Who was Pasquale Bondini and what did he do?
NAME:
Assignment #2
Using the chapter about the opera Don Giovanni from the book First Nights at the Opera, answer the following questions
in a few, complete sentences. The answers to questions 1-8 may be found on pages 65-66; 72-81; 87-91; 99-111. For
questions 9-11, you will need to watch the opera. To help you navigate the film, I have uploaded a file called “timestamps
for Don Giovanni” which gives you the timestamps for the scenes and important moments.
Submit this assignment via Turnitin on the course site by 11:59pm on February 4th.
1.) Who was Pasquale Bondini and what did he do? Did bodini work as a manager of a court theater or in the private
sector?
2.) Why was Mozart able to compose Don Giovanni with specific voices, people, and talents in mind?
3.) Lorenzo da Ponte adapted his libretto for Don Giovanni from another, authored by his critic and rival
___________. When it comes to the comic element of the opera, how is Da Ponte’s libretto different from his
rival’s? There are two surviving librettos for Don Giovanni. How is the Vienna libretto different from the Prague
libretto?
4.) In a few sentences, describe the interior of the National Theater as it existed in 1787.
5.) For Mozart’s Don Giovanni, describe the implications of aria and recitative.
6.) Don Giovanni enthusiastically sings, “It is open to all: Viva la Liberta”. How is this statement ironic?
7.) At the end of the opera, the libertine Don Giovanni refuses to repent for his countless misdeeds. Why doesn’t Don
Giovanni have a true aria?
8.) How was the reception for Don Giovanni in cities like Leipzig and Vienna? Did critics there appreciate the opera in
the same way as the audiences of Prague?
9.) What important realization does Donna Anna make in Act 1, Scene 12 (53:03)?
10.) What does Donna Elvira sing about in Act 2, scene 10d (2:15:18) What’s her dilemma? Support your answer
using Elvira’s words.
11.) The act 2 Finale (2:39:34) ends in spectacular fashion. Why does Donna Elvira scream? How does
Leporello react when the Stone Statue (commendatore) arrives for dinner? What does the Commendatore
demand of Don Giovanni after grabbing him by the hand? Describe what happens to Don Giovanni at the end
of the scene.
https://www.metopera.org/discover/synopses/don-giovanni/
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