Don Giovanni is universally considered one of Mozart’s best operas. A major part of this charm is the fact that it can be viewed as both a tragedy and a comedy. There is no correct classification to this opera, since it effortlessly transitions from joy to sorrow and back, within the span of a moment. Thus, it is up to each individual viewer to decide what the performance made him/her feel.

Personally, I view Don Giovanni as a comedy. This opinion, though, was only established after actually seeing the opera. Prior to watching it, upon reading its libretto, I was certain that the opera is in fact a tragedy. That is, because it both started and ended with death: first the Commendatore’s, then Don Giovanni’s. Such morbidity provided the opera with a gruesome and depressing tone. The fact that Don Giovanni continually deceived and exploited women didn’t help brighten up the mood, since it made me lose faith in his humanity and compassion. However, experiencing the libretto, rather than merely reading it, completely changed my perception of the opera. The bright costumes, upbeat melodies, exaggerated acting, and of course – Laporello’s witty remarks, all managed to embed some lightness and joyfulness within the otherwise-heavy plot. I left the opera house in a rather good mood, which would definitely not have been the case if Don Giovanni were a tragedy. The performance still managed to convey themes such as betrayal, gluttony, lust and vengeance, but it did so by incorporating comedy and keeping the audience engaged.

Another aspect of Don Giovanni is the fact that class differences were quite evident in it. Even though there were characters from both the noble and peasant classes, these characters didn’t interact equally and were well aware of their rights and limitations. This was most evident with Don Giovanni himself, who used his high class as justification to dehumanize noble and peasant women alike. Moreover, he practically abused Laporello, his servant, by making him an accomplice of his womanizing ways and even putting his life at risk. The best representatives of the lower class, though, were Masetto and Zerlina. They were supposed to symbolize pure young love, but even this unique bond was shook by Don Giovanni’s selfishness and impulsiveness. He sought to steal Zerlina from her fiancée, knowing full well that his lavish lifestyle would charm and blind her. The second romantic relationship in the opera – that between Donna Anna and Don Ottavio was quite different from Zerlina and Masetto’s relationship. It’s quite interesting how opposing these two dynamics are. In a way, it seems that nobles’ love is more “powerful” than a peasant bond, since Don Ottavio was simply obsessed with his fiancé Donna Anna, and was willing to unconditionally wait for her no matter what happens. This wasn’t quite the case with the two peasants – as soon as Masetto saw Zerlina with Don Giovanni, he wished to leave her. So, it seems that noble and peasant relationships in this opera are everything but similar. The only part of the performance where some class equality was evident was its very ending, when all of the characters were standing together, celebrating Don Giovanni’s demise. He seems to have been their uniting force.

One simply cannot discuss an opera by Mozart without mentioning the music in the performance. A major part of the reason my Don Giovanni reading and viewing experiences were so different was the instrumentals and vocals of the opera. The actors’ voices were absolutely enchanting, while their accompaniment was superb. I was thoroughly impressed by Mozart’s melodies, since they perfectly coincided with the opera’s plot. Morbid and heavy scenes, such as Don Giovanni’s death, were accompanied by low, dramatic and ominous music, while funny and happy scenes, such as Laporello’s dressing up as his master, were accompanied by fast, joyful and light melodies. This juxtaposition of different musical styles enriched the performance, set the mood for the audience, and enhanced each actor’s talents.

My overall experience of viewing Don Giovanni at the Metropolitan Opera was one I shall never forget. It was my first time ever going to the opera, but surely not my last. As I was watching it, I couldn’t help but be mind-boggled by the fact that people were enjoying this exact opera over two hundred years ago. This sure puts modern entertainment in perspective, since it teaches teenagers such as myself the value of timeless talent and music. Most other performances we viewed in this class were modern, so it was quite refreshing and mind-opening to watch an opera. Of course, contemporary forms of self-expression are crucial parts of our culture, and for that I deeply respect them. The main example for this is the first performance we’ve watched together – RoseAnne Spradlin’s  “Beginning of Something,” which was absolutely revolutionary and unforgettable. It is hard for me to decide which performance I enjoyed more – Beginning of Something or Don Giovanni – but what is clear is that they are each beautiful in their own ways, and should both be celebrated.