The second act opens with a humorous duet between master and servant ("Eh, via, buffone"), followed by the trio, “Ah! taci, inquisto care,” as Elvira appears at her window.  After she leaves with Leporello, Don Giovanni sings a serenade ("Deh? vieni all finestra”) to Zerlina, which is interrupted by the appearance of Masetto and his friends.  Zerlina is summoned to the scene by the cries of Masetto after Don Giovanni has beaten him, and sings to him for his consolation the beautiful aria, “Vedrai carino,” which has more than once been set to sacred words, and has become familiar as a church tune, notwithstanding the unsanctity of its original setting.  The second scene opens with a strong sextet ("Sola, sola, in bujo loco"), followed by the ludicrously solemn appeal of Leporello, “Ah! pieta, signori miei,” and that aria beloved of all tenors, “Il mio tesoro.”  The finale is occupied with the scenes at the statue and at the banquet, a short scene between Donna Anna and Don Ottavio intervening, in which she sings the aria, “Non mi dir.”  The statue music throughout is of a sepulchral character, gradually developing into strains almost as cold and ominous as the marble of the Commandant himself, and yet not without an element of the grotesque as it portrays the terror of Leporello.

It is said that in revenge at his Italian rivals, Mozart introduced an aria from Martin’s “Cosa Rara,” arranged for wind instruments, and also a favorite aria of Sarti’s, to be played at the banquet when the hungry Leporello beholds his master at the table and watches for some of the choice morsels, and parodied them in an amusing manner.  He never could retain an enmity very long, however, and so at the end of the banquet he parodied one of his own arias, the famous “Non piu andrai,” by giving it a comical turn to suit Leporello’s situation.  The criticism of one of the best biographers of Mozart upon this opera is worth repeating in this connection:  “Whether we regard the mixture of passions in its concerted music, the profound expression of melancholy, the variety of its situations, the beauty of its accompaniment, or the grandeur of its heightening and protracted scene of terror—­the finale of the second act,—­’Don Giovanni’ stands alone in dramatic eminence.”

THE MAGIC FLUTE.

“Die Zauberfloete,” an opera in two acts, words by Emanuel Schickaneder, was first produced at Vienna, Sept. 30, 1791, with the following cast: 

QUEEN OF NIGHT     Mme. HOFER. 
PAMINA             Mlle. GOTTLIEB. 
PAPAGENA           Mme. GORL. 
TAMINO             Herr SCHACK. 
MONOSTATOS         Herr GORL. 
SARASTRO           Herr SCHICKANEDER, Sr. 
PAPAGENO           Herr SCHICKANEDER, Jr.

The “Magic Flute” was the last great work of the composer, and followed the “Cosi fan tutte,” which was given in January, 1791.  In 1780 Mozart had made the acquaintance of Schickaneder