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Don Giovanni: The material
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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Don Giovanni - an Italian name - is of Spanish origin. It is the story of
Juan Tenorio, who was "discovered" for the stage by Tirso de Molina, a
poet of the Counter-Reformation. The drama was called "El Burlador de Sevilla y combidado de piedra" - "The buffoon of Sevilla and the statue invited
to a party.". The buffoon, an immoral swindler, cheats women and that in a
Catholic country! It is Tirso de Molina's merit to have linked the story
of Juan Tenorio with the story of the statue that can talk. If a libertine
invites a monumenet for dinner, i.e. a deceased man, then he has sinned
against the world beyond and deserves death as a punishment. This Spanish
baroque drama was chosen by Mozart and da Ponte for a libretto. Don
Giovanni is the incarnation of evil, he must end up in hell, not because of
his sexual misdemeanour but for disturbing the peace of the dead. The
superman Don Giovanni finds his great counterpart in the Commendatore, who
comes from the world beyond and makes him, Don Giovanni, appear small and
insignificant.
The libretto
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