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1963 production photo from Don Giovanni

Don Giovanni 1963

June 28 - July 31, 1963

For many music lovers – the greatest opera ever written…

From the commanding opening chords through brilliant arias and ensembles to the shattering music of Giovanni’s damnation -opera at its most transcendent.

Music By
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto By
Lorenzo da Ponte
English Version By
Ruth and Thomas Martin

Synopsis

Act I

In front of the palace of Don Pedro, Commendatore of the Knights of Malta, waits Leporello, complaining of the fate which has made him a servant to the restless and dissolute Don Giovanni. Donna Anna, daughter of the Commendatore, emerges from the palace, calling for help and struggling with the Don to prevent his escape. When her father rushes to her defense, Don Giovanni kills him in a duel and escapes with Leporello. Don Ottavio, Anna’s fiancé, tries to comfort her and swears vengeance.

Prowling about, Don Giovanni and Leporello come upon Donna Elvira, a former sweetheart of the Don who is searching for him. Leporello attempts to discourage her interest by reciting a list of his master’s conquests.

Zerlina and Masetto, two peasants about to be married, attract the attention of the Don. Leaving Leporello to distract Masetto, Giovanni attempts to seduce Zerlina but is interrupted by Elvira, who denounces the Don as a heartless deceiver. Meeting unexpectedly with Donna Anna and Octavio, Giovanni drags Elvira away before she can reveal his true identity as a scoundrel. Anna, however, has recognized his voice and, in answer to Octavio’s questions, describes the scene chat took place before her father’s death. Left alone, Octavio dwells on his love for Anna.

Don Giovanni gives orders to his servants for festivities at his palace in the evening. Masetto reproaches Zerlina for her flirtations with the Don, but she begs forgiveness. Elvira, Anna, and Octavio, robed and masked, arrive at Giovanni’s palace, seeking to punish him.

At the ball, Giovanni again tries to seduce Zerlina. As her cries for help are heard, Giovanni rushes out of the room where he had lured her, dragging behind him Leporello whom he threatens to kill as Zerlina’s attacker. The avenging maskers threaten the Don who barely manages to escape.

Act II

Don Giovanni and Leporello approach Elvira’s house. The Don forces Leporello to exchange capes with him and to distract Elvira’s attention while he serenades her pretty maid. Before Giovanni is able to achieve his object, he is interrupted by Masetto and a band of peasants intent on punishing him. But, fooled by his disguise, they go off in different directions, and Masetto is left to be severely beaten by Giovanni. Zerlina, attracted by Masetto’s cries, comes to console him.

Elvira, still believing the disguised Leporello to be Giovanni, leads him to a secluded spot where they are set upon by Octavio, Anna, Zerlina and Masetto. The frightened Leporello reveals his identity and escapes.

Giovanni and Leporello come upon each other in a graveyard where each have gone to evade the searchers. Finding himself by the tomb of the Commendatore, the Don impudently invites his stone statue to a banquet.

Don Octavio urges Anna to accept his proposal of marriage, but she begs to wait until her father’s death has been avenged.

Don Giovanni has set an elaborate table for his unusual guest. Elvira rushes in to plead with the Don to mend his ways, but he ignores her. As she runs to leave, she shrieks in terror, and Giovanni, going to investigate, meets the statue of the Commendatore. The statue clasps Giovanni’s hand in an icy grip and drags him to a fiery hell. The other characters join in delivering the closing moral – that libertines will always receive just punishment.

Artists

John Reardon

Baritone

Don Giovanni

Donald Gramm

Bass-baritone

Leporello

Carla Marioni

Soprano

Donna Anna

Saramae Endich

Soprano

Donna Elvira

Mildred Allen

Soprano

Zerlina

George Shirley

Tenor

Don Ottavio

Henri Noël

Baritone

Masetto

Peter Harrower

bass

Commendatore

Robert Baustian

Conductor

Carolyn Lockwood-Busch

Director

Henry Heymann

Designer

Scenery & Costumes

Carl Seltzer

Lighting Designer

Stuart Hodes

Choreographer

John Moriarty

Chorus Master