Mozart's Don Giovanni Opera: A Comprehensive Act I Analysis

This assignment offers a comprehensive analysis of Mozart's Don Giovanni opera, focusing on Act I. It begins by examining the overture and its significance in setting the tone for the tragi-comedy. The analysis then delves into key scenes, including the opening with Leporello, the encounter between Don Giovanni and Donna Anna, and the duel with the Commendatore. The assignment explores character interactions, such as the conversation between Don Giovanni and Leporello, and the introduction of Donna Elvira. It highlights the importance of the Catalogue Aria and analyzes the seduction scene of Zerlina. The analysis further examines Donna Anna's realization, Zerlina and Masetto's relationship, and Don Giovanni's character. Finally, it identifies Don Giovanni as the protagonist and the Enlightenment hero of the opera and discusses the use of disguises by the characters. The assignment references the YouTube video of Don Giovanni Act I.

Running head: DON GIOVANI OPERA
DON GIOVANI OPERA
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Question 1
The overture to Mozart’s Don Giovanni followed the typical pattern that was abided
by in the late eighteenth century. A thundering D minor cadence marks the beginning of the
Overture to Don Giovanni that is generally sets the tone for the serious works. It is followed
by a short sequence of misterioso. This short sequence then leads to a lighthearted allegro on
the D major. In the overture to Don Giovanni, the tone is set for the tragi-comedy that
follows.
Question 2
The introductory part of the opera opens with the servant of Don Giovanni, Leporello,
who is shown to be complaining about his master who is found to be very demanding of him.
Leporello is found daydreaming about the conditions when he would be freed from his
master. The slave is found to be keeping a watch while his master is away at the house of the
Commendatore, where he is attempting to either seduce or rape the daughter of the
Commendatore, Donna Anna. A masked Don Giovanni is seen to be entering the garden from
inside the house pursued by Donna Anna, who attempts to unmask him while shouting for
help. Don Giovanni manages to escape her hold but on his way to escape collides with the
Commendatore himself. The latter challenges him to a duel. Don Giovanni accepts the
challenge, kills the Commendatore during the duel, and escapes with Leporello. The daughter
returns with her fiancé to find her father dead and makes her fiancé swear revenge against the
murderer.
Question 3
The conversation between Don Giovanni and Leporello may be termed to follow a
revealing tone. The servant advises his master that the life he is leading is not the one that
should be led by a nobleman. This angers the master, Don Giovanni. A woman is heard to be

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singing about an unfaithful lover on whom she is seeking vengeance. Don Giovanni
approaches her with the motive of flirting and comes to know that she is seeking revenge on
Don Giovanni himself. Don Giovanni escapes the area and asks Leporello to reveal the truth
about him. The servant aptly reveals the truth of the character of the master by giving her the
details of his unfaithfulness.
Question 4
“Madamina, it catalogo è questo”, commonly known as the Catalogue Aria is a bass
catalogue aria from the opera named Don Giovanni by Mozart. In this aria, Leporello, the
slave to Don Giovanni is seen to be singing to Donna Elvira about the numerous lovers that
his master had been close to. In the Aria, Leporello provides a detailed account of all the
lovers of his master, Don Giovanni. The Aria is light-hearted in its tone. Leporello describes
the ways his master uses to gain access to the proximity towards the women whom he had
seduced in the past. This enrages Donna Elvira even more and she vows vengeance on Don
Giovanni.
Question 5
In the duet “Là ci darem la mano”, Don Giovanni tries to seduce the beautiful Zerlina
as soon as he spots her at a marriage procession alongside her lover, Masetto.
He uses the lyrics of the duet to assist him in the immoral task of seducing her. He
asks for her hand and promises to whisk her away to a place where they would spend their
lives together in a union. He also uses the music of the duet to help him in this task. Zerlina,
though hesitant in the beginning, finally submits and accepts the seductive approaches of Don
Giovanni.

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Question 6
Donna Anna realizes the truth about Don Giovanni after Donna Elvira reveals to her
about the real nature of Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni leaves soon after and it is then when
the Donna Anna recognizes him to be the murderer of her father.
The music that accompanies the recitative that accompanies the interaction between
Donna Anna and Don Octavio helps the audience to understand the moments of her
realization in a very apt way. The recitative begins with four cello notes that are isolated, and
then is launched successive spasmodic outbursts from the orchestral accompaniment. These
sudden outbursts force the audience to realize the seriousness of the moment in the opera.
Question 7
In the Aria “Batti, batti, o bel Masetto”, Zerlina is attempting to pacify an angry and
jealous Masetto. She finally is able to persuade Masetto of her innocence.
The use of the andante grazioso gavotte on the part of the peasant girl sounds
awkward and socially removed from the entire peasant class. She had acquired this from Don
Giovanni. She uses the elegant appeal of this particular dance form to apply a soothing caress
on the hurt feelings of Masetto.
Question 8
Zerlina and Masetto have their own fights. They even make up to each other so as to
resolve their fights and get back to their state of being a couple. Zerlina, though, gives in to
the seduction by Don Giovanni momentarily, recovers from the condition when Donna Elvira
steps in. In order to test the truth of her statement, on the arrival of Don Giovanni, Masetto
quickly hides as a means to spy on Zerlina and Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni does realize that
he is being spied on and calls on Masseto for leaving his betrothed alone. On going through

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the entire act, it can be concluded that the relationship between the two peasants is in a
formative stage and needs to go through a number of stages to strengthen.
Question 9
Don Giovanni has earned the ire of every single member of the society due to his
flirtatious and seductive nature. He is a young and arrogant nobleman. His sexually
promiscuous nature is a reason for the anger of every single member in the cast. He is found
to be attempting to seduce any female member he sets his eyes on and does not stop even
when that female member is about to get married or is married. He is also charged with the
murder of an old nobleman.
Question 10
Act I of Don Giovanni puts forward the characters of Don Giovanni, Leporello,
Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, Donna Elvira, Masetto, Zerlina and the Commendatore. The
characters are often seen to disguise themselves for some purpose or the other. Don Giovanni
is the character who is found to practice this art of disguise so that he is able to seduce the
women whom he likes. The other characters are not found to disguise themselves so often.
Donna Anna and Don Ottavio are observed to be practicing the disguise in the fourth scene of
the act. They did so in order to avenge the death of the Commendatore. Donna Elvira also
practices the same so that she can have her vengeance against Don Giovanni who had cheated
on her earlier (Youtube.com 2017).
Question 11
The hero of Don Giovanni, based on the Act I of the opera, is the protagonist Don
Giovanni himself.

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The protagonist may be known as the Enlightenment hero. The passion of the
protagonist is seen to be resonating everywhere. The passion finds its support and resonance
in the earnestness of the Commendatore, wrath of Elvira, hate of Anna, pomposity of Ottavio,
anxiety of Zerlina, indignation of Masetto and the confusion of Leporello. Don Giovanni is
the designator of the opera. The opera remains with the bourgeois moralizing of its epilogue
if the protagonist is removed from the play.

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References
Youtube.com 2017. Don Giovanni Act I. [online] YouTube. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S0GtYiL3U0 [Accessed 17 Nov. 2017].