Don Giovanni - Opera Lyra Ottawa

Young People’s Opera Matinee 

November 16, 2007 

11:00 am 

National Arts Centre – Southam Hall 

Opera Lyra Ottawa Study Guide Series

To The Teacher 

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Using the Study Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

Performance Information 

What to Expect at the Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Southam Hall, The National Arts Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Opera Lyra Ottawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 

Spotlight on Andrew Tees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 

Mozart’s Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

Mozart’s Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

Mozart’s Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

All About Opera 

Everything You Wanted to Know About Opera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

Synopsis of Don Giovanni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 

Don Giovanni At-A-Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

CD Listening Guide for Don Giovanni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

Lessons 

1. Unraveling the Plot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 

2. Power and Relationships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

3. The Sopranos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

4. Wine, Women and Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

5. Revolution in the Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

6. The Sound of Seduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

Black Line Masters 

A: Web Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 

B: The Don Makes a Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

C: What is Bullying? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 

D: Duet: Là ci darem la mano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 

E: The Sopranos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

F: Listening to The Sopranos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 

G: Opinions on Don Giovanni Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 

H: Wine, Women and Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

I: Hymn to Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

J: The Battle of the Bands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

K: Contradance Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 

L: See-Feel-Hear Listening Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

M: Deh vieni alla fi nestra, melody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 

M: Deh vieni alla fi nestra, with accompaniment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 

Who Does What at Opera Lyra Ottawa? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 

Table of Contents 

Opera Lyra Ottawa Study Guide Series – Don Giovanni 1

Acknowledgments 

Opera Lyra Ottawa would like to gratefully acknowledge the generous gift by Michael 

Potter which has permitted the development of the Young People’s Opera Matinee program. 

Through this program youth in Ottawa/Gatineau will have the opportunity to experience 

grand-scale opera within Southam Hall of the NAC. 

Opera Lyra Ottawa gratefully acknowledges the support of our donors. 

Authors 

ONTARIO ARTS 

foundatio foundation 

Alison Kenny-Gardhouse 

Sylvia Dunn 

Catherine West 

Historical Fashion Consultant 

Gina Scarnati 

fondatio fondation 

DES ARTS DE L’ONTARIO 

Illustrator 

Richard Peachy, Goodness Graphics, Inc. 

Graphic Design 

Paul Kelly, gecko graphics inc. 

Cover Illustration 

ROCKET57 

Translation 

Lucie Borne 

© Connexionarts, 2007 

www.connexionarts.com 

2 Opera Lyra Ottawa Study Guide Series – Don Giovanni

Welcome 

Opera Lyra Ottawa is thrilled to bring the experience of grand-scale opera to the students of the National 

Capital Region. Our 2007 production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni is sure to surpass all your expectations! 

This study guide is designed to help you 

prepare your students for the opera 

performance. In addition to being aligned 

with the Ministry music expectations, many 

of the lessons reach into the areas of Social 

Studies and Language Arts. We hope that 

you will take time to use the information, 

lessons and listening strategies, and that you 

and your students will enjoy listening to the 

accompanying compact disc. 

Photo: Marc Fowler 

Thank you for introducing your students to the wonderful world of opera. We are so excited to bring this 

dynamic experience to your students and know that they will be transported by the sights and sounds of 

Don Giovanni. Enjoy the show! 

Judith Ginsburg 

Education/Music Manager and Principal Repetiteur 

Opera Lyra Ottawa 

Using the Study Guide 

The lessons and strategies in this guide focus on helping you to familiarize your students with the music and 

plot of Don Giovanni. A lot of technical and historical information is embedded into the lesson plans, so that 

students are learning about music and the opera in a context. Some activities that will be particularly helpful 

are to: 

» 

» 

» 

» 

Elizabeth Howarth 

General Director 


Start a word wall with opera-specifi c vocabulary. Keep adding to it each day before and after the 

opera. Use the vocabulary as part of a follow-up assessment. 

Play selections from the CD frequently – during transitions as well as in lessons. 

Give each student a copy of the guide’s illustrated plot. A picture is worth a thousand words! 

Ask students to listen to their Excerpts from Don Giovanni CD at home as part of their homework 

assignments. 


Performance Information 

What to Expect at the Opera 

Opera Lyra Ottawa performs on the stage of Southam Hall in the beautiful National Arts Centre in 

downtown Ottawa. Your students will be interested in the striking architecture of the building so it will be 

helpful to review the information provided below. 

The opera begins at 11:00 am. There will be an 

intermission after the fi rst act and students will have half 

an hour to eat lunch in the foyer. The second act follows 

lunch and the opera will fi nish at 1:45. 

Please arrange for your students to use the washrooms 

before the performance or during the intermission as 

they should not leave the hall during the opera. Remind 

students that an opera requires careful listening and 

that unlike movies or hockey games, talking during the 

performance is not appropriate. Please feel free to clap at 

the end of the arias or choruses. If you particularly like 

what you have heard, you can call out “Bravo!” 

(or “Brava” if it is a female singer). 

About Southam Hall, National Arts Centre 

Photo: André Dubreuil 

Did you know… 

The National Arts Centre is built in the shape of 

a hexagon. Architect Russell Thompson took his 

inspiration from the land the NAC was to be built 

upon, the intersection of Canal Street and the Rideau 

Canal. This intersection forms a sixty-degree angle 

and thus the idea for building in a hexagon shape (a 

hexagon has six sides with sixty-degree angles). 

The hexagon theme is carried through inside the 

building as well. When you come to the opera, look 

for the familiar honeycomb shapes in the ceiling 

treatments. 

Until the recent opening of the Four Seasons Opera House in Toronto, Southam Hall was the only hall in 

Canada built specifi cally for opera and ballet. It was modeled on the traditional European horseshoe shaped 

opera houses of the 19 th century. 

There are several very important design features 

that make Southam Hall a wonderful place for 

opera. First, with 2300 seats, it is a small hall. This is 

important because unlike Broadway and pop singers 

who wear body-mikes, opera singers sing without any 

form of amplifi cation. There was a lot of pressure 

on architect Russell Thompson to build a 4000 seat 

hall since bigger halls can generate more money per 

performance. We’re glad he stayed true to his vision! 

Another opera-friendly feature of Southam Hall 

is its huge backstage area. It is vast, even larger 

than the stage itself. This means that there is room 

for the many large sets that are needed for all the 

scene changes. 


Here is some information about the people who bring Opera Lyra performances to life. 

The Chorus 

About Opera Lyra Ottawa 

It’s not just the main characters that count in an opera! No opera is complete without a chorus of singers to 

transform into a mob scene or swell the sound when needed. By the time you visit the National Arts Centre 

to see the student matinee, the chorus of Opera Lyra Ottawa will have been busy at work for several months. 

What kind of people sing in the chorus? Think of them as men and women who lead double lives - they 

have regular jobs during the day and turn into opera singers at night. All are trained singers. Some are voice 

majors at university, a few are singing teachers but many work in jobs that aren’t music related. The chorus 

of Opera Lyra Ottawa boasts a core of skilled musicians who give generously of their time and talents. They 

surely do it for the love of it because none of them are paid – it’s entirely voluntary. 

To get into the chorus you must audition (men are auditioned one year and women the next). For the 

audition you must arrive prepared to sing two arias (usually you are asked to sing one of the two but you 

must be prepared to sing both) and possibly answer a few questions. Everyone has to re-audition every two 

years, no matter what. Being accepted back into the chorus is based not just on your voice, but on how well 

you work with other people and your overall level of professionalism (things like being on time, arriving 

with your music organized and being ready to work hard). 

Three months before the opera opens, the chorus meets for weekly rehearsals at the University of Ottawa. 

These rehearsals are led by the chorus master. Three weeks before opening night, when staging rehearsals 

begin, they rehearse at a church hall. At this point the Maestro takes over and works with the chorus right 

through the move into the National Arts Centre. The Maestro is the person who conducts the onstage 

performances with the cast and orchestra. 

The Principals 

The people who have the major roles in an opera are called the principals. They are singers who work 

professionally and are paid. Principals usually arrive about three weeks before the fi rst performance and 

live in a hotel while they are here. It is generally expected that they arrive with all of their music learned and 

memorized and have a good sense of their character in the opera. In rehearsal each day they work with the 

director who helps them block each of the scenes. The director works with the principals on understanding 

their characters so that they are convincing in their acting as well as their singing. For the fi rst two weeks they 

are accompanied by a repetiteur (rehearsal pianist). A week before the show opens they move into the space 

at the NAC and begin work rehearsing on stage with the orchestra in the pit. 

Principals rehearse up to a maximum of six hours a day for no more than six days in a row. These are rules 

set by Equity, the union they belong to. These rules protect the singers from overusing their voices. The stage 

manager handles all the rehearsal schedules and has to have a clear picture of who is in each scene and how 

much rehearsal time will be needed. Some scenes take longer to stage than others and he/she has to use the 

six hours per day per singer wisely. 


The Silver Cast 

While the principals are rehearsing, another group of people 

are in the room observing and taking notes. These are 

members of the Silver Cast and they are the performers you 

will be hearing perform some of the main roles when you 

attend the student matinee. They are usually young singers 

at the beginning of their professional careers. Singing at the 

student matinee gives them the opportunity to learn and 

perform a major role in a large house, with an orchestra. 

This is a major stepping stone for a young singer. 

One of the members of the Silver Cast is highlighted for you 

on the following pages. 


There are two parties on Opening 

Night. The offi cial one is a reception hosted 

by the sponsor and is held at the NAC. It is by 

invitation only and includes the principals, 

the key music staff (such as the conductor, 

chorus master, repetiteur), key offi ce staff 

members (such as the General Director and 

Artistic Director) and offi cials from various 

organizations. The other party is organized 

by the chorus and is usually held in the home 

of one of their members. The chorus heads 

over as soon as they are out of their costumes 

and makeup. When the NAC party fi nishes 

around midnight, the chorus party is still 

going strong and it’s stop number two for 

the principals and any other party goers who 

care to join in. 

What in the world is a 

sitzprobe?? 

Pronounced “zits-probe” this 

German word is not what you 

may think! It is the name given 

to the type of rehearsal that is 

held the fi rst day of moving on 

to the main stage. For the fi rst 

time, the principals and chorus 

are together with the Maestro 

and the orchestra. The entire 

opera is sung through without 

any costumes or blocking. 

This gives everyone a chance 

to check the ensemble and 

balance between the singing 

and the orchestra (remember, 

up until now rehearsals have 

been accompanied by piano.) 

The German word sitzprobe does NOT mean what you may think. 


Spotlight on Andrew Tees 

It’s hard to imagine a Canadian Champion rower 

becoming an opera singer, but that is exactly the case 

with baritone Andrew Tees. Andrew took up rowing 

while at university studying history and was good 

enough to make the Canadian National Team. “We 

won a few championships”, says Andrew, including the 

Senior B Men’s Eight in Tasmania, Australia. His love 

of music eventually won out over the rowing though. 

He recalls being at selection camp racing down the 

course and thinking “This really sucks! I’d rather be a 

cheesy lounge singer!” He left camp and headed back 

to Montreal to consider his options. 

Andrew acquired a taste for the stage performing 

in the popular musical Godspell during his last year 

of university. He also gained some fi lm experience 

when a British movie company needed rowers to 

portray an Oxford University rowing team for their 

movie True Blue. Andrew claims he got the part 

because the director felt sorry that he had to drive 

through a snowstorm to New York for his audition! 

His fi rst audition for a community theatre role 

was promising for the wrong reasons: the piano 

accompanist’s comment was, “They’re desperate 

for men. They’ll probably take you.” It was, 

however, an auspicious introduction: Andrew and the accompanist 

met again three years later, and were subsequently married. They now have two young children. 

Andrew got into the prestigious Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble 

Studio - Canada’s premier training program for young opera 

professionals - and has since done many performances with them. He has 

been described as having a “beautiful ringing baritone” and “formidable 

stage presence”. Since leaving the COC Ensemble Studio he has performed 

with many opera companies across North America and Europe. 

About the role of Don Giovanni, he says, “It’s amazing music, every 

baritone’s dream. He’s a great character and you can’t play the character 

unless you like him, especially in our times. I have strong feelings about 

him. He is scandalous at times, a nobleman who is anything but noble. 

He is a man in a hurry. In a way he’s a very modern man and everyone 

else is stuck in the past. From all angles it’s fabulous and makes you 

want to play the character well. I’m very excited about it.” 

What’s on 

Andrew’s iPod? 

La Traviata, Don Giovanni, 

Berlioz, Vaughan Williams, 

Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, 

Frank Sinatra, The Beach 

Boys, Ella Fitzgerald, 

Led Zeppelin. “Most singers 

don’t listen to the music they 

perform,” says Andrew. 


Mozart’s Life 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) 

Mozart was born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. He 

had one older sister, Maria Anna, nicknamed Nannerl. At 

the age of 3 young Wolfgang began keyboard lessons, and 

by 5 he composed the fi rst of what would become over 600 

compositions. It was obvious to his father, an accomplished 

musician, that while both his children were very gifted in 

music, his son was a child prodigy. 

Not wanting this sparkling talent to go to waste, the two 

Mozart children and their father set off on a series of long 

European tours. Young Mozart and Nannerl played in courts 

for princes, kings, archbishops - even Marie Antoinette, the 

future Queen of France. Gifted with an amazing ear, Mozart 

astounded listeners by repeating long pieces of music he 

heard only once. He wrote his fi rst symphony by the age of 

10 and his fi rst opera by 12. His mother died while they were 

on tour in Paris, and Mozart, now a young man, returned to 

Salzburg where he became court organist. He later left to seek 

his musical fortune in Vienna and once there he met and married Constanze Weber, a singer. They had six 

children, but only two survived, and there were no surviving grandchildren. 

Mozart built a very successful career as a composer, performer and teacher, although he sometimes had 

money diffi culties. In 1787 his father died; later in the year he and Constanze traveled to Prague for the 

highly acclaimed premiere of Don Giovanni. The next few years were busy with many commissions, operas 

and performances for the emperor. In 1791 Mozart was commissioned to write a Requiem, or mass for a 

person who has died. Unfortunately his own death, probably of rheumatic fever, prevented its completion; 

he was only 35 years old. 

(Not) An Invitation to Dinner 

In 1764 the king and queen 

of France invited the Mozart 

family to dinner... but not to 

eat anything. The Mozarts were 

honoured to stand behind the 

royal couple’s chairs, watching 

them eat. The queen was 

enchanted with little Wolfgang, 

and handed him bits of her food. 

There are many myths, misconceptions and rumours about 

Mozart’s life, just as there are today about people who are 

celebrities. It was often thought that composition came 

to him effortlessly yet Mozart indicated otherwise. “It is 

a mistake to think that the practice of my art has become 

easy to me. I assure you, dear friend, no one has given 

so much care to the study of composition as I. There is 

scarcely a famous master in music whose works I have not 

frequently and diligently studied.” (Spoken in Prague, 1787, 

to the conductor who led the rehearsals for Don Giovanni.) 

He was a prolifi c writer and many of his contemporaries, 

including Josef Haydn and the young Beethoven, held 

him in the highest regard. His letters reveal a complex 

personality - opinionated, somewhat conceited, and 

diffi cult at times, but also very loving, with a strong sense of 

humour and a zest for life. 


And Guess Who Was 

Voted Off the Island? 

Mozart’s Music 

Mozart’s music is an example of true 

classical style, as is the music of Gluck, 

Haydn and early Beethoven. The classical 

period extended from 1750 to 1820 and 

was noted for clarity, balance, expressive 

qualities achieved through tension and 

release, and the prominence of melody. 

And yet Mozart’s legacy as a composer 

also includes the creation of complex 

and sophisticated textures that look 

forward to the turbulence and passion of 

romanticism. 

Besides operas he also wrote piano 

concertos, piano sonatas, dances, 

symphonies, string quartets and religious 

music such as masses - all this at a time 

when music was written out by hand, by a 

man who died at 35! 

Every music specialist has an opinion of Mozart. The 250th anniversary of his birth in 2006 brought about 

much publicity for Mozart including jigsaw puzzles, perfume, milkshakes and chocolate named after him. 

But it is Mozart’s music which endures. More than 200 years after his death we are still fascinated by this 

musical genius, and we hear his music in movies, advertisements, and on television. 

Mozart had to market his craft, and, like his contemporaries, wrote music that would appeal to its intended 

audience. He also challenged his public to move beyond its comfort zone and was sometimes criticized for 

writing music that was just too diffi cult for the listeners. Don Giovanni is considered one of his best operas, 

and has never dropped out of the standard 

repertoire since its fi rst performance. Just as 

Mozart’s music reached back to Handel, Bach 

and the high Baroque, it also reached forward to 

Beethoven and the age of romanticism. In this 

opera we can hear that full spectrum of musical 

achievement. 

Mozart is the greatest composer of all. 

Beethoven created his music, but the music 

of Mozart is of such purity and beauty that 

one feels he merely found it — that it has 

always existed as part of the inner beauty of 

the universe waiting to be revealed. 

– Albert Einstein 

Being able to improvise was a very important 

part of an eighteenth-century musician’s training. 

Mozart and Clementi, another famous pianist, 

were brought together by the Emperor for a highly 

publicized contest to see which one was the fi ner 

musician. (Mozart won but it was close. Clementi 

was a little fl ashier but those “in the know” felt that 

Mozart was more profound and had more ideas.) 


Mozart’s Times 

The Age of Enlightenment 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 

1756 in the middle of a century of change. The Age 

of Enlightenment, also called The Age of Reason, 

was a turbulent time of revolutionary religious, 

social and scientifi c thought, new inventions and 

transformations in the ways families made their 

living. 

In the seventeenth century Galileo’s observations 

of the moon and Jupiter through the fi rst telescope 

determined that the universe was guided by 

mathematical principles. Sir Isaac Newton explained 

universal gravitation and developed three laws 

of motion. Writers, thinkers and philosophers 

such as Rousseau, Voltaire, Hume, Swift and Mary 

Wolstonecraft questioned the nature of social justice 

and human identity. The old view that humans were 

born sinful in a god-centered universe, was giving 

way to a view that people are born with ‘inalienable 

rights’, naturally good, in a universe governed by 

reason, rather than simple faith. The notion of 

Utopia seemed obtainable: Voltaire’s Candide lived 

in ‘the best of all possible worlds.’ The struggle to 

reconcile these visions of the world often took place 

within one individual as well as in society at large: 

Newton, devoutly religious, believed that although 

the planets followed a mathematically determined 

route, it was God who set the planets in motion in 

the fi rst place. 

New inventions revolutionized the way people lived. 

Traditionally a rural agricultural society, Europe 

became gradually more industrial and urban during 

the eighteenth century. Although the Industrial 

Revolution had not yet begun in earnest, there 

were signs that change was afoot. The invention of 

machines that could replace work done by people 

- the steam engine, the cotton gin, the spinning 

jenny - meant that families who once grew or made 

everything they needed to live on small farms, had 

to fi nd work in factories instead, working long hours 

earning low wages in dangerous conditions. 

Times were changing for women, too, not always 

for the better. They did not have property rights 

and could not enter the new economy by owning 

1752 1759 1764 1769 1776 

Benjamin 

Franklin 

discovers 

electricity. 

January 27 

Mozart is born 

in Salzburg, 

Austria. 

Death of 

Handel. 

Canada 

becomes 

British. 

Spinning 

Jenny is 

invented. 

End of 

Mozart’s 1st 

European tour. 

Steam engine 

is invented by 

James Watt. 

Samuel Hearne 

reaches the 

Arctic Ocean. 

1756 1763 1766 1771 

The 

Declaration of 

Independence. 


a business. Upper and middle-class women were 

educated, but only men studied science and 

philosophy. Women learned to paint, draw, sing and 

play music – all ornamental skills a good wife would 

have. Women of lower classes began lives of neverending 

toil in factories as family structures changed 

to accommodate an industry-based economy. By the 

end of the eighteenth century at least two books on 

the rights of women had been published, sparking 

a small feminist revolution. One of these was Mary 

Wollestonecraft’s Vindication of the Rights of 

Women. 

There is no stronger statement from the Age 

of Reason than the American Declaration of 

Independence, the mission statement of the 

American Revolution (1775-1783). The French 

Revolution (1789-1799) was also a result of the 

monumental changes taking place in Europe – the 

new belief system justifi ed the breakdown of class 

structure and respect for the monarchy in both 

countries. 

The Dark Day. 

Darkness fell 

at 2 pm in 

Canada for no 

known reason. 

1783 1785 1789 1792 

Mt. Skaptar 

explodes in 

Iceland killing 

one fi fth of the 

population. 

First hot air 

balloon fl ights 

take place in 

France. 

Upper 

Canada’s 

fi rst school 

at Kingston 

Mozart writes 

Don Giovanni. 

Upper 

Canada’s fi rst 

stagecoach 

service began, 

between 

Queenston 

and Fort Erie 

December 5, 

Mozart dies 

1780 1783 1787 1791 

Mozart’s Times 

Canada experienced its own upheaval at the time, 

with the end of the Seven Years’ War resulting in 

Canada becoming exclusively British (1763). Mozart 

began writing Don Giovanni in 1787, the same 

year the British Crown purchased land from the 

Mississaugas of New Credit for a small amount 

of cash and 149 barrels of goods including cotton 

fl annel, hats, gunfl ints, rum, and mirrors - land that 

became the Toronto of today. 

All of this social turmoil is refl ected in the storyline 

of Don Giovanni: issues such as the rights of women, 

the class system, and the thirst for liberty would 

have resonated with audiences. They would have 

recognized the fi gure of Don Giovanni as a nonconformist 

who challenges society’s norms; having 

no morality, he does as he pleases, leaving behind a 

trail of hurt and angry people. It is likely the ending 

of the opera would have been very satisfying for 

an audience experiencing the confl icting claims of 

reason and religion. 

Louis XIV 

and Marie 

Antoinette 

of France are 

executed. 

Upper Canada 

passed law 

banning the 

import of 

slaves (fi rst 

such law in 

British Empire). 

1793 


Everything You Wanted to Know About Opera 

Q: What is opera? 

A: A story that is told through singing, acting, 

and staging. 

Q: What kind of story? 

A: One music critic suggests that most opera plots 

boil down to a soprano and tenor wanting to 

hook up but being prevented from doing so by 

the baritone! While that’s not always the case, 

the theme of unrequited love does turn up in 

opera frequently. Most of all though, the stories 

of opera are the human stories of love, loss, 

triumph and hope. 

Q: Sometimes it sounds like the singers are singing 

songs and other times it sounds like they are 

half speaking and half singing. What’s that all 

about? 

A: The songs you hear are called ARIAS. The 

parts that sound almost like speaking are 

called RECITATIVE. Recitative is similar to the 

spoken dialogue of a play, but since it’s opera, it 

has to be sung. 

Q: What’s that instrument I hear with the 

recitative? It looks something like a piano. 

A: That would be a HARPSICHORD. 

The harpsichord keeps the dialogue rolling. 

The harpsichord player has to know the text 

inside and out and be able to follow the singers 

intuitively. She/he works from a very sparse 

score – only the chords are provided, so she/he 

must be adept at improvising. 

Q: Does the composer write everything? The story 

and the music? 

A: No. The story is usually in the form of a novel 

or play fi rst. Then a LIBRETTIST transforms it 

into text from which the composer creates arias, 

ensembles and recitatives. 

Q: What about all those voices? They all sound so 

different. 

A: They are different. No two voices are ever the 

same. The most we can generalize by is their 

range and colour. Check out this handy chart 

for the voice categories. 

Female Voices 

Coloratura Soprano highest 

Soprano high 

Mezzo-Soprano medium-high 

Contralto 

Male Voices 

low 

Countertenor highest 

Tenor high 

Baritone medium-high 

Bass low 

Q: What does it take to be a great opera singer? 

A: You need a big voice that is distinctive, an 

understanding of at least four different 

languages, incredible musical skills, deep 

artistry, a healthy body, and a strong work ethic. 

Most important…you have to love opera and 

being on stage. 


Act 1 

Setting: Seville, Spain 

Don Giovanni is a young nobleman whose life is a 

constant party of wine, women and song. We fi rst 

meet him as he runs away from a very angry woman 

called Donna Anna, who has not welcomed his 

attentions. Don Giovanni kills her father and escapes, 

leaving her to be comforted by her fi ancé, Don 

Ottavio. 

Meanwhile Don Giovanni and his servant Leporello 

bump into one of his previous lovers, Donna 

Elvira. The Don at fi rst tries to fl irt with her until 

he recognizes her as a woman from his past, and he 

escapes; Leporello describes Don Giovanni’s many 

lovers to Elvira, who vows revenge, although she 

can’t stop herself from continuing to love him. So 

at this point Donna Anna, Don Ottavio and Donna 

Elvira are all looking for Don Giovanni. 

Synopsis of Don Giovanni 

Next we meet a young peasant couple who are about 

to get married, Zerlina and Masetto. Of course Don 

Giovanni wants to seduce the lovely young bride, 

Zerlina, so he has Leporello arrange a party at his 

house for all the wedding guests to keep them, and 

Masetto, busy. Zerlina is fl attered by the attention 

from such a handsome young nobleman, and at one 

point agrees to go away with him. Masetto is furious 

with her for her fl irtation with Don Giovanni, but 

she manages to win him back later in the story. 

Leporello continues to cover for Don Giovanni, and 

help him in other ways, although he resents his 

master and complains about him. 

Meanwhile Donna Anna and Don Ottavio, not 

realizing who he is, have asked Don Giovanni for 

assistance in tracking down her father’s killer. Donna 

Elvira arrives and denounces Don Giovanni, and 

Donna Anna recognizes him as her attacker. Donna 

Anna, Don Ottavio and Donna Elvira are welcomed 

to the party in disguise wearing masks, a common 

occurrence during an eighteenth-century party. The 

dancing begins, and Don Giovanni tries to carry 

Zerlina off. She cries out in alarm and is rescued by 

the others. Don Giovanni tries to blame Leporello 

for the attack, but no one is fooled, so he runs off. 



Act II 

At this point there are now four people looking for 

Don Giovanni as Masetto also seeks revenge. Don 

Giovanni, however, is still looking for a woman to 

woo. His next victim is Donna Elvira’s maid. This 

part of the story is rather like a sit-com on television 

– Don Giovanni and Leporello trade clothes and 

there are many funny scenes 

where one is mistaken for the 

other. When Donna Elvira turns 

up at her window, instead of her 

maid, Don Giovanni asks her to 

come down. He tells Leporello 

that when Donna Elvira appears, 

Leporello is to embrace her, 

caress her, feign Don Giovanni’s 

voice and with lovely skill, lead 

her to another place. This then 

gets Donna Elvira away from the 

house and frees Don Giovanni to 

serenade her maid. When Donna 

Anna, Don Ottavio, Masetto 

and Zerlina arrive on the scene 

Leporello throws off his disguise 

and escapes. Meanwhile Don 

Giovanni, disguised as Leporello, 

gets up to mischief on his own, 

and eludes capture. 

Don Giovanni and Leporello 

meet up again in a graveyard, 

where the Don teases his servant. 

They are interrupted by the voice 

of a statue of the Commendatore 

– Donna Anna’s father who 

was killed by Don Giovanni. 

Leporello is terrifi ed, but the 

Don, mockingly invites the statue 

to dinner. Surprisingly, the statue 

accepts. 

Donna Elvira makes one last 

attempt to win back Don 

Giovanni’s love. Although she 

knows that he is a scoundrel, she 

hopes that she will be able to 


edeem him and save his life. As she leaves his house 

she is frightened by the arrival of the statue, who 

has come for dinner. Don Giovanni is courageous 

facing his supernatural guest, but Leporello cowers 

under a table. The ghost statue gives the Don many 


opportunities to repent his evil life but he refuses. He 

gives his hand to the ghost, who pulls him down to 

hell and damnation as fl ames leap up around him. 

Everyone else lives happily, or reasonably happily, 

ever after. 

Figure It Out! 

There is one singer in this opera 

who often plays two roles, so these 

two characters are never on stage 

at the same time. Can you fi gure 

out who they are? 

Answer: The Commendatore and Masetto 


Don Giovanni At-A-Glance 

The Commendatore defends his daughter Donna Anna 

and is killed by Don Giovanni. 

Don Giovanni puts the moves on Zerlina while an incensed Masetto looks on. 

Faithful servant Leporello tries to hold him back. 

Leporello tells Donna Elvira that she is not the only 

woman Don Giovanni has seduced. He reads her a 

very, very long list from his little black book. 


Don Giovanni At-A-Glance 

Donna Elvira is lured away from her balcony to come down and join Leporello 

who is disguised as Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni instructs Leporello to 

“Embrace her, give her four caresses, feign my voice, then with lovely skill, try 

to lead her with you to another place”. Don Giovanni has his eye on the maid 

and wants to woo her instead. 

Donna Elvira is lured away from 

her balcony to come down and join 

Leporello who is disguised as Don 

Giovanni... 

Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, Masetto and 

Zerlina encounter and stop Leporello as 

he is escaping from Donna Elvira. 

The statue arrives for dinner. Leporello 

hides under the table but Don Giovanni 

remains defi ant. The statue takes his 

hand and pulls him down into the 

fl ames of hell. 


Listening Guide 

Track Excerpt Storyline 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Overture 

Instrumental 

Notte e giorno faticar 

Leporello 

Madamina il catalogo è questo 

Leporello 

Alfi n siam liberati 

Don Giovanni, Zerlina 

Là ci darem la mano 

Don Giovanni, Zerlina 

Or sai chi l’onore 

Donna Anna 

From the French word ouverture meaning to open, this is the fi rst piece of music you will 

hear and the curtain will usually remain down for this. 

There was a bit of excitement around the writing of the overture. Opening night for 

Don Giovanni was twenty-four hours away...and still there was no overture! Mozart was 

not concerned, because the overture was complete in his head already, and went to a party 

with his wife Constanze. When they got home he started to write out the music and his 

wife kept him awake by telling him stories. The fi nished music was handed to the copyists 

at 7 in the morning, and the orchestra had to sight read the freshly penned pages, some of 

them still wet, that evening. Mozart’s comment was, “Some of the notes fell under the desk, 

but the Overture went remarkably well on the whole.” 

Leporello the servant is standing on guard while Don Giovanni seduces Donna Anna. 

He sings of his annoyance with his master and suggests that he wants to upset the class 

structure and be a master himself. The lightheartedness of the aria is in direct contrast 

to the action that follows. (Donna Anna and her father the Commendatore pursue Don 

Giovanni. A fi ght ensues and the Commendatore is stabbed to death.) 

This is the famous “Catalogue Aria”. Leporello tries to console a scorned Donna Elvira with 

his list of Don Giovanni’s conquests. There are 2065 in total and Leporello has kept track of 

them all in his little black book. In showing the book around Leporello isn’t just bragging 

about his master. He’s also showing off the fact that he can read and write, a skill that most 

servants would not have had. 

Don Giovanni sets out to get Zerlina’s attention. He fl atters her and tells her that she was 

not meant to live as a peasant, with someone as coarse as her fi ance Masetto. Instead he 

suggests that he, the noble and honest Don Giovanni will make her his wife. Zerlina is 

impressed but is still hesitant. She wonders if Don Giovanni will in the end deceive her… 

will he respect her in the morning? 

Don Giovanni the nobleman, sings to seduce Zerlina, the peasant girl. He has just 

suggested that they head into the house “to take their vows” and as the duet begins he 

is describing what bliss their union will be. Zerlina continues to question whether she 

should believe him or not, and she worries that Masetto will be hurt… but eventually Don 

Giovanni wins her over and she agrees to go off with him. 

Donna Anna expresses her rage and her determination to make Don Giovanni pay for the 

death of her father. 


Musical Detail Listening Strategies and Activities 

The Overture is scored for a full classical orchestra – oboes, fl utes, clarinets, bassoons, 

horns, trumpets, timpani and strings. 

A mood of foreboding is established with the opening chords in D minor. A lighter, 

happier sounding theme in D major is heard later thereby setting up the wide 

emotional range of the Don Giovanni story. 

The opera opens with a classic opera buff a scene: the servant, a bass, complains about 

his boss. The music is humorous and establishes the comedic aspect of Leporello’s 

character. 

The aria is set in D major, a very bright key. The musical accompaniment seems to be 

laughing along with with Leporello’s singing. 

This is an example of recitative. The dialogue is sung very freely. Listen carefully to 

what the harpsichord is doing. Notice how it propels the dialogue forward. Could 

you get this kind of responsive speed with an orchestra? Not likely, which is the main 

reason that the harpsichord is the instrument of choice for accompanying recitative. 

You may not notice it right away but the harpsichord player gives the listener all kinds 

of auditory clues about what is going on in the story. A letter falling may be echoed 

with a descending passage, or sharp, emphatic chords will signal strong emotion. 

Sometimes a harpsichordist will play in a higher range if it is a female singing, and 

lower for a male. Another little trick is to sneak in a small snippet of a character’s big 

aria when he fi rst enters into the recitative (rather like the way a baseball player’s 

theme song is played every time he comes on to the fi eld.) 

This beautiful duet is gentle and sweet and was one of the most popular pieces in 

the opera. So much so that Beethoven wrote a set of variations for oboes and English 

Horn based on it. The tempo of the duet is slower and more relaxed than the preceding 

recitative. The style is simple, like a folk song. 

The aria is in D major but has a very diff erent mood than Leporello’s earlier aria set 

in the same key. The role of Donna Anna is typically sung by a dramatic coloratura 

soprano, a voice type that is strong but fl exible. The aria requires power and stamina 

because it leaps a lot from high to low, and much of it sits in an awkward tessitura 

(range) for a soprano. The eff ect of this is that the aria sounds much higher than it 

actually is, which creates a feeling of urgency and steely resolution. 


Listen: Can you hear a “Jaws” type of theme? Listen for some rising scales that have 

a slightly seasick feeling to them. Notice how they lead from the darker music into a 

happy and cheerful section. 

Predict: How does the Overture foreshadow the plot, mood and style of Don Giovanni? 

(Introduce terms: opera seria and opera buff a.) 

See Lesson 1: Unraveling the Plot 

Listen: Leporello is pacing back and forth as he waits for Don Giovanni. Can you hear 

how the music paces too? How does Mozart’s music sound like someone complaining? 

Consider: How does Mozart use this aria to introduce important themes in the story? 

See Lesson 2: Power and Relationships 

Listen: Can you tell from Leporello’s singing whether or not he approves of Don 

Giovanni’s conquests? (Yes he does…what is it about the music that tells you this?) 

Consider: Leporello basically tells us in this aria that Don Giovanni will make a pass at 

anything female, no matter how beautiful or ugly. He describes how he uses a diff erent 

tactic for each personality. If you were Donna Elvira (who is one of the 2065 names on 

the list) hearing this, how would you feel? 


Ask: How does the recitative music change to emphasize the meaning of the words? 


Ask: What musical clue tells you when Zerlina capitulates? (They sing together in 

harmony for the fi rst time.) 

Sing: This is a wonderful duet to sing just for the joy of it. 


See Lesson 3: The Sopranos 

Ask: What are the strings doing in the opening and what eff ect does it have? 

Ask: Based on the aria, what kind of person do you think Donna Anna is? 




Track Excerpt Storyline 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

Fin ch’an dal vino 

Don Giovanni 

Batti, batti, O bel Masetto 

Zerlina 

Riposate vezzose ragazze 

Don Giovanni, Leporello, Masetto, Zerlina 

Deh vieni alla fi nestra 


Il mio tesoro intanto 

Don Ottavio 

Mi tradì quell’alma ingrata 

Donna Elvira 

Don Giovanni a cenar teco m’invitasti 

Commendatore, Don Giovanni, Leporello 

Don Giovanni calls for everyone to party and lays out his strategy for the evening which is 

wine, women and song. He plans to have as many women as possible, get the classes mixed 

up, and party on down. 

Zerlina woos back her off ended fi ancé’s aff ections with mock submissiveness, confi dent 

that he can’t resist her charms. 

This is the party scene – Don Giovanni is wooing Zerlina. Donna Anna, Don Ottavio & 

Donna Elvira arrive masked, but reveal themselves to rescue Zerlina when Don Giovanni 

attacks her. 

Don Giovanni serenades Donna Elvira’s maid, hoping to seduce her. 

Don Ottavio asks the others to look after Donna Anna while he goes to avenge her honour. 

Donna Elvira, torn between disgust and attraction for Don Giovanni reveals she is still 

fearful for him. 

This is probably the most dramatic scene of the opera. Everyone but Don Giovanni seems to 

get chills up their spine as the statue of the Commendatore arrives for his dinner invitation. 

Leporello is unnerved and cowers under the table. Don Giovanni seems unconcerned 

and when asked to repent replies “no!” many times. Finally the statue declares that Don 

Giovanni’s time is up. Flames appear and Don Giovanni is dragged down to hell and eternal 

damnation. 


Musical Detail Listening Strategies and Activities 

The aria moves at lightening speed and Don Giovanni’s singing has an almost manic 

quality. 

The role of Zerlina is usually sung by a younger soprano with a lighter voice. Batti, 

batti is set in the comfortable, middle part of the soprano voice. The melody starts out 

simply, sounding penitant and gradually becomes more playful and fl orid as Zerlina 

wins her way back into Masetto’s heart. 

This is a complex scene. Everyone except the Commendatore is singing at the same 

time. A homophonic, heroic hymn to liberty is followed by dance music – one dance is 

layered on top of another until three are heard at once. 

This canzonetta (serenade) is sung with a mandolin accompaniment. Notice the 

strophic form (two verses) and folk-like simplicity. 

This is the only time in the opera where we hear a tenor aria – all the other male roles 

are basses or baritones. The tenor who was to sing this for the opening performance 

in Vienna claimed it was impossibly diffi cult, and Mozart had to quickly write another 

one for him. 

Donna Elvira is typically sung by a spinto, a soprano voice type that is strong and 

pointed. It’s ability to pierce through the orchestra makes it perfect for characters 

requiring strength and depth of emotion. In this aria Donna Elvira sings with great 

passion and her melody wanders, betraying her inner confl ict (loving Don Giovanni 

but hating what he stands for). 

The use of trombones signifi es the underworld, and the timpani adds to the ominous 

eff ect. Music from the overture is heard here in the rhythm and sinister chords. The low 

male voices, the chorus of demons, the scales, and the use of unison all combine to 

create music as low as it can go. 

Ask: How does Mozart characterize Don Giovanni through the music? 

See Lesson 4: Wine, Women and Song 


Consider: Zerlina is actually saying “Beat me, oh dear Masetto.” Describe the 

contradiction between what the words say, and what the music tells us is really 

happening between Zerlina and Masetto. 


Compare: “Viva la libertà” to la Marseillaise. 

Listen: Can you hear the three diff erent dances? The minuet is a court dance, the 

contradance is a peasant dance, and the German dance is a burlesque for Leporello and 

Masetto. What does the choice of dance types tell us about each relationship? 

See Lesson 5: Revolution in the Air 

Guitar students: look for ‘Batti, batti’, ‘Deh vieni alla fi nestra’, and ‘Vedrai carino’ arranged 

with guitar accompaniment by Fernando Sor. 

See Lesson 6: The Sound of Seduction 

Listen: Note the musical contrasts between Don Ottavio’s description of sweet Donna 

Anna and his cries for revenge on her father’s killer. 

Ask: What makes this such a diffi cult aria? 

Contrast: Note the diff erence between these high fl owing melodic lines and Donna 

Anna’s aria Or sai chi l’onore. (This is much gentler, refl ecting her indecision whereas 

Donna Anna is determined.) 

See Lesson 3: The Sopranos. 

Listen: Note the elements that were foreshadowed in the Overture. 

Ask: What musical choices did Mozart make that reinforce the sense of hell and 

damnation? (See notes to left.) Notice also the elemental, non-melodic character of the 

Commendatore’s melody – it pounds on the tonic and dominant and features strong 

angular leaps. 

See Lesson 1: Unraveling the Plot 


Lesson One: Unraveling the Plot 

Objective 

Students explore the plot of Don Giovanni through listening, viewing images, predicting, acting, refl ecting 

and participating in a quiz. 

Materials 

Copies or Overheads of Images of Don Giovanni (See Web Resources in Black Line Masters) 

Track # 1 - Overture, CD Excerpts from Don Giovanni 

Character name cards on strings (to hang around neck) 

Copy of the Synopsis of Don Giovanni (See Black Line Masters) 

Lesson Map 

I. Predicting 

» Write these fi ve vocabulary words on the board or chart paper: nobleman, seduce, revenge, peasant, 

supernatural. 

» Describe the task: Listen to the music, look at the pictures, and read the words on the board. Then 

make a prediction of what the opera Don Giovanni is about. 

» Play the Overture, CD Track #1. As students listen, show images of Don Giovanni. 

» Spend some time discussing their reactions and their predictions, fi rst as a pair-share, then with the 

whole class. Help students to notice that the Overture has two sections, with contrasting styles and 

moods. The A section is serious and foreboding, while the B section is light and frivolous. 

» Discuss the director’s role in making the ultimate decisions about sets, costumes, setting, and 

interpretation. 

II. Setting the Context and Acting the Story 

» Ahead of time write the characters’ names on the board. 

» 

Share the following information: 

Don Giovanni is a creative mixture of two kinds of opera that 

were usually not combined: Opera Buffa and Opera Seria. 

Opera Buffa, written about common people, made fun of 

Opera Seria, which was written for and about the nobility. 

Opera Seria often had elements of the supernatural, such as 

gods and goddesses, and the storylines were serious. Opera 

Buffa was lighter in context and made opera more accessible 

to everyday audiences. It took a genius like Mozart to combine 

the two, giving us both comedy and tragedy in the same opera. 

In the Overture you can hear both moods. Ask for volunteers 

for each of the main characters and distribute character 

nametags and props. 

Teacher Tip 

Create a Don Giovanni 

bulletin board to post the 

images, visuals, and products 

from the student lessons as 

you go along. The display will 

build engagement, and help 

students to recall and refl ect 

on their learning as they move 

through the activities over a 

number of sessions. 


» 

» 

» 

» 

Introduce the cast of the opera, giving a character card to a volunteer student as you introduce the 

character. Provide the information below about each one: 

Character Who are they in the opera? 

Leporello Don Giovanni’s servant 

Don Giovanni a young nobleman, party animal, a “player” 

Donna Anna noblewoman, annoyed at Don Giovanni’s unsolicited attention 

The Commendatore nobleman, Donna Anna’s father, killed early in the opera by Don Giovanni 

Don Ottavio nobleman, Donna Anna’s fi ancé 

Donna Elvira noblewoman, lover abandoned by Don Giovanni 

Zerlina peasant, very pretty object of desire for Don Giovanni 

Masetto peasant, Zerlina’s goofy fi ancé 

In opera the plot summary is referred to as a ‘synopsis’. We are going to act out the story of 

Don Giovanni while I read the Synopsis. 

Read aloud; student actions are guided by the developing story. 

Ask the class to fi gure out which characters and storylines are more like Opera Buffa, and which are 

more like Opera Seria. 

III. Consolidating 

» Compare the actual plot to student predictions, fi rst as a pair-share, then as a whole class. 

» Listen to the last selection on the CD, which is when the Commendatore’s ghost arrives for dinner 

and takes Don Giovanni to hell. Ask students to raise their hands when they hear the themes fi rst 

introduced in the Overture. (The ominous dotted quarter and eighth note accompaniment fi gure 

recurs, as does the rising and falling scale motif.) 

» As a wrap-up, divide the class into teams and do a quick quiz. 

Who Am I?? 

› I escort two ladies to a party [Don Ottavio] 

› I get blamed for what Don Giovanni did. [Leporello] 

› My heart belongs to Daddy ... and one other. [Donna Anna] 

› I can’t seem to make up my mind. [Donna Elvira] 

› I can’t be angry with my honey for very long. [Masetto] 

› I just like to have fun. [Don Giovanni] 

› I’m young and pretty, and I know it. [Zerlina] 

› I have a heart of stone. [Commendatore] 

» Post the character cards where students can see and refer to them over the next few lessons. 

Grade 7 and 8 

Describe, through listening, some characteristics of music from the 

classical period 

Describe some of the aspects of historical context of music that they 

sing, play, or listen to 

Communicate their thoughts and feelings about the music they hear 

Grade 9 and 10 

Explain the function of music in a variety of historical and 

cultural contexts 


Explain the infl uence of some political, social and/or technological 

factors on the lives and music of the major composers of the classical 

period. 

Ministry Expectations 


Lesson Two: Power and Relationships 

Objective: 

Students examine a scene from the opera for evidence of bullying/sexual harassment. 

Materials: 

Track # 4 and 5, CD Excerpts from Don Giovanni 

Overhead or student copies of The Don Makes a Pass (See Black Line Masters) 

Overhead or student copies of What Is Bullying? (See Black Line Masters) 

Chart paper and markers 

Overhead or student copies of Duet: Là ci darem la mano (See Black Line Masters) 

Stick-on notes, enough for one per student 

Lesson Map 

I. Enacting, Listening and Analyzing 

» Ask two students (one male, one female) to read aloud the dialogue on The Don Makes a Pass. 

Encourage an expressive performance. 

» Ask students to read What Is Bullying? On fi rst reaction, is the interaction between Don Giovanni and 

Zerlina bullying (or sexual harassment) or not? If it is bullying, what type is it? (pair-share or general 

discussion) 

» Listen to Track # 4 and follow the libretto on The Don Makes a Pass. 

» Share: This is an example of recitative. It is like the spoken dialogue of a play but in opera it is sung. 

Notice that the music is sung very freely just as it would if two people were talking together. How does the 

music change to emphasize the meaning of the words? 

» Ask students to create a tableau (a freeze “in the moment” – like a human photograph) of the scene 

with a partner. Ask them to hold the tableaux while you circulate. 

When you tap a student’s shoulder he or she speaks in role and in 

the moment (what the character is thinking or speaking). 


» Discuss: Who has the power in this relationship? Why? Are Zerlina 

and Don Giovanni social equals? What clues tell you? 

In Italian, like French, the ‘voi’ 

form of the word ‘you’ is a polite 

form of address, used to address 

* Interpretations will vary, but certainly the Don is fl attering Zerlina at the outset by 

addressing her as a lady. When she brings up the question of class (“men like you, 

men of rank and high position”) he responds with the familiar form – either as a 

way of asserting authority over her as he increases the pressure upon her, or as a 

way of indicating their increased intimacy. 

superiors. Zerlina always addresses 

Giovanni with this polite form, but 

she uses the familiar ‘ti’ form with 

her fi ancé Masetto. Don Giovanni 

addresses Masetto with the 

» Share this information with the students: At this time there 

familiar form, but at fi rst addresses 

was great disparity between the nobility, the middle-class and 

Zerlina with the polite form. At the 

labourers (‘peasants’). Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, Don Ottavio end of the scene he switches to the 

and Don Giovanni are noble, whereas Leporello, Zerlina and 

familiar form. Can you fi gure out 

Masetto are low class. 

what he is up to?* 

» Read the section on women in “Mozart’s Life and Times”. 


» 

» 

» 

» 

» 

Remind students that middle-class women were encouraged to marry well; their education focused 

on acquiring skills, such as embroidery and musical accomplishments, which could improve their 

chances of making an advantageous match. 

In groups of four, complete a Go-Stay chart for Zerlina. What tempts her to go with Don Giovanni? 

What keeps her with Masetto? 

Listen to the 

Duet between Go with Don Giovanni Stay with Masetto 

Zerlina and 

Don Giovanni, 

following along 

with the libretto. 

The Duet is a 

song, like an aria. 

Ask: How is the 

duet different from 

He’s hot! I’ve known him all my life. 

the recitative? Make a quick comparison using a Venn Diagram. 

Ask students to write a stick-on note message to Zerlina about her choice and add it to their Go-Stay 

charts. Play the duet again as students view each others’ charts during a gallery walk. 

Hold a class vote: is the relationship between Zerlina and Don Giovanni an acceptable form of 

fl irtation between two people who are attracted to each other (thumbs-up), or is it an unacceptable 

form of bullying (thumbs-down)? 

II. Retelling 

» Writing prompt: Pretend that the conversation in this scene is taking place in 2007. With a partner, 

write an exchange of text messages between Don Giovanni and Zerlina. You can change the outcome 

if you wish. 

» Share the dialogues in small groups as dramatic readings, and discuss. 

III. Making Connections 

» Examine the other relationships in the opera asking the questions: 

› Is this relationship between equals or unequals? 

› Who holds the power in this relationship? 

› Is this a bullying relationship? 

» After seeing the opera, ask students: Is Don Giovanni a bully? Are the three women in the opera victims 

or not? How did the decisions made by the director of this production infl uence the view we take away of 

Don Giovanni? 

Grade 7 and 8 

Describe some of the aspects of historical context of music that 

they sing, play, or listen to 


Explain the function of music in a variety of historical and cultural 

contexts 


Explain the infl uence of some political, social and/or technological 

factors on the lives and music of the major composers of the classical 

periods 



Lesson Three: The Sopranos 

Objective 

Students respond to recordings of three different soprano arias and match them to characters and vocal types 

in Don Giovanni. 

Materials 

Tracks 6, 8, and 12, CD Excerpts from Don Giovanni 

Student Sheet: The Sopranos (See Black Line Masters) 

Overhead or student copies of Listening to the Sopranos (See Black Line Masters) 

Lesson Map 

I. Setting the Context 

» Distribute student copies of The Sopranos. 

» Share: In Don Giovanni there are principal roles for three sopranos. Mozart would have been very 

deliberate in composing music to make each soprano sound distinct from one another. In other 

words the character of the songs Zerlina sings should sound very different from that of Donna Anna 

or Donna Elvira and vice versa. Mozart would have had a bit of help here from what was commonly 

known about the soprano voice. In the opera world the highest female voice is soprano, slightly 

lower and darker is mezzo-soprano and contralto is the lowest and darkest. Within the category of 

soprano there are several sub-categories. There’s no such thing as a generic soprano! 

Today we’ll be talking about the three of types of sopranos that Mozart composed for in Don Giovanni 

– soubrette, spinto and dramatic colouratura. We are going to have to listen and fi gure out how each 

voice type is different and then decide who it belongs to. 

Let’s start by listening to the fi rst aria. As you listen jot down notes on the fi rst square. Describe what 

you are hearing. Is the singing smooth or does it jump around; does it sound happy, angry, fl irtatious, 

or sad; is the voice light or dark? 

II. Listening and Analyzing 

» Play about one minute each of the following CD selections. As students listen they write words that 

describe each selection on the student sheet in the space provided: 

› #8. Batti batti o bel Masetto 

› #12. Mi tradi quell’alma ingrata 

› #6. Or sai chi l’onore 

» Pause and have students discuss with a partner between arias. Don’t fi ll in the “Voice Type?” or 

“Who Is It?” boxes just yet. 

» 

Listen again, this time to each aria in its entirety, following the music and libretto on the overhead. 

Complete the “Voice Type?” and “Who Is It?”predictions on the student sheet. 


» 

Discuss conclusions and share the following information: 

› Selection #8: Zerlina (Soubrette) - Batti batti O bel Masetto 

... sings with great prettiness and gentleness. Her melody is very singable. She woos back her 

fi ancé’s affections with mock submissiveness, confi dent that he can’t resist her charms. 

› Selection #12: Donna Elvira (Spinto) - Mi tradi quell’alma ingrata 

...sings with great emotion, but her emotions pull her in a number of different directions as she 

tries to make herself stop loving Don Giovanni. Her melody wavers, and is gentler than Donna 

Anna’s, refl ecting her indecision. 

› Selection #6: Donna Anna (Dramatic Coloratura) - Or sai chi l’onore 

...is a strong woman and she sings with great power. Her melody has large leaps from low to high, 

and high to low as she expresses her rage and her determination to be revenged. 

III. Creating 

» Read the following to the students: 

Mozart directed the rehearsals, had the singers come 

to his house to study, gave them advice how some of 

the diffi cult passages should be executed, explained the 

characters they represented, and exacted fi nish, detail, 

and accuracy. 

» Writing prompt: 

Pretend you are Mozart and that one of the three 

sopranos is coming for a rehearsal at your house. 

What will you tell her about how you want her to sing 

her part? 

» Share the writing in small groups and/or post on 

bulletin board. 

Grade 7 and 8 

Identify tone colours in various performing ensembles 

Describe, through listening, some characteristics of music of the 

Classical period 

Communicate their thoughts and feelings about the music they 

hear,using language 


Defi ne and describe characteristics of sound and categories of sound 

(e.g., instrumental, vocal, high, low, bright, dark) 

Identify and describe, orally and in writing, how the elements of music 

work together in a particular historical style and cultural context 


At the fi rst rehearsal 

of Don Giovanni Mozart was 

not happy with Zerlina’s cry of 

terror as she was being carried 

off by the Don. Mozart asked for 

the scene to be repeated and 

gave Zerlina a surprise pinch on 

the leg at the critical moment. 

Her startled shriek was exactly 

what he wanted, and he asked 

her to ‘do it that way’ for the 

performance! 

Analyse, orally and in writing, the quality and impact of a variety 

of live and/or recorded performances, using appropriate music 

vocabulary; 


Identify, analyse, and evaluate musical works through listening; 

Analyse musical works and performances of works, demonstrating an 

understanding of the process of critical analysis 



Lesson Four: Wine, Women and Song 

Objectives 

Students respond to different interpretations of Don Giovanni’s character, and draw some conclusions of 

their own from listening to his aria. 

Materials 

Opinions on Don Giovanni cards (See Black Line Masters) 

Track # 7, CD Excerpts from Don Giovanni 

Overhead or student copies of Wine Women and Song (See Black Line Masters) 

Lesson Map 

I. Comparing and Contrasting 

» Distribute the Opinions on Don Giovanni cards to six students and ask them to read them aloud to 

the class. 

» 

Make a T-chart on the board and list some of the attributes of Don Giovanni from these quotes and 

the students’ own knowledge: 


Hero Scoundrel 

ignores class system sex addict 


II. Listening 

» Play “Finch’han dal vino” for students, without showing the overhead. What impressions do you get 

of Don Giovanni from his aria, just in terms of the music? (The music is crazily busy, and breathless 

- the character is racing. The obsessive repetition of text reinforces the sense of a man right out of 

control.) 

» Repeat the listening, following along with the overhead of the libretto. 

» Mark beside the words on the libretto the character trait that is revealed, e.g., beside “Now with the 

drinking” you could add the word “drinker”. 

» What is the signifi cance of “Down with formality! / Mix them together / Clod, cavalier”? (Students 

may not be aware how shocking the mixing up of different classes at Don Giovanni’s party would 

be to an eighteenth-century audience. This reveals more of his depravity as a character – unless he is 

viewed as a revolutionary hero who is breaking down an antiquated class system.) 

» We have already seen that there are many different interpretations of Don Giovanni’s character. Can you 

think of some characters from television who are comic and loveable in spite of behaving badly? [most tv 

comedy: The Simpsons, Cheers, Roseanne, Seinfeld etc. all have characters whose bad behaviour makes 

us laugh]. 

III. Debating 

» Students get partners. A is to put 

the most positive spin on Don 

Giovanni’s character, while B argues 

the opposite. After three minutes 

switch sides and take the opposite 

point of view. 

» Predict: How will we know which 

interpretation of Don Giovanni’s 

character is intended by the director 

of Opera Lyra’s production? What 

clues should we look for? 

» Make a class list of ideas or 

individual journal entries. 

Grade 7 and 8: 

Describe some aspects of the historical context of music that they sing, 

play, or listen to (e.g., identify some major political events, social or 

philosophical movements, architectural or paintings styles); 



contexts (e.g., Indonesian gamelan, 2500 B.C.E.Turkish war cymbals); 

Demonstrate an understanding of music history and its cultural 

context 


Explain the infl uence of some political, social, and/or technological 

factors on the lives and music of the major composers of the baroque 

and classical periods (e.g., Bach,Handel, Scarlatti,Vivaldi, Haydn, 

Mozart, Beethoven); 

Analyse the relationship between music and its culturalcontext 



Lesson Five: Revolution in the Air 

Objective 

Students explore the ideas of liberty expressed in a scene of Don Giovanni through a series of readings and 

responses to listening. They take opposing positions in a debate on liberty. 

Materials 

Track # 9, CD Excerpts from Don Giovanni 

Overhead or student copies of Hymn to Freedom (See Black Line Masters) 

Overhead or student copies of Battle of the Bands (See Black Line Masters) 

Chart paper and markers 

Lesson Map 

I. Exploring Ideas of ‘Liberty’ 

» Ask: What do you think of when you hear the word “liberty”? 

» Write the responses on the board. 

» Have a student read aloud the following excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by 

their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit 

of Happiness. – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their 

just powers from the consent of the governed, – That whenever any Form of Government becomes 

destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new 

Government. 

— Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence 1776 

» Check that students understand the signifi cance of the Declaration. Write the date on the board 

(1776). 

» Ask: What did Thomas Jefferson mean by liberty? Are any of the words we used to describe liberty similar 

in meaning? 

» Note that Don Giovanni was fi rst performed in 1787, only a few years after the American Revolution, 

at a time when France was building up to its own revolution. 

» Listen to Track # 9 from the beginning to 1:24 and follow the words on the Hymn to Freedom 

overhead. Explain that the listening excerpt comes from the moment when Donna Anna, Don 

Ottavio, and Donna Elvira arrive at Don Giovanni’s house in masks. 

» 

Ask: Can you think of a reason why Don Giovanni is singing about liberty? Help students to realize 

that Giovanni stands for the breaking of every kind of rule, a scary and/or inspiring symbol for 

people faced with the very real possibility of armed revolution, the destruction of the class system, 

and the reversal of sexual mores. He introduces the subject of liberty here because noble people and 

peasants are all mixed up together at the same party – a shocking mixture of the classes that identifi es 

him as a social revolutionary. As Giovanni says, “Down with formality!/Mix them together,/ Some 

minuetting,/ Some the follia!/ Clod, cavalier, / All shall be there./ What do I care? (Act 1, Scene 15) 


» 

» 

» 

» 

Write on the board: “Liberty, equality, fraternity or 

death!” with the date 1789. 

Explain: This was the slogan or the rallying cry of the 

supporters of the French Revolution, based on The 

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen 

made by the National Assembly in that year. The 

picture on the overhead is of the fi rst performance of 

“La Marseillaise” in 1792, a song in praise of liberty. 

The staging of the ‘Hymn to Freedom’ segment might 

look like this – a picture of revolution. 


This scene was so scandalous 

and incendiary for Europeans at the time, 

that the authorities deleted the word 

“Liberty” from a performance in Italy! 

Clearly the word ‘Liberty’ had a great 

resonance at this time, much like the 

word ‘Terrorism’ has in ours. 

Ask another student to read aloud the words of 

Edmund Burke from his Refl ections on the Revolution in France while students follow the speech on 

the overhead. What does Burke think of “liberty”? Are there any words on the original brainstorm 

chart that refl ect Burke’s attitude towards liberty? 

Explain that one of the opening incidents of the French Revolution was the mob storming of the 

Bastille Prison to free the unjustly imprisoned (1789). In fact, only a few prisoners were in the jail, 

and some of them were suffering from psychiatric disorders, hence Burke’s disparaging comments. 

II. Listening and Making Connections 

» Share: The next part of the Dance scene contains a “battle of the bands”. Mozart actually had three 

little groups of musicians come on stage one after the other, each one starting a new dance while the 

others continued. To make things even more complicated, the dances are not in the same metres (time 

signatures) but somehow they all go together. It is as if some of you were singing Twinkle Twinkle Little 

Star, while others sing Oh Canada, and others sing We will rock you. [You might want to demonstrate 

this!] 

» Listen to the CD Track #9 from 1:25 and on. Ask students to put up their hands when they hear each 

new dance start. 

» Share the following: 

The fi rst dance is a minuet, an older court dance danced by one couple at a time. The second is a 

contradanse a group dance which was all the rage in Europe in 1787 – somewhat like square dancing 

or line dancing. The third is a deutscher - a rollicking fast waltz which was a new dance at this time. 

» Write the names of the three dances on the board. 

» Ask: What musical effect do you think Mozart wanted? What mood does the music create? [Answers 

will vary but the scene is certainly intended to convey musical showmanship on the brink of chaos.] 

Which characters will dance each of these dances? Why? (Note that all characters are onstage except the 

Commendatore.) 

III. Role on the Wall 

» Listen to the same excerpt again, this time following the libretto on the overhead. 

» Share: Mozart created a very complex scene here; all the characters are keeping secrets and whispering to 

each other while dancing and playing a public role that is different from their true feelings. At the same 

time we have this crazy music – and it all happens in only 90 seconds! 

» 

Divide the class into fi ve character groups: Donna Anna, Don Giovanni, Leporello, Zerlina, Masetto. 

Each group prepares a Role-on-the-Wall: outline a rough single line silhouette of the character on 

chart paper. Outside the silhouette write words to describe what this character is pretending to be or to 


» 

want, and what dance he or she performs. Inside the silhouette write what this character really wants. 

If the character is confl icted, show this. On the silhouette write the character’s probable attitude 

towards liberty. Students may need to refer back to the Synopsis to complete the activity. 

Display and share conclusions with a gallery walk as you play the music one more time. 

IV. Debating 

» Share: This scene started with a solemn hymn to liberty and ends with an attack on a young girl. What 

do you think that Mozart and the librettist Da Ponte might be saying about Liberty? [Interpretations will 

vary. The impression might be that the whole world can get very chaotic and even dangerous when 

society’s rules are thrown out the window – too much liberty is licence. But it could also be seen to 

hint at the rich promise of a society where many classes and cultures of people mix together.] 

» Form teams and debate: When rules are no longer working, is it the right of people in a free society 

to abolish the rules and create new ones? Encourage students to refer to the citations in this lesson, 

the opera, and their own experiences as supporting documentation for their points. Appoint a 

moderator, and hold a class vote to determine the winning side. 

» Remind students to notice how this scene is staged when they attend the performance. Does the 

staging infl uence the interpretation of the scene? 

1752 

Mozart 

born 

1776 

American 

Revolution 


Describe some aspects of the historical context of music that they sing, 

play, or listen to (e.g., identify some major political events, social or 

philosophical movements, architectural or paintings styles); 



contexts (e.g., Indonesian gamelan, 250 B.C.E.Turkish war cymbals); 

Demonstrate an understanding of music history and its cultural 

context 

Demonstrate the ability to listen attentively and with discernment to 

live and recorded music, using the stages of critical analysis (initial 

reaction, description, analysis, interpretation, and judgement); 

Teacher Tip 

During this lesson a number of key dates 

are included. Creating a simple timeline 

on the board or chart paper will help 

students to track events. 

1787 

Don 

Giovanni 


Explain the infl uence of some political, social, and/or technological 

factors on the lives and music of the major composers of the baroque 

and classical periods (e.g., Bach, Handel, Scarlatti,Vivaldi, Haydn, 

Mozart, Beethoven); 

Analyse the relationship between music and its cultural context 



Lesson Six: The Sound of Seduction 

Objectives 

Students sing and/or play an aria from the opera, with guitar accompaniment. Grade 7 to 10 students will be 

encouraged to sing and play the musical accompaniment provided, but more experienced students may work 

out the chord accompaniment on their own using theory and ear training skills learned in previous years. 

Materials 

Track #10, Deh vieni alla fi nestra, CD Excerpts from Don Giovanni 

Student copies of See/Feel/Hear template (See Black Line Masters) 

Student copies or overhead of Deh vieni alla fi nestra (See Black Line Masters) 

Lesson Map 

I. Listening and Imagining 

» Use a See-Feel-Hear template while listening to Deh vieni alla fi nestra. As students listen ask them 

to notice what they see in their mind’s eye, how the music makes them feel and what they hear. They 

should jot down words to describe what they are seeing, feeling and hearing in the appropriate 

column of the template. Ask them to puzzle a bit about what kind of a song it is. Is it happy, sad, 

cheerful? If this was your opera, what would be happening in this scene? 

» Share the See-Feel-Hear responses. Hopefully you will get quite a range of responses. (One student 

who did this exercise described the picture the music provoked for him as “It’s an old Italian man in a 

shed making wine. He’s singing about the wonderful wine he’s making as he’s mashing the grapes!” ) 

» Note the differences and similarities that emerge from the shared scenarios. 

» Ask students to identify the instruments they heard (mandolin and strings) and which character they 

think is singing (Don Giovanni). 

What in the world is a 

canzonetta? 

No, it isn’t a folded pizza (that’s a 

» Share: This aria is sung by Don Giovanni. He has just forced his 

servant Leporello to sing to Donna Elvira, disguised as his master. 

Donna Elvira is fooled and leaves the balcony to join Leporello, 

believing that he is Don Giovanni. Don Giovanni then gets rid of 

them both by pretending to be a burglar and jumping out of the 

calzone). A canzonetta is a short, light bushes. They run off and Don Giovanni then turns his attention 

song. It dates back to the late 16th 

back to the balcony where he tries to seduce the maid by singing 

century and would have been the 

her a serenade. 

type of song popular with the general » Listen a second time and follow along with the overhead. What 

public. Deh vieni alla fi nestra is a 

would you guess Don Giovanni’s style is when he’s moving in on 

canzonetta and its use underscores the a female? Does it sound like a guy trying to get a girl’s attention? 

fact that Don Giovanni is singing to a 

Is there anything about the music that indicates what kind of 

person of a lower class. The mandolin, 

a folk instrument of the time, also 

indicates that the aria is intended for a 

covmmoner, in this case, the maid. 

strategy or MO Don Giovanni is using? [See what opinions the 

students have but note for them that there is something very 

innocent and reassuring about the sweet and simple melody. 

There is really no indication from the music that the person 

singing is a murderer and rapist.] 


II. Accompanying and Performing 

» Show the overhead of the accompanied version of Deh vieni alla fi nestra. Point out the contrasts 

between the mandolin (lots of quick, stepwise melody) and the strings (plucked and steadily on the 

beat, sort of an oom-pah-pah effect). 

» Ask students to sing with the recording while following the music. 

» Choose a student volunteer (or volunteers) to play the guitar accompaniment. At this point you may 

either provide the guitar chords by writing them in on the overhead, or ask the students to fi gure 

them out themselves. 

» If students are creating their own accompaniment, give 

them the starting key, D major, and through repeated 

listening to the selection, have students set the melody 

to an accompaniment with chord progressions. 


» For Grade 12 students, follow the same basic lesson 

plan above, including the exercise on creating an 

accompaniment. Encourage students to arrange this 

music for an ensemble of other available instruments. 

» Share performances of the accompaniments created. 

Vieni con me, mia 

vita… Vieni, vieni… 

Grades 7 and 8 

Sing or play a variety of pieces expressively 

Read music accurately from the staff, using their knowledge of 

notation (including sharps, fl ats, naturals, and key signatures) and 

intervals 

Demonstrate the ability to produce the same pitch as others, vocally or 

instrumentally (e.g., while playing or singing in pairs, in sections, in a 

large group); 

Grades 9 and 10 

Play or sing with accurate pitch 

Play or sing with an understanding of musical phrase structure (i.e., 

notated, improvised, or stylistically correct) 

Play or sing technical exercises and diverse repertoire that refl ect the 

theory expectations at this grade level 

As sweet and as charming 

as Deh vieni alla fi nestra is, not 

every baritone has had success 

with it! Here’s a disgruntled review 

of a performance given at the San 

Francisco Opera – In “Deh vieni alla 

fi nestra,’’ the mandolin-accompanied 

serenade in which the Don woos a 

comely maidservant, [the singer] 

launched into a strange, mellifl uous 

bellow, as if one of the sea lions at Pier 

39 had discovered a genuine musical 

gift and decided that opera was the 

right vehicle for it.” 


Compose and/or arrange simple homophonic compositions, using 

technology where appropriate (e.g., compose a melody with lyrics that 

includes nonchord tones and that is set to given chord progressions 

that include dominant sevenths; arrange existing music for an 

ensemble of available instruments or voices, transposing where 

appropriate) 



Black Line Masters 

A: Web Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 

B: The Don Makes a Pass (use with Lesson Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

C: What is Bullying? (use with Lesson Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 

D: Duet- Là ci darem la mano (use with Lesson Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 

E: The Sopranos (use with Lesson Three) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 

F: Listening to the Sopranos (use with Lesson Three) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 

G: Opinions on Don Giovanni Cars (use with Lesson Four) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 

H: Wine, Women and Song Libretto (use with Lesson Four) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 

I: Hymn to Freedom (use with Lesson Five) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 

J: The Battle of the Bands (use with Lesson Five) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 

K: Example of a Contredanse (use with Lesson Five) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 

L: See-Feel-Hear Listening Template (use with Lesson Six) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 

M: Deh vieni alla fi nestra, melody (use with Lesson Six) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 

Deh vieni alla fi nestra, with accompaniment (use with Lesson Six) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 


A: Web Resources 

Lesson One: Unraveling the Plot 

Websites with Don Giovanni Images: 

http://www.dc-opera.org/ourseason/images/Giovanni03-269.jpg 

http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/gac_images/Fullsize/06133.jpg 

http://www.petervolpe.com/photo/dgbench.jpg 

http://www.musicalpointers.co.uk/images/DonENO.jpg 

http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/images/dongiovanni.jpg 

http://www.magazine.uc.edu/0906/images/academic14.jpg 

http://fanfaire.com/dmitri/sfoGio-A.jpg 

http://www.vitalirozynko.com/images/photo_gallery/dongiovanni%5B1%5D.jpg 

http://www.buzzoplex.net/media/puppet_bios/elvira_fi nale.jpg 

http://www.opera-australia.org.au/opera/oaweb.nsf/lookups/DONGIOVANNI-OPER-/$File/DonG_300px_ 

web.jpg?openelement 

http://www.uwplatt.edu/fi nearts/music/images/DonGiovanni.jpg 

http://www.culturevulture.net/Opera/images/DonGiovanni16.jpg 

Lesson Five: Revolution in the Air 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Marseillaisenoframe.jpg#fi le 

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=musdi&fi leName=096//musdi096.db&recNum=30&itemLink 

=r?ammem/musdibib:@fi eld(NUMBER+@od1(musdi+096))&linkText=0 


Don Giovanni Act I, Scene 9 (CD Track # 4) 

B: The Don Makes a Pass 


We’re rid of him at last, Alfi n siam liberati 

My sweet Zerlina. The stupid peasant! Zerlinetta gentil, da quel scioccone. 

And I managed it well, don’t you agree? Che ne dite, mio ben, so far pulito? 

Zerlina 

My lord, he’s to be my husband... Signore, è mio marito... 


Who? That lout? Chi! colui? 

You think an honest man, Vi par che un onest’uomo, 

A nobleman like me, if I may say so, Un nobil cavalier, qual io mi vanto, 

Could ever suff er such a charming face, Possa soff rir che quel visetto d’oro, 

Such beauty, and sweetness, Quel viso inzuccherato, 

To be abused by that coarse, low-born creature? Da un bifolcaccio vil sia strapazzato? 

Zerlina 

But my lord, I have my promise to marry him. Ma, signor, io gli diedi parola di sposarlo. 


Such a promise Tal parola 

Can have no meaning. You were not intended Non vale un zero. Voi non siete fatta 

To live as a peasant; a diff erent fate Per esser paesana: un’ altra sorte 

I can read in those eyes so revealing, Vi procuran quegli occhi bricconcelli 

In those lips so appealing, Quei labbretti si belli, 

And in those little fi ngers soft and tender, Quelle ditucce candide e odorose 

Whose fragrance delights me, whose touch invites me. Parmi toccar giumcata e fuitar rose. 

Zerlina 

I should not like to... Ah!...non vorrei... 


You would not like to...? Che non vorreste? 

Zerlina 

...Discover ...Alfi ne 

You’d deceived me in the end. I have been told Ingannata restar. Io so che raro 

That men like you, men of rank and high position, Colle donne voi altri cavalieri 

Often lead girls to perdition. Siete onsesti e sinceri. 


Oh, what a slander! Eh, un’impostura 

A plebian invention. High birth and virtue Della gente plebea! La nobiltà 

Go together; you can see it in our eyes. Ha dipinta negli occhi l’onestà. 

We’ve wasted time enough. This very moment Orsù non perdiam tempo: in questo istante 

I would make you my wife. Io ti voglio sposar. 

Opera Lyra Ottawa Study Guide Series – Don Giovanni [Overhead or Student Copies] 

37

B: The Don Makes a Pass cont’d 

Zerlina 

You? Voi! 


Certainly! Certo, io. 

Come to my little summer house. Quel casinetto è mio: 

No one will fi nd us, soli saremo, 

And there, my precious jewel, E là, gioiello mio, 

our vows shall bind us. ci sponseremo. 

38 [Overhead or Student Copies] 

Opera Lyra Ottawa Study Guide Series – Don Giovanni

Bullying 

C: What is Bullying? 

A bully wants to hurt the other person (it’s not an accident). A bully does or says the same things over and 

over again. Bullying is about using power over another person. There are four main kinds of bullying. 

Physical: 

» 

» 

Verbal: 

» 

» 

» 

Social: 

» 

» 

» 

» 

hitting, shoving, kicking, spitting on, beating up on others 

damaging or stealing another person’s property 

name-calling, mocking, hurtful teasing 

humiliating or threatening someone 

making people do things they don’t want to do 

excluding others from the group 

spreading gossip or rumours about others 

making others look foolish 

making sure others do not spend time with a certain person 

Electronic: using computer, e-mail, phone or cellular phone text messages to: 

» 

» 

» 

threaten or hurt someone’s feelings 

single out, embarrass or make someone look bad 

spread rumours or reveal secrets about someone 

From Assessment Toolkit for Bullying, Harassment and Peer Relations at School 

[Canadian Public Health Association, 2004] 

Available online at: 

http://www.cpha.ca/antibullying/english/backinfo/Assessment_Toolkit.pdf 


39

D: Duet: Là ci darem la mano 

Don Giovanni Act 1, Scene 9 con’t (CD Track # 5) 


There will our faith be plighted, Là ci darem la mano, 

There will you answer ‘Yes’. Là mi dirai di si. 

Passion shall be requited, Vedi, non è lontano: 

And Heaven our union bless. Partiam, ben mio, da qui. 

Zerlina (aside) 

To yield or to refuse him? Vorrei, e non vorrei... 

To doubt or to believe? Mi trema un poco il cor... 

I should not like to lose him... Felice, è ver, sarei; 

But still he may deceive. Ma può burlarmi ancor. 


Pleasure and wealth I off er. Vieni, mio bel diletto! 


And must Masetto suff er? Mi fa pietà Masetto. 


Come then, be poor no longer. Io cangero tua sorte. 


Ah, would that I were stronger. Presto non son più forte. 


Come then, come then! Vieni, vieni. 

(They repeat their verses.) 


You will, you will! Andiam, andiam! 

Zerlina 

I will! Andiam! 

Zerlina and Don Giovanni 

We go, we go my treasure Andiam, andiam, mio bene, 

To share the lasting pleasure A ristorar le pene 

That innocent love can give. D’un innocente amor! 

(They go off , arm in arm, towards Don Giovanni’s summer-house.) 



NAME __________________________________________________ 

Student Sheet: The Sopranos 

Use a pencil to connect your listening notes to a character name and a soprano type. 

Aria Or sai chi l’onore 

· 

· 

· 

· 

Aria Batti batti O Bel Masetto 

· 

· 

· 

· 

Aria Mi tradi quell’alma ingrata 

· 

· 

· 

· 

Voice Type? Who Is It? 



Soubrette Spinto Dramatic Coloratura 

usually a younger singer with a 

light voice, mostly in the middle 

range of the voice (not extremely 

high or low) 

has a stronger lyrical voice with 

greater range than the soubrette 

voice. 

E: The Sopranos 

has a darker and more powerful 

voice than the spinto, and is able to 

sing sustained high, ornamented 

musical passages with great agility 


F: Listening to The Sopranos 

Or sai, chi l’onore (CD Track # 6) 

The vengeance I call for, Vendetta ti chieggio; 

Your heart must inspire. La chiede il tuo cor. 

Remember my father. Fammenta la piaga 

In death he lay bleeding. Del misero seno, 

Remember his dear eyes Rimara di sangue 

In death still for vengeance were pleading: Coperto il terreno, 

Both anger and sorrow Se l’ira in te langue 

Your spirit will fi re. D’un guisto furor. 

Batti, batti obel Masetto (CD Track # 8) 

Though you hurt me and abuse me, Lascerò straziarmi il crine, 

Tear my hair and scratch my eyes out, Lascerò cavarmi gli occhi; 

Yet I’ll kiss the hands that bruise me, E le care tue manine 

For I love you as you know. Lieta poi saprò baciar. 

Ah, I see now, you’re not angry. Ah lo vedo, non hai core! 

Let us now make peace, dear lover, Pace, pace, o vita mia! 

All our joy we’ll rediscover, In contenti ed allegria 

Night and day our love shall grow. Notte e di vogliam passar. 



Mi tradi quell alma ingrata (CD Track #12) 

(Alternate translation of fi rst verse) 

F: Listening to The Sopranos 

He betrayed the love I gave him. Mi tradì quell’alma ingrata: 

Shame and sorrow set me apart. Infelice, oDio! mi fa. 

He rejects me, yet I would save him, Ma, tradita e abbandonata 

Still the tears of pity start. Provo ancor per lui pietà 

Overcome by pain and anger, Quando sento il mio tormento, 

All my blood cries out for vengeance; Di vendetta il cor favella; 

But when I see his mortal danger Ma, se guardo il sui cimento, 

Trembling horror fi lls my heart. Palpitando il cor mi va. 


43

✃ 

G: Opinions on Don Giovanni Cards 

Mozart’s Don is a healthy male 

animal. He is dashing, and selfconfi 

dent; women are drawn to him, 

and he aims to please them. 

Three Mozart Operas: Figaro. Don Giovanni: 

The Magic Flute, R. B. Moberly 

Don Giovanni adores women 

and they adore him. 

Marshall Pynkoski, Director of Opera Atelier’s 

1996 production of Don Giovanni. 

Don Giovanni is a hero of the 

Enlightenment – standing up against the 

church, against convention, against rigid 

social class, and against the idea that we 

should all suff er here on earth to earn a 

reward in heaven. The thrilling fi nal scene, 

in which Don Giovanni shows tremendous 

courage by standing fi rm in his beliefs 

and refusing to submit, is an emblem of 

heroism. 

John Kerns, Mozart’s Don Giovanni: An 

Enlightenment Hero? www.objectivisitcenter.org 

The Don is indiscriminate and 

compulsive, or what we would today 

call a sex addict....The Don’s character 

has no apparent morals. 

The NPR Curious Listener’s Guide to Opera 

William Berger 

Is Don Giovanni a hero? He is not. His 

behaviour is so fl awed by narcissism, 

irresponsibility, and dishonesty that 

he simply fails to qualify....He has 

many admirable traits, but he also 

does evil: he lies, he injures others, he 

evades responsibility, and he does so 

remorselessly. 

John Kerns, Mozart’s Don Giovanni: 

An Enlightenment Hero? 

www.objectivisitcenter.org 

Don Giovanni gives audiences an 

exaggerated version of an aristocrat who 

does nothing but consume, and does so 

almost joylessly; he seduces, he drinks, he 

eats, but almost as a compulsion – we don’t 

really see him taking much pleasure in his 

conquests, or even his meals.... 

James Donelan, 

Mozart and Enlightenment Thought. 

www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/ 

Mozart.html 

44 [Separate and mount on cards] 

Opera Lyra Ottawa Study Guide Series – Don Giovanni 

✃



Now while the drinking Finch’han dal vino 

Stops them from thinking, calda la testa, 

Feasting and dancing una gran festa 

We will prepare! fa preparar! 

More girls we’ll pillage Se trovi in piazza 

Out of the village qualche ragazza 

Search every street teco ancor quella 

And search every square cerca menar, 


Search every square. cerca menar. 



Down with formality! Senza alcun ordine 

Mix them together, la danza sia: 

Some minuetting, ch’il menuetto, 

Some the follia! [contredanse] chi la follia, 

Some dance a waltz. chi l’alemana 

All shall be there farai ballar, 

Some minuetting, chi’l menuetto 

What do I care? farai ballar, 

Some the follia, chi la follia 

All shall be there farai ballar, 

Some dance a waltz chi l’alemana 

What do I care? farai ballar! 

For in the meanwhile Ed io frattanto 

I shan’t be seen while dall’ altro canto 

I’m cultivating con questa e quella 

My special fl air, vo’amoreggiar, 

My special fl air, vo’amoreggiar, 

My special fl air; vo’amoreggiar; 

And in the morning Ah la mia lista 

You’ll be adorning doman mattina 

Your list with ten more d’una decina 

Names I declare. devi aumentar, 





H: Wine, Women and Song 


45

H: Wine, Women and Song cont’d 

Don Giovanni Act I, Scene 15 cont’d 


More girls we’ll pillage Se trovi in piazza 

Out of the village qualche ragazza 


And search every square cerca menar, 





Down with formality! Senza alcun ordine 

Mix them together, la danza sia: 

Some minuetting, ch’il menuetto, 

Some the follia! chi la follia, 

Some dance a waltz. chi l’alemana 

All shall be there farai ballar 















Leporello 

Pray step this way, and welcome, Venite pur avanti, 

O charming masqueraders! Vezzose mascherette! 


To everyone a welcome, È aperto a tutti quanti: 

Long live our liberty! Viva la libertà! 

Donna Anna, Donna Elvira and Don Ottavio 

We thank you for this greeting Siam grati a tanti segni 

So generous and free. Di generosità! 

Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni and Leporello 

Long live our liberty! Viva la libertà! 

 

I: Hymn to Freedom 

Is it because liberty in the abstract may be classed amongst the blessings of mankind, that I am 

seriously to felicitate [congratulate] a madman, who has escaped from the protecting restraint 

and wholesome darkness of his cell, on his restoration to the enjoyment of light and liberty? Am 

I to congratulate a highwayman and murderer who has broke prison upon the recovery of his 

natural rights? 

Edmund Burke, Refl ections on the Revolution in France, 1790. 

 


J: The Battle of the Bands 

Don Giovanni Act I, Scene 21, con’t 

(They dance. Don Ottavio dances a minuet with Donna Anna.) 

Donna Elvira (whispers to Donna Anna) 

There is the girl I spoke of. Quella è la ontadina. 

Donna Anna (whispers to Don Ottavio) 

I tremble! Io moro! 

Don Ottavio (whispers to Donna Anna) 

Still dissemble [pretend]. Simulate. 

Don Giovanni and Leporello 

All happy as could be! Va bene, in verità! 

Masetto (sarcastically) 

All happy! All happy! Va bene, va bene, 

All happy as could be! Va bene, in verità! 

Don Giovanni (whispers to Leporello) 

Look after our Masetto. A bada tein Masetto. 

Leporello (to Masetto) 

Masetto, aren’t you dancing? Non balli, poveretto? 

Just look at all the rest, Masetto! Vien qua, Masetto, caro: 

They’re dancing, so must we. Faciam quell ch’altri fa. 

Don Giovanni (to Zerlina) 

Now I shall be your partner, Zerlina, Il tuo compagno io sono, 

Zerlina, come with me! Zerlina, vien pur qua! 

(He begins to dance a contredanse with Zerlina) 

Masetto 

I will not dance I tell you! No, no, ballar non voglio. 

Leporello 

Come dance or I’ll compel you. Eh, balla, amico mio! 

Masetto 

No. No! 


Leporello 

Yes. Si! 

My dear Massetto, dance now. Caro Masetto, balla! 

Just do like all the others, Eh balla, amico mio, 

They’re dancing, so shall we. Facciam quell ch’altri fa. 

Donna Anna (whispers to Donna Elvira) 

I can endure no longer! Resister non poss’io! 

Donna Elvira and Don Ottavio (to Donna Anna) 

Still brave and constant be! Fingete, per pietà! 

(Leporello dances the Deutscher with Masetto.) 

Don Giovanni (to Zerlina) 

Come dear, you need not fear me, Vieni con me, mia vita… 

Come dear, come dear… Vieni, vieni… 

(He leads Zerlina dancing towards a door, and almost pushes her through.) 

Masetto (to Leporello) 

Let me go!…Ah, no!…Zerlina! Lasciami…Ah…no…Zerlina! 

Zerlina 

Let go, Sir! You’ve deceived me! Oh, numi! son tradita!… 

(Masetto frees himself from Leporello and goes after Zerlina.) 

J: The Battle of the Bands cont’d 


K: Example of a Contredanse 



L: See-Feel-Hear Listening Template 


51

M: Deh vieni alla fi nestra, melody 

Deh vieni alla fi nestra (CD Track # 10) 


M: Deh vieni alla fi nestra, with accompaniment 

Excerpt from 

Deh vieni alla fi nestra (CD Track # 10) 


Who Does What at Opera Lyra Ottawa? 

General Director 

Elizabeth Howarth 

Artistic Director and Principal Conductor 

Tyrone Paterson 

Technical Director and Production Manager 

Ron Ward 

Education/Music Manager and Principal Repetiteur 

Judith Ginsburg 

Box Offi ce Manager 

Isabelle Dubois 

Director of Marketing and Communications 

Karl Balisch 

Special Events Coordinator 

Cassandra Silver 

Development Manager 

Tricia Johnson 

Volunteer Coordinator 

Patricia Blute 

Intern 

Laura Beks 

Administrative Assistant 

Stewart Grenzowski 

We love to get letters! Please write and tell us what you thought of the opera. 

We can be reached at the following address: 


Attn: Ms. Cassandra Silver 

2 Daly Avenue, Suite 110 

Ottawa, Ontario 

K1N 6E2

Don Giovanni - Opera Lyra Ottawa

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