Let's applaud with shouts of 'bravo' or 'brava' to Mozart and Karajanby Beirut768

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November 04, 2008: In this recording we have fourteen highlights of Lorenzo Da Ponte's Don Giovanni.

Da Ponte finished the libretto in June 1787 and the whole score was successfully completed on 28th October 1787 for an opera `'buffa''
Throughout the rehearsal period, Mozart and librettists were working hard and fast making certain changes that slightly delayed the premiere.

Listen to the wonderful six () minutes Overture. Can one believe that it was performed at sight, as soon as the ink had hardly dried on the page?

Don Giovanni is one of the many operas based on the legend of Don Juan.
The opera speaks of a young nobleman, Don Giovanni, who after a life of romantic seductions, fails in his three last encounters: with Donna Elvira, his wife, whom he has abandoned but still follows him; with Donna Anna, whose father, the Commendatore, the Don kills in a duel while escaping from an unsuccessful attempt to have sex with Donna Anna and as a result postpones her marriage to Don Ottavio; and with Zerlina, whom he vainly tries to lure her into deserting her fiancé, the simple peasant Masetto.

All players promise vengeance on both Don Giovanni and his irritated but faithful servant Leporello.

Elvira alone breaks in her resolution and tries to reconcile in the hope that the Don straightens out and makes changes to remove his abusive conducts.
That fails too.

Don Giovanni's destruction and death in hell are affected by the cemetery statue of the Commendatore - Listen to ""Don Giovanni, a cenar teco, m'ínvitasti"" a six and a half minutes of unparalleled musical recitative. "" Don Giovanni has cynically invited the statue of Donna Anna's father, the Commendatore, to supper. He appears and returns the invitation: will Don Giovanni sup with him? Don Giovanni agrees, but as he offers his hand on it, he is transfixed by a deadly chill. The Statue calls on him to repent. Repentance, however, is no part of the Don's nature, and as he refuses, Hell opens beneath his feet, flames shoot up and he is dragged away by demons....""""

This review was written about the DVD Dolby 5.1 / Stereo edition.