Mozart opera right at home in 2016 political landscape

While it was surely not chosen deliberately, “Don Giovanni” is an ideal selection for the run-up to next month’s presidential election. The second in this season’s Metropolitan Opera’s HD Live series, Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” is one of the most popular operas of all time, and the subject matter slides nicely into the current political tempest.

Based on the well-known legend of Don Juan, the notorious libertine, the work originally carried the subtitle “The Rake Punished,” or “Il Dissolute Punito” in Italian. Supposedly, Don Giovanni’s conquests included 640 paramours in Italy, 231 in Germany, over a thousand in Spain and lesser numbers in France and Turkey. In an age prior to the advent of the now-famous Tic Tac, this achievement is nothing short of astounding.

Surprisingly, what with Giovanni’s level of carnal activity, the opera was said to have been classified in Mozart’s time as an “opera buffa,” a variety of comic opera. This may well be a reflection of changes that have taken place over the years in what we consider to constitute comedy, a reassessment that is currently still in progress.

The Met’s current production of this classic work is the 2011 creation by Michael Grandage. The principal excitement over this year’s staging is in the casting, as it features no less than Simon Keenlyside in the title role. The British baritone returns to the Met after a series of medical problems.

Set in Seville in the 18th century, the opening scenes of this classic take place in the garden of the Commendatore, where his daughter Donna Anna is about to be seduced, while Don Giovanni’s servant Leporella stands guard. When the daughter cries for help, the Commendatore enters and challenges Don Giovanni, as his daughter runs to fetch her fiancé Don Ottavio. When the pair arrive and learn that Don Giovanni’s sword has left the father dying on the floor, Donna Anna urges her fiancé to exact revenge.

A seduction or so later, the famous concluding scene reveals the moral of these events, and happiness again reigns. The audience is left with the age old question, “Does life imitate art?”

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Mozart opera right at home in 2016 political landscape."