The second act opens in a public square of Seville at night.  Don Giovanni and Leporello appear before the house of Donna Elvira, where Zerlina is concealed.  Leporello, disguised in his master’s cloak, and assuming his voice, lures Donna Elvira out, and feigning repentance for his conduct induces her to leave with him.  Don Giovanni then proceeds to enter the house and seize Zerlina; but before he can accomplish his purpose, Masetto and his friends appear, and supposing it is Leporello before them, demand to know where his master is, as they are bent upon killing him.  Don Giovanni easily disposes of Masetto, and then rejoins his servant near the equestrian statue, which has been erected to the memory of the murdered Don Pedro.  To their astonishment the statue speaks, and warns the libertine he will die before the morrow.  Don Giovanni laughs at the prophecy, and invites the statue to a banquet to be given the next day at his house.  While the guests are assembled at the feast, an ominous knock is heard at the door and the statue unceremoniously enters.  All except Leporello and Don Giovanni fly from the room in terror.  The doomed man orders an extra plate, but the statue extends its hand and invites him to sup with it.  He takes the marble hand, and its cold fingers clutch him in a firm grasp.  Thrice the statue urges him to repent, and as many times he refuses; whereupon, as it disappears, demons rise, seize Don Giovanni, and carry him to the infernal regions.

Musically considered, “Don Giovanni” is regarded as Mozart’s greatest opera, though it lacks the bright joyousness of the “Marriage of Figaro,” and its human interest.  Its melodies are more pronounced, and have entered more freely into general use, however, than those of the former.  Repulsive as the story is, some of the melodies which illustrate it have been impressed into the service of the church.  The first act is introduced with a humorous aria by Leporello ("Notte e giorno faticar"), in which he complains of his treatment by his master.  After the murder of Don Pedro, in the second scene, occurs a trio between Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni, and Leporello, the leading motive of which is a beautiful aria sung by Donna Elvira ("Ah! chi mi dici mai").  The scene closes with the great buffo aria of Leporello ("Madamina il catalogo”) popularly known as the “Catalogue Song,” which is full of broad humor, though its subject is far from possessing that quality.  In the third scene occur the lovely duet for Don Giovanni and Zerlina ("La ci darem, la mano"), two arias of great dramatic intensity for Donna Elvira ("Mi tradi”) and Donna Anna ("Or sai chi l’onore"), and Don Giovanni’s dashing song, “Finche dal vino,” the music of which is in admirable keeping with the reckless nature of the libertine himself.  The last scene is a treasure-house of music, containing the exquisitely coquettish aria, “Batti, batti,” which Zerlina sings to the jealous Masetto, and the beautiful trio of Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, and Don Ottavio, known as the Mask Trio, set off against the quaint minuet music of the fete and the hurly-burly which accompanies the discovery of Don Giovanni’s black designs.