinner that night at his palace. To Leporello’s horror, the statue seems to tilt his head as a sign of approval. A thundering voice tells Don Giovanni the near end. Without taking into account the terrible warning, the knight leaves indifferently. Donna Anna comes to his father’s tomb accompanied by Don Ottavio to recoil. She tells him he she will not find her peace until she takes revenge. In his palace, Don Giovanni dines. He is cheerful and is humming some of the fashionable songs, including a famous area of the Opera Figaro’s Wedding. Donna Elvira makes an ultimate attempt to regain the knight’s love. Her hopes, however, strike with an offensive disdain. Donna Elvira is humiliated. Her scream, however, interrupts Don Giovanni’s joy. Leporello sent by the master turns back terrified, the Commander’s statue comes to dinner. With a lot of courage, Don Giovanni faces it, not to the end, when he dies in torments pulled by the statue into hell.