Dominion-Chalmers United Church
355 Cooper St., Ottawa
Dominion-Chalmers United Church

Synopsis

A staged and costumed opera production sang in Italian. Mozart's greatest opera retelling the story of Don Juan, the famous seducer of women described in literature since the 16th century. The opera blends comedy, melodrama and supernatural elements.

ACT I

Leporello waits outside a house where his master, Don Giovanni, is forcing himself upon Donna Anna. She cries for help and her father, the Commendatore, runs to her assistance. In the ensuing fight Don Giovanni kills the Commendatore. Donna Anna and her betrothed, Don Ottavio, vow revenge. Donna Elvira, recently jilted by Don Giovanni, arrives in search of the Don; he makes good his escape by leaving Leporello to read out his "book of conquests", in which the names of the Don's 2065 lovers are recorded. Don Giovanni comes across a peasant wedding and promptly begins to charm the bride, Zerlina, but Elvira arrives and alerts her to the Don's intentions. Donna Anna and Don Ottavio then arrive, and as the Don takes his leave of them, Anna identifies him as the man who had tried to rape her. At a party hold by Don Giovanni, Zerlina reassures her lover Masetto of her affections, but she begins to weaken in the Don's presence. Wearing masks, Anna, Elvira and Ottavio arrive at the ball, which is interrupted by Zerlina's scream. She stumbles onto the stage, the Don attempts to blame Leporello for the attack, and Anna, Elvira and Ottavio unmask themselves to publicly denounce the Don.

ACT II

Don Giovanni exchanges his costume with Leporello and serenades Elvira's maid as soon as Elvira has left with Leporello, believing him to be the remorseful Don. Masetto arrives with a gang of men who are intent on punishing the Don. The Don, pretending to be Leporello, tells Masetto how to find the murderer, then beats Masetto half to death. The Don and his servant meet in a graveyard, where the statue of the Commendatore addresses them; Don flippantly invites him to supper. The statue duly arrives and demands the Don's repentance. Unbending, Don Giovanni is finally dragged screaming into hell. Elvira, Ottavio, Anna and Leporello address the audience with the moral: "Evildoers always come to an evil end."