Life of Mozart

—l66" DON GIOVANNI."were comically appropriate to the snuffling Leporello.^*" The apparentmalice which induced Mozart to parody favourite pieces from operaswhich were avowedly rivals of his own (the impression being immenselyheightened by the humorous instrumentation caricaturing arrangementsfor harmony music), is rendered in some degree excusable by hi^ havingincluded himself in the joke. When the musicians strike up " Non piüandrai," Leporello exclaims:'• Questa poi la conosco pur troppo "!Thus Mozart expressed his gratitude to the people of Prague for theirenthusiastic reception of " Figaro.""^To this merry pair enters Elvira. She has overcome her love, andintends entering a cloister, but wishes to make one more effort to bringDon Giovanni to repentance ; but her representation being met onlywith easy contempt, she angrily leaves him. She is heard to utter ashriek without. Leporello hastens after her, and returns in horror : thestatue of the Commendatore is at the door ; it knocks, and Don Giovannihas to go himself to open it, and to conduct his marble guest to a seat.The statue rejects all hospitality, and asks Don Giovanni if he is preparedto return the visit ; on his answering in the affirmative, he graspshim. by the hand, and calls upon him to repent. Don Giovanni repeatedlyand defiantly refuses, and the statue leaves him ; night comeson, fiames burst from the earth, invisible spirit voices are heard, demonssurround Don Giovanni, who sinks into the abyss. Don Ottavio andDonna Anna, Elvira, Masetto and Zerlina enter to drag the offender tojustice, but find that human revenge has been anticipated ;Leporello,who has witnessed the dreadful scene with every sign of horror, relateshis master's fearful end. Relieved from anxiety, and restored to theirnatural relations, they unite in the words of the " old song ""Questo e il fin di chi fa mal,E de' perfidi la morte"Alia vita e sempre ugual !No doubt the serious moral appended to the gay and easygoingtone of the opera was a reminiscence of the customof considering the piece, on account of its ready practicalappHcation, as a sort of religious drama; the music takes thesame tone towards the end. We can scarcely conceive thatit was with a view to the moral effect alone that Da Ponteso contrived the plot that Don Giovanni should fail in eachI'*'The air is given in the Niederrhein. Mus. Ztg., IL, p. 413. Mozart haschanged the original key (A major) and somewhat condensed the whole, to itsdecided advantage.1*1 How far superior to the senseless toasts in Righini's and Gazzaniga's versions.