OPERA IN CONTEXT
Not every opera ages well. We are committed to constructive conversation and debate about opera’s creators, storylines, and other historical elements of the works we perform.
DON GIOVANNI
(Premiered in 1787, Prague)
Mozart wrote his first opera when he was 11 years old. His sacred music drama begins with the character of Justice singing:
“[I] reward the pious and punish those if they through penance and repentance cannot free oneself from guilt.”
Like this character, Mozart was a keen observer — and often ruthless appraiser — of humankind. Even as a boy, young Wolfgang did not mince words when assessing the competence and character of those he encountered, regardless of rank or position of influence.
Mozart’s beliefs about his opera characters are also encoded in his music. More often than not, he musically embraces and forgives the foibles and flaws of all, perhaps more readily than most contemporary listeners would.
Don Giovanni, however, is an opera about consequences, and of Mozart’s nearly two dozen operas, no villain is so severely punished as its title character. Having exhausted earthly means of retribution, librettist Lorenzo da Ponte resorts to a supernatural resetting of the scales. Musically, the final judgment more closely resembles Mozart’s Requiem or Mass in C Minor, projecting the involvement of divine justice.
While contemporary views cast little ambiguity on Don Giovanni’s final judgment, certain passages—including the actions and motivations of Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina—have historically been interpreted problematically. Their suffering and trauma have often been downplayed, their means of resistance overlooked or ridiculed.
In Canada, 44% of women or 6.2 million women aged 15 and older have experienced some form of abuse in their intimate relationships, with women four times more likely than men to be afraid of a partner (Statistics Canada, 2018). According to the Calgary Women’s Shelter, “abuse can be very dangerous, so usually victims resist it in ways that are not obvious. Others probably will not even notice the resistance, so they assume that victims are ‘passive’ and ‘they do not do enough to stand up for themselves.’ In fact, victims actively resist violence, and in real life, the so-called ‘passive’ victim does not exist.” (Honouring Resistance, Calgary Women’s Shelter)
As survivors’ voices have come to resound more and more resolutely, we believe that opera creators dealing with the subject matter of intimate partner abuse must, first, do no harm and, second, find ways through the artform to challenge outdated assumptions. The director of this current production, Anna Theodosakis, has chosen a survivor-centered approach that emphasizes the camaraderie between the female leads and offers each more agency than in previous productions. Calgary Opera Artistic Director and Conductor Jonathan Brandani asserts that a close analysis of Mozart’s score supports this interpretation. Through incisive rhythms, dramatic melodies, and bold orchestral accompaniment—features historically reserved for heroic characters—Mozart musically portrays each woman as determined, courageous, and resilient.
Operas of the past contain the same challenges, beliefs, hopes, power dynamics, tragedies, and insights that we grapple with today. We believe there is still much to learn from Don Giovanni and other powerful works of art that critique the best and worst of humanity and offer inspiring world-changing lessons for us all.
-Stephania Romaniuk
RESOURCES
The Basics
Mozart: His Character, His Work
By Alfred Einstein (Granada Publishing, 1971)
Alfred Einstein (brother of physicist Albert Einstein) was a noted musicologist and music educator. In this unique bibliographic account, the author strives to “draw as sharply defined a picture…of [Mozart’s] character and of the personalities and events that exercised a decisive influence upon it.” Written poetically and imaginatively – a great read!
San Diego OperaTalk! with Nick Reveles: Don Giovanni
University of California Television and San Diego Opera
San Diego Opera’s longtime director of Education and Community Engagement shares the history of the opera along with musical highlights, critical acclaim, recommended recordings, and more in this 30-minute featurette.
Available on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhpU_OSSlNg
Don Giovanni & #MeToo
Why Don Giovanni needs the #MeToo treatment
By Rebecca Franks (The Times – March 2, 2023)
A brief exploration of stage director Mariame Clément’s changing perceptions and interpretation of Don Giovanni in her Glyndebourne production of the opera.
Available here: https://www.thetimes.com/culture/classical-opera/article/don-giovanni-is-like-a-metoo-catalogue-q5jdgs9l0
Can Mozart Survive #MeToo?
Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch (Slate – January 24, 2019)
Using specific examples from the music of Don Giovanni, a violinist explores how Mozart musically portrays his principal characters. Accessible for all readers, but particularly well suited for those with a beginning familiarity of musical notation.
Diverging Views in Academic Writing
Understanding the Women of Mozart’s Operas
By Kristi Brown-Montesano (University of California Press, 2007)
This book explores Mozart’s representations of women in many of his most important operas, beginning with Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Zerlina from Don Giovanni. The author examines the issues that arise when operas of the past exist in a contemporary world.
The Don Giovanni Moment
Edited by Lydia Goehr & Daniel Herwitz (Columbia University Press, 2006)
A collection of short essays about the reception and legacy of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, including the subsequent retellings of the story.
Music, Sexuality, and the Enlightenment in Mozart’s Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte
By Charles Ford (Ashgate, 2012)
The author explores three of Mozart’s greatest operas in relation to questions of sexual identity, desire, and ethics in the historical context of the Enlightenment.
The Original Portrayal of Mozart’s Don Giovanni
By Magnus Tessing Schneider (Routledge, 2022)
Drawing on historical accounts, the author tries to recapture Luigi Bassi’s original portrayal of the character of Don Giovanni while also trying to show when, how and why that interpretation was forgotten.
Media
Don Giovanni
Teatro alla Scala: Muti, Strehler, Allen, Koptchak, Gruberova, Araiza, Murray, Desderi, de Carolis, Mentzer
Available on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur0trwbiU4Y