Don Giovanni at La Monnaie

‘As the hero of the opera, Don Giovanni is the denominator of the piece, he gives it its name as the hero usually does, but he does more than this : he is the common denominator. Compared to his existence, all others are merely derivative.’ So wrote the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard, who, like many others, was fascinated by Mozart’s 1787 opera. ‘It is this absolute centrality that makes this work exercise the power of illusion more than any other.’ Does this work, the second joint venture by Mozart and the librettist Da Ponte, need any further introduction ? This ‘dramma giocoso’ can hardly be categorised : opera seria, opera buffa ? – Don Giovanni is universal, enigmatic, superhuman, mythical. After Così fan tutte and La Clemenza di Tito, Ludovic Morlot will conduct his third opera by Mozart at La Monnaie. For those who are familiar with Warlikovski’s approach, it will come as no surprise that Don Giovanni will be presented as a dark, desperate character.