DON GIOVANNI
(The Unrepentant Punished), Dramma giocoso
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte
after the plays of de Molina, Molière, Goldoni and Bertati

Seville, 1787

ACT I
The home and courtyard of the Commendatore
Leporello, Don Giovanni’s servant, is keeping watch outside the house. (Leporello aria: "Notte e giorno faticar – I work night and day"). A masked Giovanni enters, chased by Donna Anna demanding to know who he is.  The Commendatore, Anna's father, appears and challenges Giovanni to a duel while Anna flees for help. Giovanni kills the Commendatore and escapes unrecognized. Anna, upon returning with her fiancé, Don Ottavio, is horrified, and urges Ottavio to swear to avenge her father’s death. (Duet: "Fuggi, crudele fuggi – Go away, cruel one").

A public square in Seville
Giovanni and Leporello happen upon a woman searching for the man who abandoned her in Burgos (Elvira aria: "Ah, chi mi dice mai – Ah, who could tell me"). Giovanni starts to flirt with her before recognizing her as Donna Elvira, a recent conquest, and hurries away.  To console Elvira, Leporello begins to list Giovanni's lovers:  640 in Italy, 231 in Germany, 100 in France, 91 in Turkey, and 1,003 in Spain. (Leporello aria: "Madamina, il catalogo è questo – Little lady, this is the catalogue").

A rustic wedding procession enters. Giovanni is immediately attracted to the bride Zerlina, and attempts to remove her husband Masetto by offering to host a wedding celebration at his estate. On realizing that Giovanni means to remain behind with Zerlina, Masetto becomes angry (Masetto aria: "Ho capito! Signor, sì – I understand! Yes, my lord!").  Giovanni and Zerlina are soon alone and he begins to seduce her. (Duet: "Là ci darem la mano – There we will join our hands").  Elvira thwarts his intentions (Elvira aria: "Ah, fuggi il traditor – Flee from the traitor!"), followed shortly by Ottavio and Anna who are seeking the still unknown murderer of Anna's father.  Anna, unaware that she is speaking to her attacker, pleads for his help. Giovanni readily promises it, and asks —with great concern— what cruel man would dare to disturb her peace. But Giovanni is out of luck again: Elvira returns and announces Giovanni's recent betrayal of her. Giovanni answers her reproaches by declaring to Ottavio and Anna that Elvira is insane. (Quartet: "Non ti fidar, o misera – Don't trust him, oh sad one"). With Giovanni's departing oath to help find the Commendatore's murderer, Anna suddenly recognizes Giovanni as her seducer and demands vengeance. (Anna aria: "Or sai chi l'onore rapir a me volse – Now you know who sought to steal my honor").

Giovanni instructs Leporello about the ensuing celebration and plans to add to his list of conquests. (Giovanni's aria: "Fin ch'han dal vino – Until they’ve had some wine.").  Zerlina tries to pacify the jealous Masetto insisting she did nothing wrong. (Zerlina's aria: "Batti, batti o bel Masetto – Strike me, handsome Masetto"), but just as she manages to persuade him of her innocence, Giovanni's voice startles them. Masetto's trust evaporating in an instant, the jealous groom hides and waits to see what Zerlina will do when Giovanni arrives. In vain, Zerlina hides from Giovanni, but he continues the seduction before stumbling upon Masetto.  Giovanni claims Zerlina was very sad that Masetto was away from her, and he leads both to join the party inside.  Leporello invites three masked guests into the party (the disguised Elvira, Ottavio, and Anna) who plan to confront Giovanni.

Finale: Ballroom at Don Giovanni’s Estate
As the celebration and dancing proceed, Giovanni leads Zerlina away, while Leporello distracts Masetto. When Zerlina screams for help,  Giovanni tries to fool the guests by accusing Leporello of attacking Zerlina. Elvira, Ottavio and Anna reveal themselves to accuse the actual traitor, but Giovanni fights his way through the confused crowd and escapes.

Act II

A street beneath Elvira’s window
Leporello threatens to leave his master, but Giovanni regains his good will with additional money.  Wanting to seduce Elvira's maid, Giovanni persuades Leporello to exchange cloak and hat with him. Elvira comes to her window and mistakes Leporello for Giovanni. (Trio: "Ah taci, ingiusto core – Ah, be quiet unjust heart").  Giovanni, from his hiding place, sings a promise of repentance, expressing a desire to return to her. Elvira is convinced and is leaves with Leporello (dressed as Giovanni). Giovanni serenades her maid. (Giovanni aria: "Deh vieni alla finestra – Come to the window").  Before he can complete this seduction, Masetto and other peasants arrive, searching for Giovanni. Giovanni (dressed as Leporello) offers his help in the hunt and cunningly disperses Masetto's friends (Giovanni aria: "Metà di voi qua vadano – Half of you go over there").  Giovanni disarms Masetto and then and brutally beats him. Zerlina consoles the wounded Masetto. (Zerlina aria: "Vedrai carino – You shall see, my dearest").

A dark courtyard
Leporello tries to abandon Elvira in the dark. (Sextet: "Sola, sola in buio loco – Alone in this dark place").  He is discovered (still wearing Giovanni’s clothing) by Ottavio, Anna, Zerlina and Masetto who denounce Giovanni and threaten his life, forcing Leporello to reveal himself.  Leporello begs for their forgiveness, tries to prove his innocence, and escapes (Leporello aria: "Ah pietà signori miei – Ah, have mercy, my lords").  Ottavio is now convinced that Giovanni was the murderer of the Commendatore and swears to bring Giovanni to justice (Ottavio aria: "Il mio tesoro – My treasure").  Elvira is still furious at Giovanni for betraying her, but she also feels sorry for him. (Elvira aria: "Mi tradì quell'alma ingrata – That ungrateful soul betrayed me").

A graveyard with the statue of the Commendatore
Leporello and Giovanni return to their own clothes, and Leporello tells of his brush with danger, earning only Giovanni’s ridicule.  The voice of the statue warns Giovanni that his laughter will not last beyond sunrise. At the command of his master, Leporello reads the inscription upon the statue's base: "Here I wait to avenge my murder."  Giovanni orders Leporello to invite the statue to dinner, threatening to kill him if he does not. (Duet: "Oh, statua gentilissima – Oh most noble statue"). The statue nods its head and responds affirmatively.

Donna Anna's room
Ottavio pressures Anna to marry him, but she thinks it inappropriate so soon after her father's death. She assures him that she loves him, and is faithful. (Anna aria: "Non mi dir – Do not tell me").

Finale: Banquet Hall at Don Giovanni's Estate
Giovanni revels in the luxury of a great meal and musical entertainment (during which the orchestra plays then-contemporary operas – including a reference from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro). Elvira appears, pleading with Giovanni to change his life. Giovanni taunts her, praising wine and women as the "essence and glory of humankind".  After Elvira leaves, her scream is heard from outside, and she returns only to flee through another door. Giovanni orders Leporello to see what has upset her. The servant runs back into the room: the statue has appeared as promised. An ominous knock sounds at the door.  Giovanni opens it himself, revealing the statue of the Commendatore. The statue exhorts the careless villain to repent his wicked life, but Giovanni adamantly refuses and is dragged into the flames of hell.

The others enter to find Leporello shaken by what he has just witnessed.  The concluding chorus delivers the moral of the opera – "Such is the end of the evildoer: the death of a sinner always reflects his life.”  

-- Garnett Bruce