Don Giovanni at Hungarian State Oper

Act One

At night Leporello, Don Giovannis servant, grumbles in front of the

Commendatores palace. Soon the masked Don appears, followed by Donna

Anna, the Commendatores daughter, whom he has tried to seduce. When the

Commendatore appears to help her daughter, Anna runs away, and Don

Giovanni kills the father. Anna now returns with her fiancé, Don Ottavio. Finding

her father dead, she makes Ottavio swear vengeance on the assassin.

At dawn, Donna Elvira appears, whom Don Giovanni once seduced. Giovanni

escapes from the scene, while Leporello distracts her by reciting his masters long

catalogue of conquests. Peasants arrive, celebrating the nuptials of their friends,

Zerlina and Masetto. When Don Giovanni enters again, he pursues the bride,

angering the groom, who is removed by Leporello. The Don tries to seduce

Zerlina, but Elvira interrupts him, and brings Zerlina away. Elvira returns again

to denounce Giovanni as a seducer, and Anna now in mourning and Ottavio also

enter. Declaring Elvira mad, Giovanni leads her off. Anna realizes that Giovanni is

her fathers murderer.

Outside the palace, Zerlina successfully begs Masetto to forgive her apparent

infidelity. Masetto hides when Don Giovanni appears, and emerges from the

shadows as Giovanni corners again Zerlina. The three enter the palace together.

Elvira, Anna and Ottavio arrive wearing masks and are invited to the feast by

Leporello.

During the festivities, Leporello entices Masetto into the dance as Giovanni draws

Zerlina out of the room. When the girl cries for help, Giovanni tries to blame

Leporello. But no one is convinced; Elvira, Anna and Ottavio unmask and

confront Giovanni, who eventually escapes.

Act Two

Giovanni exchanges cloaks with Leporello to make the servant woo Elvira

instead of him. The Don serenades Elviras maid. When Masetto passes with a

band of armed peasants to take revenge on Giovanni, the disguised rake beats

up Masetto. Zerlina tenderly consoles her betrothed.

In a passageway, Elvira and Leporello are surprised by Anna, Ottavio, Zerlina and

Masetto, who threaten Leporello mistaking him for the master. Frightened, he

unmasks and escapes. When Anna departs, Ottavio affirms his confidence in their

love. Zerlina wants to take revenge on Leporello. Elvira, frustrated at her second

betrayal by the Don, voices her rage.

Leporello meets his master in a cemetery, where a voice warns Giovanni of his

doom. This is the statue of the Commendatore. The Don makes Leporello invite the

statue for dinner. When the servant reluctantly stammers an invitation, the

statue accepts.

In her home, Anna, still in mourning, puts off Ottavios offer of marriage until her

father is avenged.

Leporello is serving Giovannis dinner when Elvira rushes in, begging the Don to

reform. But he waves her out contemptuously. The Commendatores statue arrive.

Giovanni refuses his warnings to repent, even in the face of death. Flames engulf

him, and the sinner is dragged to hell. The other figures plan their future and

recite the moral: such is the fate of a wrongdoer.