Assignment for November 21 and November 28

Posted on by

November 21-No Class-Paper 2 Due by e-mail

Since many of you will be with the subject of your caretaker study over the holiday weekend,  please record your care taker (3 minutes) talking about what his/her desires are for you in college (or in life if that is what they prefer).

Assignment for November 28

  • Watch a part of Mozart Documentary on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVwxFvjU5vk&feature=relmfu
  • Read Mozart’s Don Giovanni (the Dover Opera Libretto Series) (Paperback) libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (available at Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore, 939 Lexington Avenue, between 68th and 69th Street)
  • Guest lecturer Alexandra Cohn suggested things to think about when reading the libretto:
  • 1. Do you think of Don Giovanni as a comedy or a tragedy?  2. Think about class differences as reflected in the libretto, if at all (We will be listening to some clips to see if those differences   are reflected in the music)  3. Think about the relationships between the various “couples” as reflected in the   language of the libretto:               Donna Elmira and Don Giovanni             Donna Anna and Octavo        Zerlina and Master    Don Giovanni and Leporello    Donna Anna and her father    Don Giovanni and The Commendatory
  •  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1OEGPxqrcY   Vladimir Jurowski on Don Giovanni (in modern dress)
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZIzJzY3N04&feature=relmfu  Gerald Finley on Don Giovanni (modern dress)

There are many avenues (library, internet, etc) for you to listen to the opera or parts of the opera.  Cohn continues with the following suggestions when listening to the music:

When listening to the opera, give some thought to how the music enhances (or not) the story? What does the music say about the story, the characters and their relationships?  After all, thats what makes the difference between a play and an opera, or even a musical which has text and then musical interludes.  What is the difference in an opera where the entire thing is sung/accompanied by music?

The following are some famous sections of the opera.  Do not limit your listening research to the following four.  Expand your listening!