# Don Giovanni



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I am attending a performance of this Opera tomorrow and am very excited about it. One of my friends from high school is performing in it and will be playing the part of Donna. 

I hope to become closer friends with her, as I am seeking out new friendships that are healthier than my past ones.

About how long is the opera? I think I read it is two acts. 

This is my first live opera and thus also will be my first viewing of Don Giovanni, I hope I really love it, which I think I will.

:tiphat:


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Enjoy it! It is one of the very finest 18th century opera ever written, one of the first Romantic-like opera ever. And one of the greatest opera ever written, period.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

ArtMusic said:


> Enjoy it! It is one of the very finest 18th century opera ever written, one of the first Romantic-like opera ever. And one of the greatest opera ever written, period.


I'm really stoked, I hope I get sleep tonight!

I think it's cool and unconventional to see an opera live for the first time, not knowing anything about it.

Like how it was when Mozart first released it!

I'm just assuming most people are familiar with an Opera before they see it!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I am attending a performance of this Opera tomorrow and am very excited about it. One of my friends from high school is performing in it and will be playing the part of Donna.
> 
> I hope to become closer friends with her, as I am seeking out new friendships that are healthier than my past ones.
> 
> ...


Have a great time an do let us know how it went.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Pugg said:


> Have a great time an do let us know how it went.


I'll be sure to ask her about her thoughts on Rene Fleming, just for you Pugg!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I'll be sure to ask her about her thoughts on Rene Fleming, just for you Pugg!


Miss Fleming did do Donna Anna, fitted her like a glove.


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## Star (May 27, 2017)

I think it was no less a person then Richard Wagner who reckoned that the Don was the greatest opera ever written. It last about 3 hours. Just hope the production is sensible - not like the disaster at Covent Garden last time. The music surpasses anything that had been written before in the realm of opera and the statue scene near the end is still probably the greatest scene ever written in any opera. So have a good time!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Star said:


> I think it was no less a person then Richard Wagner who reckoned that the Don was the greatest opera ever written. It last about 3 hours. Just hope the production is sensible - not like the disaster at Covent Garden last time. The music surpasses anything that had been written before in the realm of opera and the statue scene near the end is still probably the greatest scene ever written in any opera. So have a good time!


Thanks!

You can check out this interview with the director of this production:

http://wvxu.org/post/queen-city-opera-present-mozarts-classic-don-giovanni#stream/0


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I am attending a performance of this Opera tomorrow and am very excited about it. One of my friends from high school is performing in it and will be playing the part of Donna.
> 
> I hope to become closer friends with her, as I am seeking out new friendships that are healthier than my past ones.
> 
> ...


Yes. It is in 2 long acts, about three hours in length overall.

Enjoy!


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I am attending a performance of this Opera tomorrow and am very excited about it. One of my friends from high school is performing in it and will be playing the part of Donna.
> 
> I hope to become closer friends with her, as I am seeking out new friendships that are healthier than my past ones.
> 
> ...


I hope you like it. It's a comedy, so at the very least you should come out smiling. Do let us know what you think after.

I wonder if you'll end up liking the Don more than all the other male characters. I do, despite his despicable nature, he's so charismatic, and so hungry for new experiences and ideas. And all the others are such wimps!

It's so weird the way it all happens in just one day - really crazy!

And I wonder what you'll make of the very final scene, what people call the vaudeville. I always think that da Ponte shouldn't have written that bit.


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## dillonp2020 (May 6, 2017)

Is it the one in Cincinnati starting at 3pm? 
http://cincinnati.eventful.com/events/mozart-don-giovanni-/E0-001-097720018-1
The pre-performance workshops for that look interesting.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

dillonp2020 said:


> Is it the one in Cincinnati starting at 3pm?
> http://cincinnati.eventful.com/events/mozart-don-giovanni-/E0-001-097720018-1
> The pre-performance workshops for that look interesting.


Yes it is!

:tiphat:


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Have a wonderful time! I like Don Giovanni a lot


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

It was great, the final scene was very powerful!


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## dillonp2020 (May 6, 2017)

Captainnumber36 said:


> It was great, the final scene was very powerful!


The finale is truly one of my favorite opera moments. Glad you thought the same.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I also enjoyed the scene where Don sings a solo piece that sounds like a guitar is playing. I saw the orchestra using pizzicato, but could've sworn I heard a guitar of some sorts. Any ideas?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I guess Don was actually playing a Lute, he was holding one at least.


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I guess Don was actually playing a Lute, he was holding one at least.


I think it's supposed to be a mandolin rather than a lute. But maybe the director decided to substitute a lute for this particular performance.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Captainnumber36 said:


> It was great, the final scene was very powerful!


Did you get all you was hoping for, as stated in your O.P.?


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Pugg said:


> Did you get all you was hoping for, as stated in your O.P.?


The performance was throughly satisfying. However, I didn't get much time to talk with my old friend, she was busy greeting all those approaching her and complimenting her performance as Donna Anna. I also didn't get to ask her about her thoughts on Rene Flemming, sorry Pugg!

I did send her an e-mail, though, so hopefully she will be interested in catching up one of these days in the near future!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Captainnumber36 said:


> The performance was throughly satisfying. However, I didn't get much time to talk with my old friend, she was busy greeting all those approaching her and complimenting her performance as Donna Anna. I also didn't get to ask her about her thoughts on Rene Flemming, sorry Pugg!
> 
> I did send her an e-mail, though, so hopefully she will be interested in catching up one of these days in the near future!


Keeping our fingers crossed for you.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I don't think there was any amplification either, is that common for classical performances? Is it all based on good acoustics?


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I don't think there was any amplification either, is that common for classical performances? Is it all based on good acoustics?


I never attended an 'amplified' classical concert in my life, but I've seen it sometimes on the telly.
The Don was composed in 1787 (Prague version, Vienna version 1788), and, if I recall correctly, we didn't use amplification back then.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I don't think there was any amplification either, is that common for classical performances? Is it all based on good acoustics?


No never, all is down to acoustics, unless they do something like the three tenors concerto's.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

dillonp2020 said:


> The finale is truly one of my favorite opera moments. Glad you thought the same.


You mean, I think, the bit where he meets the stone statue and decides to go to hell. But that's not actually the final scene. The real final scene is where evetryone gets together and gloats about how much better they are than the Don and good riddance to him.


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## dillonp2020 (May 6, 2017)

Mandryka said:


> You mean, I think, the bit where he meets the stone statue and decides to go to hell. But that's not actually the final scene. The real final scene is where evetryone gets together and gloats about how much better they are than the Don and good riddance to him.


Yes, I meant the Commendatore scene.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bettina said:


> I think it's supposed to be a mandolin *rather than a lute.* But maybe the director decided to substitute a lute for this particular performance.


You are correct. A mandolin. More "Eurotrash"?


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

hpowders said:


> You are correct. A mandolin. More "Eurotrash"?


Yeah, exactly! I think Mozart/Da Ponte chose the mandolin because it seems lower class, compared to the elegant lute.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Bettina said:


> Yeah, exactly! I think Mozart/Da Ponte chose the mandolin because it seems lower class, compared to the elegant lute.


Yes. The Don enjoyed his "slumming". He preyed on innocent peasant girls....far away from court.....where nobody he knew would notice.


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I also enjoyed the scene where Don sings a solo piece that sounds like a guitar is playing. I saw the orchestra using pizzicato, but could've sworn I heard a guitar of some sorts. Any ideas?


It's a mandolin job, as Bettina says, but sometimes the directors act the maggot with these things and pretend they know more than the maestro.

Either that - or they don't have a mandolin!

Glad you enjoyed it, and yeah, the fiery hellbound scene at the end can be very affecting, if played as written. I've seen it sometimes played as if the poor Don is merely feeling faint, and the supernatural element is absent, which is a grave error of taste. Played properly, it has the music that can stir your soul, especially since it's the moment in the opera when the Don actually achieves something close to heroic status, in his defiance. And even as he does, Leporello's fear and panic on his behalf retains the comic touch that makes it even more tragic than it is.

Did they play the coda? The three songs that come after the Don is dispatched to Hell? Usually directors omit this, preferring to send the audience packing with a heightened shiver in their shoes. But originally, Mozart wrote this excellent music to tie things up, and though it's often criticised for lacking drama, and being too tidy, I think either ending is good, and the music in the coda is on a par with the rest of it...


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Kieran said:


> It's a mandolin job, as Bettina says, but sometimes the directors act the maggot with these things and pretend they know more than the maestro.
> 
> Either that - or they don't have a mandolin!
> 
> ...


It didn't have the coda.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Donna Anna, my friend, has agreed to catch up over lunch!


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Bettina, start practicing Beethoven's 6th on the piano!


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## Bettina (Sep 29, 2016)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Bettina, start practicing Beethoven's 6th on the piano!


This is exciting! Maybe you can play the role of Don Ottavio in her life.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Masetto & Zerlina at my showing. Masetto was perhaps my favorite vocalist of the bunch! I also really liked Commendatore's vocals during the last scene. The Zerlian at my showing was very feminine and she did a great job pulling me into her character as well.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I really enjoyed the chemistry between Masetto & Zerlina at my showing. Masetto was perhaps my favorite vocalist of the bunch! I also really liked Commendatore's vocals during the last scene. The Zerlian at my showing was very feminine and she did a great job pulling me into her character as well.


Two of my favorite arias are the charming ones assigned to Zerlina.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Captainnumber36 said:


> Donna Anna, my friend, has agreed to catch up over lunch!


Keep cool my friend.......


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