Don Giovanni - Mozart
Basic Facts
● Composer - Mozart
● Librettist - Lorenzo Da Ponte
● Year - 1787
● Inspiration - Spanish legend, Don Juan
● Style Period - Classical
● Genre - Opera (Buffa)
Plot - Act 1
● Leporello waits outside Donna Anna’s house
● Don Giovanni (wearing a mask) tries to rape Donna Anna
● Il Commendatore challenges Don Giovanni to a duel
● Don Giovanni kills Il Commendatore
● Leporello explains to Donna Elvira that she is just another conquest to Don Giovanni
● Don Giovanni seduces Zerlina just after her wedding
● Don Giovanni continues to evade Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Don Ottavio
Plot - Act 2
● Don Giovanni switches clothes with Leporello in attempt to seduce Donna Elvira’s
maid
● A statue of Il Commendatore in a cemetery warns Don Giovanni that he will soon pay
for his actions
● Don Giovanni invites the statue to a banquet, as he does not take him seriously
● At the banquet, Don Giovanni is offered one last chance to change, and he refuses
● Don Giovanni is dragged down to hell
Genre
● Has Elements of Opera Buffa (comedic) and Opera Seria (serious/dramtic)
● Characterised as Opera Buffa because it has more funny scenes, and has the stock
characters of Opera Buffa
● Stock Characters - parti serie, parti buffa, mezzi caracterri
Stock Characters - Parti Serie
● Character Traits - earnest, courageous, usually upper class
● Musical Traits - impressive arias, wide vocal range, usually sing in dotted rhythms
● Examples - Il Commendatore, Donna Anna, Don Ottavio
Stock Characters - Parti Buffa
● Character Traits - cowardly, devious, usually lower class
● Musical Traits - usually faster tempo, often uses parlando (patter singing)
● Examples - Leporello, Zerlina, Masetto
Basic Facts
● Composer - Mozart
● Librettist - Lorenzo Da Ponte
● Year - 1787
● Inspiration - Spanish legend, Don Juan
● Style Period - Classical
● Genre - Opera (Buffa)
Plot - Act 1
● Leporello waits outside Donna Anna’s house
● Don Giovanni (wearing a mask) tries to rape Donna Anna
● Il Commendatore challenges Don Giovanni to a duel
● Don Giovanni kills Il Commendatore
● Leporello explains to Donna Elvira that she is just another conquest to Don Giovanni
● Don Giovanni seduces Zerlina just after her wedding
● Don Giovanni continues to evade Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Don Ottavio
Plot - Act 2
● Don Giovanni switches clothes with Leporello in attempt to seduce Donna Elvira’s
maid
● A statue of Il Commendatore in a cemetery warns Don Giovanni that he will soon pay
for his actions
● Don Giovanni invites the statue to a banquet, as he does not take him seriously
● At the banquet, Don Giovanni is offered one last chance to change, and he refuses
● Don Giovanni is dragged down to hell
Genre
● Has Elements of Opera Buffa (comedic) and Opera Seria (serious/dramtic)
● Characterised as Opera Buffa because it has more funny scenes, and has the stock
characters of Opera Buffa
● Stock Characters - parti serie, parti buffa, mezzi caracterri
Stock Characters - Parti Serie
● Character Traits - earnest, courageous, usually upper class
● Musical Traits - impressive arias, wide vocal range, usually sing in dotted rhythms
● Examples - Il Commendatore, Donna Anna, Don Ottavio
Stock Characters - Parti Buffa
● Character Traits - cowardly, devious, usually lower class
● Musical Traits - usually faster tempo, often uses parlando (patter singing)
● Examples - Leporello, Zerlina, Masetto
