A Book of Operas eBook

Henry Edward Krehbiel
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 298 pages of information about A Book of Operas.

A Book of Operas eBook

Henry Edward Krehbiel
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 298 pages of information about A Book of Operas.
and also the emulous may be pleased to learn that the number is 2065, geographically distributed as follows:  Italy, 240; Germany, 231; France, 100; Turkey, 91; and Spain, 1003.  Among them are ladies from the city and rustic damsels, countesses, baronesses, marchionesses, and princesses.  If blond, he praises her dainty beauty; brunette, her constancy; pale, her sweetness.  In cold weather his preferences go toward the buxom, in summer, svelte.  Even old ladies serve to swell his list.  Rich or poor, homely or beautiful, all’s one to him so long as the being is inside a petticoat.  “But why go on?  Lady, you know his ways.”  The air, “Madamina,” is a marvel of malicious humor and musical delineation.  “E la grande maestoso”—­the music rises and inflates itself most pompously; “la piccina”—­it sinks in quick iteration lower and lower just as the Italians in describing small things lower their hands toward the ground.  The final words, “Voi sapete, quel che fa,” scarcely to be interpreted for polite readers, as given by bass singers who have preserved the Italian traditions (with a final “hm” through the nose), go to the extreme of allowable suggestiveness, if not a trifle beyond.  The insult throws Elvira into a rage, and she resolves to forego her love and seek vengeance instead.

Don Giovanni comes upon a party of rustics who are celebrating in advance the wedding of Zerlina and Masetto.  The damsel is a somewhat vain, forward, capricious, flirtatious miss, and cannot long withstand such blandishments as the handsome nobleman bestows upon her.  Don Giovanni sends the merrymakers to his palace for entertainment, cajoles and threatens Masetto into leaving him alone with Zerlina, and begins his courtship of her. (Duet:  “La ci darem la mano.”) He has about succeeded in his conquest, when Elvira intervenes, warns the maiden, leads her away, and, returning, finds Donna Anna and Don Ottavio in conversation with Don Giovanni, whose help in the discovery of the Commandant’s murderer they are soliciting.  Elvira breaks out with denunciations, and Don Giovanni, in a whisper to his companions, proclaims her mad, and leads her off.  Departing, he says a word of farewell, and from the tone of his voice Donna Anna recognizes her father’s murderer.  She tells her lover how the assassin stole into her room at night, attempted her dishonor, and slew her father.  She demands his punishment at Don Ottavio’s hands, and he, though doubting that a nobleman and a friend could be guilty of such crimes, yet resolves to find out the truth and deliver the guilty man to justice.

The Don commands a grand entertainment for Zerlina’s wedding party, for, though temporarily foiled, he has not given up the chase.  Masetto comes with pretty Zerlina holding on to the sleeve of his coat.  The boor is jealous, and Zerlina knows well that he has cause.  She protests, she cajoles; he is no match for her.  She confesses to having been pleased at my lord’s flattery, but he had not touched “even the tips of her fingers.”  If her fault deserves it, he may beat her if he wants to, but then let there be peace between them.  The artful minx!  Her wheedling is irresistible.  Listen to it:—­

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Project Gutenberg
A Book of Operas from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.