Entering the opera house in Lincoln Center, I knew I would be in for a great experience. Lincoln Center itself has one of the grandest atmospheres in Manhattan, and walking in that area, especially dressed-up and ready to go to the opera, is a special moment in New York City. After learning about Don Giovanni, I was curious to see how the performance would compare to my expectations. From the libretto, research, and discussions in class, I already formed my opinion that Don Giovanni was a tragedy. From the opening, Leporello complains about the trying life of having Don Giovanni as a master. Don Giovanni does not care about the morals of his servant; he pushes Leporello into vile acts so that his greedy thirst for women can be quenched. This behavior is completely self-centered, as it puts Leporello in a moral bind – and that is only the opening scene. From there, Don Giovanni is seen escaping from Donna Anna’s bedroom, which indicates a possible rape and he kills Donna Anna’s father while leaving. This man’s lifestyle cannot be characterized as merely indulgent or the womanizer lifestyle. This is a terrible man. While he may be humanized in the opera, it is also important to not that the opera was once called “The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni,” acknowledging his evil deeds. The finale, his death, is a proclamation that those who sin are ultimately punished. But while in the opera, I did not feel it was performed as tragically as I’d hoped. I knew that Mozart wrote Don Giovanni to go smoothly from serious to comedy, but I felt like the plot should be done in a more serious manner, so that the audience does not lose sight of the fact that he is committing terrible crimes. In the opera house, I felt that Don Giovanni was taken more as a comedy that a tragedy.

The opera also takes on the heavy subject of class, at a time when class was very important to a person’s entire being. In Mozart’s illustration of the relationship between Zerlina and Don Giovanni gives a very clear distinction from the relationship between two members of equal status. He feels that he can easily persuade her to fall for him with the temptation of money, status, and the mere flattery of having a nobleman interested in her, and she is interested. Donna Elvira, on the other hand, is persuaded by a promise of love; he does not offer her anything but himself in that relationship. Similarly, Zerlina and Masetto have a purer form of love that is similar to the love between Donna Anna and Don Ottavio. The only two people of different statuses who seem to have some sort of equality in their relationship are Don Giovanni and Leporello. While Leporello is Don Giovanni’s servant and has an obligation to act upon his request, they have some sort of mutual respect.

Music in the opera played a crucial role in relaying the message of each scene. Especially in the intimate scenes, such as Don Ottavio’s aria, the music was key. The lyrics alone simply do not demonstrate the intense emotions, as they are often repetitive and simple, but the music has depth. This is how the viewer can see into the emotions of the characters, by the way they are sung and performed, rather than by the actual text, which is more of a skeleton for the rest of the performance.

After seeing all of our more contemporary performances this semester, it was very interesting seeing such an old art form performed in a similar setting. While there are a lot of differences between the old and new, the universal themes of Don Giovanni allow anyone to feel some connection to the characters. A reminder of our history, it is comforting to think that everything we are going through has, in some form, been experienced by our ancestors. The opera is a reminder of our past, a reminder of those who came before us and experienced those same experiences we are now. While we have modern technology, opera stand to show that some things don’t change. Despite this, I found the opera to be a different experience from other, more modern experiences. The feeling of entering an opera theatre is much more formal than any modern performance I have attended. It has an antiquated feel, which is natural, but also comes with a distant reverence that modern performance has tried to shatter by crushing the boundaries between high art and everyday culture. The opera is something untouchable, and while this can be off-putting for some, it also makes the opera a special experience.

Meira