Where did Mozart write Don Giovanni?
The Estates Theatre in Prague, the venue of the world premiere of Don Giovanni in 1787 The opera was commissioned after the success of Mozart's trip to Prague in January and February 1787. The subject may have been chosen due to the genre of eighteenth-century Don Juan opera having originated in Prague.
Why is Mozart's Don Giovanni considered one of the world's greatest operas?
For Mozart, it was an unusually intense work, and it was not entirely understood in his own time. Within a generation, however, it was recognized as one of the greatest of all operas.
How does Mozart underscore the theme of Don Giovanni?
Mozart deftly underscores the action with his music. For example, in an aria midway through Act I (the “Catalogue Aria”), Giovanni’s servant, Leporello, reads delightedly from his little black book, listing the many women who have been conquered by Don Giovanni in each of several nations—1,003 women in Spain alone!
Why did Mozart change the librettist for Don Juan?
Mozart wanted to keep the same librettist, da Ponte, for the new work. The librettist was extremely busy writing for other composers at the Viennese court and decided to adapt an existing libretto on the subject of Don Juan.
When did Mozart write Don Giovanni?
1787WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: OVERTURE TO DON GIOVANNI Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) composed his 2 act opera Don Giovanni in 1787. It was an immediate success with audiences and remains one of the most popular operas of all time.
Did Mozart compose last minute?
The opera was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787. Mozart left finishing Don Giovanni until the very latest deadline; legend has it that the scores handed to the orchestra minutes before curtain call were still wet.
Did Mozart procrastinate Don Giovanni?
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Don Giovanni is often considered one of Mozart's greatest achievements, as well as the hymn of procrastination.
Why did Mozart write Don Giovanni?
“Don Giovanni” was commissioned right after Mozart's highly successful trip to Prague in 1787. Da Ponte based the libretto on Giovanni Bertati's version for a former opera titled “Don Giovanni Tenorio.” He was also highly influenced by Bertati's idea of opening the Opera with the assassination of the Commendatore.
What was the quickest Mozart wrote a symphony?
Having completed his Symphony in E-flat Major 229 years ago today, Mozart went right back to work. Over the course of the next 29 days he wrote out the score of his proto-Romantic Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K.
What song did Mozart write a day?
Requiem (Mozart)Requiemby Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed by Franz Xaver SüssmayrMozart in 1782KeyD minorCatalogueK. 6264 more rows
Why do geniuses procrastinate?
Science agrees. A 2016 study published in Journal of Research in Personality found that people with high IQs tend to procrastinate more, if only because high intelligence affords the luxury of waiting to begin a task. So if you put something off just because you don't feel like working on it, that's one thing.
Why is Don Giovanni considered a masterpiece?
Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' Many have called Don Giovanni the finest opera ever composed. Mozart's classic is a brilliant combination of stark human tragedy and touching comedy, set to music of limitless genius. It's heard in a new production from Houston Grand Opera.
What is the most famous tune from Don Giovanni?
The most famous and probably the most musically substantial is the operatic fantasy, Réminiscences de Don Juan by Franz Liszt.
How long is Don Giovanni at the Met?
Three glorious hours. Figure in maybe 20 or 30 minutes intermission.
Who is Don Giovanni based on?
Don Juan TenorioSupposedly based on 14th-century Seville nobleman, Don Juan Tenorio, who allegedly abducted the daughter of a military commander and murdered him. Franciscan monks are thought to have killed him but claimed he had been cast into hell by the commander's memorial effigy.
How long does Don Giovanni opera last?
Approx 3 hoursApprox 3 hours including an interval.
Who wrote the libretto for Don Giovanni?
Don Giovanni, in full The Libertine Punished; or, Don Giovanni, Italian Il dissoluto punito; ossia, il Don Giovanni, opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Italian libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte) that premiered at the original National Theatre in Prague on October 29, 1787. The opera’s subject is Don Juan, the notorious libertine of fiction, ...
What was Mozart's previous opera?
The great popularity in Prague of Mozart’s previous opera, The Marriage of Figaro, led the theatre’s impresario to commission a new work from the composer. Mozart wanted to keep the same librettist, da Ponte, for the new work. The librettist was extremely busy writing for other composers at the Viennese court and decided to adapt an existing libretto on the subject of Don Juan. Although there were hurdles and delays in bringing the opera to the stage, Don Giovanni was a great success in Prague and remained in the repertoire there for years.
What happened when Giovanni became angry?
When Giovanni becomes angry, Leporello changes the subject to Giovanni’s catalogue of women. As his master tells of his latest flame, they spot a veiled woman walking along the road. The men do not recognize her, but she is one of Giovanni’s former conquests, Donna Elvira.
What does Anna do to find the identity of Giovanni?
Anna screams and unsuccessfully tries to discover the masked Giovanni’s identity. Her father appears, brandishing a sword, and challenges Giovanni to a duel; Anna runs to get help. Giovanni, at first reluctant, accepts the challenge and proceeds to kill the old man, whereupon he and Leporello escape.
Where was Don Giovanni performed?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, portrait by Johann Georg Edlinger; in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, Germany.
Who are the three people who are determined to expose Giovanni to everyone?
The three—Anna, Ottavio, and Elvira—are determined to expose Giovanni to everyone. Giovanni and Leporello see them from Giovanni’s balcony and, not recognizing them, invite them to the party as well. Scene 5. Inside the ballroom of Don Giovanni’s castle. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni.
Who is the title character in Don Giovanni?
Don Giovanni; McCormack, John. John McCormack as the title character in Don Giovanni, an opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. George Grantham Bain Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ggbain-35688)
When was Mozart's opera Don Giovanni premiered?
However, the organizers failed to prepare the production in time. Mozart finally completed the score on the 28th of October, 1787. In the premiere, the opera was titled as “Don Giovanni, a Dramma giocoso in two acts.”.
Who wrote Don Giovanni?
The story behind the opera "Don Giovanni" by Mozart. “Don Giovanni” is a two-act opera composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Lorenzo Da Ponte crafted the Italian libretto. The opera is based on a legendary fictional character called “Don Juan,” who is a seducer and libertine. Tirso de Molina, a Spanish poet and dramatist of the Baroque era, ...
What opera did Mozart use?
He used “O quanto un sì bel giubilo” from the opera “Una cosa rara ” crafted by Vicente Martín y Soler and “Come un agnello” from the opera “Fra i due litiganti il terzo gode” by Giuseppe Sarti.
Who is the girl that is hiding under Giovanni's table?
Masetto, Zerlina, Donna Elvira, Don Ottavio, and Donna Anna all arrive at the castle and discover a terrified Leporello hiding under Giovanni's table. He narrates the whole incident and assures that Don Giovanni is gone for good. The mood changes instantly, as Don Ottavio and Donna Anna announce their future marriage.
Who proposes marriage to Donna Anna?
Subsequently, Giovanni himself invites it as the statue offers a nod of approval. Next, Don Ottavio proposes marriage to Donna Anna, almost pressuring her. When she refuses, he accuses her of being unfaithful.
When was Don Giovanni premiered?
“Don Giovanni” premiered at the “Estates Theatre,” previously known as the “National Theater of Bohemia” on the 29th of October, 1787. The libretto was duly promoted as a “Dramma giocoso,” a genre that denoted a mixture of comedy and serious action. Mozart famously recorded it as an “opera buffa.”
Where was the opera Da Ponte set?
Also, earlier prototypes of the opera were all set in Villena, Spain. Da Ponte only describes a city in Spain.
Overview
Cultural influence
The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote a long essay in his book Enten – Eller in which he argues, writing under the pseudonym of his character "A", that "among all classic works Don Giovanni stands highest." Charles Gounod wrote that Mozart's Don Giovanni is "a work without blemish, of uninterrupted perfection." The finale, in which Don Giovanni refuses to repent, has been a cap…
Composition and premiere
The opera was commissioned after the success of Mozart's trip to Prague in January and February 1787. The subject may have been chosen because the sub-genre of Don Juan opera had originated in that city. Lorenzo Da Ponte's libretto is based on Giovanni Bertati's for the opera Don Giovanni Tenorio, which premiered in Venice early in 1787. In two aspects he copied Bertati: by openin…
Instrumentation
The instrumentation is:
• Woodwinds: two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets and two bassoons
• Brass: two horns, two trumpets, three trombones
• Percussion: timpani
Synopsis
Don Giovanni, a young, arrogant, and sexually promiscuous nobleman, abuses and outrages everyone else in the cast until he encounters something he cannot kill, beat up, dodge, or outwit.
The overture begins with a thundering D minor cadence, followed by a short misterioso sequence which leads into a light-hearted D major allegro.
Recordings
Paul Czinner directed a filming of the Salzburg Festival presentation in 1954. A screen adaptation was directed by Joseph Losey in 1979.
See also
• List of operas by Mozart
Further reading
• Allanbrook, W. J. (1983). Rhythmic Gesture in Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni Chicago. (reviewed in Platoff, John. "Untitled." The Journal of Musicology, vol. 4, no. 4 (1986). pp. 535–538).
• Baker, Even A. (1993): Alfred Roller's Production Of Mozart's Don Giovanni – A Break in the Scenic Traditions of the Vienna Court Opera. New York University.