I think Don Giovanni can be classified as both a comedy and tragedy because it exhibits qualities of both genres.  One of the main aspects of comedy in the opera for me was the “Catalogue Aria” in which Leporello sings about all of the different women Don Giovanni has been with.  He takes out a book and sings about how there were so many women from each country and how the Don likes women of all sizes.  Although this may not be a very happy moment for Donna Elvira, the audience laughs at the different girls that Leporello is describing.  There were other comic parts in the production we saw, mostly from Leporello.  One example would be when he was dressed up as Don Giovanni and mimicking how his seducing of a woman.  Despite these comedic moments, Don Giovanni is also very much a tragedy.  Don Giovanni has a tragic flaw, his womanizing.  He goes after many women whoever they are even if they are married or if the refuse.  At the opera’s end, Don Giovanni dies tragically when he is dragged down to hell with fire.  In addition to Don Giovanni’s death is the death of the Commendatore at the beginning.  Thus, although Don Giovanni is often comical, it’s end is quite tragic.

The theme of class differences is seen throughout the opera.  Leporello is Don Giovanni’s slave, and Don Giovanni is of nobility.  Although he is Don Giovanni’s friend, Leporello complains often about wanting to leave the Don, but he does not until his master is dead.  Leporello must do things for Don Giovanni even when he does not want to.  It can also be said that because Don Giovanni is of nobility, he may feel entitled to whatever woman he wants.  For example, when he is trying to rape Donna Anna at the beginning, he may feel entitled to her, but she tried to fight back.  The “Catalogue Aria” which tells about all of the women that Don Giovanni has been with can also show gender differences.  In the live performance of the opera, we were able to see the class differences even more because of the costumes worn by the actors.  The peasants did not wear the same elegant clothing that the nobility wore.  For example, Zerlina’s dress was not as fancy as the dresses worn by Donna Anna and Donna Elvria.  The names in the opera show these class differences as well.  The characters with “Don” or “Donna” before their names have a higher status than the other characters.

I believe the music did enhance the story.  It emphasizes the lyrics and makes the message stronger.  Music can make the audience feel tension or happiness or whatever other feelings the composer is trying to convey.  Especially in Don Giovanni, I think the music can help the audience members follow the story because the language is foreign to many of us.  Leporello is one of the more comical characters in the play, which is displayed in his songs.  When he sings the “Catalogue Aria,” the music has an upbeat and carefree feel although what he sings about is not necessarily a good quality of his master.  This song can also contribute to the understanding of the relationships between Don Giovanni and the women he has seduced because the music almost reflects the qualities of the women that Leporello sings about.  For example, the lyrics about blonde girls were lighter than the music about the brunettes.

I enjoyed Don Giovanni; however, I tend to enjoy modern pieces more.  It was interesting to see Don Giovanni because I have never been to an opera before.  The type of singing is very different than most modern performances, such as Broadway Musicals.  Unlike most contemporary performances, the opera has music throughout.  The costumes are more ornate; however, modern performance can have very interesting, unique costumes as seen in some of the events we have been to as a class.  I enjoy contemporary shows more than operas because I like the breaks without music between songs as well as the fact that they are often mostly in English.  Still, I have only seen one opera so I cannot fully judge how much I like or do not like them.