Don Giovanni is one of opera’s greatest works, but it’s on the long side. So when the finale to act 1 finally arrives it’s always welcome, especially as it’s so good. Giovanni is supposedly a great seducer, but he fails at every amatory attempt, resorting to attempted rape at the conclusion of act 1. His absurd placing the blame on Leporello makes him look even more pusillanimous. The words to this scene in both Italian and English are below.

Briefly this is what happens: Leporello distracts Masetto by dancing with him, while Don Giovanni leads Zerlina offstage to a private room and tries to assault her. When Zerlina screams for help, Don Giovanni drags Leporello into the room, accuses Leporello of assaulting Zerlina himself, and threatens to kill him. The others are not fooled. Don Ottavio produces a pistol and points it at Don Giovanni, and Elvira, Anna, and Ottavio unmask and declare that they know all. But despite being denounced and menaced from all sides, Don Giovanni escapes.

Don Giovanni Act 1 Finale 

This excerpt is from a 1999 performance in Vienna under the direction of Riccardo Muti. The cast is:
Leporello: Ildebrando D’Arcangelo
Don Giovanni: Carlos Álvarez
Donna Anna: Adrianne Pieczonka
Donna Elvira: Anna Caterina Antonacci
Don Ottavio: Michael Schade
Masetto; Lorenzo Regazzo
Zerlina: Angelika Kirchschlager

 

 

DON GIOVANNI (ai musicisti)
Ricominciate il suono!
(a Leporello)
Tu accoppia i ballerini.LEPORELLO
Da bravi, via ballate!
(Ballano.)

DONNA ELVIRA (a Donna Anna)
Quella è la contadina.

DONNA ANNA
Io moro!

DON OTTAVIO
Simulate!

DON GIOVANNI, LEPORELLO
Va bene in verità!

 DON GIOVANNI (to the musicians)
Resume your playing!
(to Leporello)
You, pair off the dancers.LEPORELLO
Now everyone dance!
(They dance.)

DONNA ELVIRA (to Donna Anna)
That’s the peasant girl.

DONNA ANNA
I’m dying!

DON OTTAVIO
Hide your feelings!

DON GIOVANNI, LEPORELLO
It’s really going well!
MASETTO (ironicamente)
Va bene in verità!DON GIOVANNI (a Leporello)
A bada tien Masetto.

LEPORELLO (a Masetto)
Non balli, poveretto?
Vien qua, Masetto caro,
facciam quel ch’altri fa.

DON GIOVANNI (a Zerlina)
Il tuo compagno io sono,
Zerlina, vien pur qua.

MASETTO
No, no, ballar non voglio.

LEPORELLO
Eh, balla, amico mio!

MASETTO
No!

LEPORELLO
Sì, caro Masetto!

DONNA ANNA
Resister non poss’io!

DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
Fingete per pietà!

LEPORELLO
Balla!

 MASETTO (sarcastically)
It’s really going well!DON GIOVANNI (to Leporello)
Keep your eye on Masetto.

LEPORELLO (to Masetto)
You’re not dancing, poor boy?
Come here, my dear Masetto,
let us do what the others are doing.

DON GIOVANNI (to Zerlina)
I am your partner.
Zerlina, come this way.

MASETTO
No, no, I don’t want to dance.

LEPORELLO
Come, my friend, let’s dance!

MASETTO
No!

LEPORELLO
Yes, dear Masetto!

DONNA ANNA
I can’t stand it!

DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
Pretend, for pity’s sake!

LEPORELLO
Dance!
MASETTO
No, no, non voglio!LEPORELLO
Eh, balla, amico mio!
Facciam quel ch’altri fa.
(Leporello balla con Masetto. Don Giovanni
ballando conduce via Zerlina.)

DON GIOVANNI
Vieni con me, mia vita! Vieni!

MASETTO
Lasciami! Ah no! Zerlina!

ZERLINA
O numi! son tradita!
(Partono Don Giovanni e Zerlina.)

LEPORELLO
Qui nasce una ruina!
(Sorte in fretta.)

 

DONNA ANNA, DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
L’iniquo da se stesso
nel laccio se ne va!

ZERLINA (di dentro)
Gente, aiuto, aiuto! Gente!

DONNA ELVIRA, DONNA ANNA, DON OTTAVIO
Soccorriamo l’innocente!

 MASETTO
No, no, I don’t want to.LEPORELLO
Now dance, my friend!
Let us do what the others are doing.
(Leporello dances with Masetto. Don Giovanni,
dancing with Zerlina, leads her towards an exit.)

DON GIOVANNI
Come with me, my own! Come!

MASETTO
Leave me alone! Ah no! Zerlina!

ZERLINA
Ye powers! I am lost!
(Don Giovanni and Zerlina go off into another room.)

LEPORELLO
This will be a disaster!
(He leaves hastily after them.)

DONNA ANNA, DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
The scoundrel draws a noose
around his own neck!

ZERLINA (offstage)
Help, everyone, help!

DONNA ELVIRA, DONNA ANNA, DON OTTAVIO
Let us rescue the innocent girl!
MASETTO
Ah, Zerlina!ZERLINA (di dentro)
Scellerato!DONNA ANNA, DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
Ora grida da quel lato!

ZERLINA (di dentro)
Scellerato!

DONNA ANNA, DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
Ah gittiamo giù la porta!

ZERLINA (di dentro)
Soccorretemi! Ah soccorretemi, son morta!

DONNA ANNA, DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
Siam qui noi per tua difesa!
(Don Giovanni esce colla spada in mano,
conducendo per un braccio Leporello.)

DON GIOVANNI
Ecco il birbo che t’ha offesa!
Ma da me la pena avrà!
Mori, dico!

LEPORELLO
Ah, cosa fate?

DON GIOVANNI
Mori, dico!

 MASETTO
Ah, Zerlina!ZERLINA (offstage)
Scoundrel!DONNA ANNA, DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
Now she’s screaming from over there!

ZERLINA (offstage)
Scoundrel!

DONNA ANNA, DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
Let us break down the door!

ZERLINA (offstage)
Save me! Ah save me, or I am lost!

DONNA ANNA, DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
We are here to help you!
(Don Giovanni, sword in hand, re-enters dragging Leporello with him.)

DON GIOVANNI
Here’s the lout who did it!
But I will punish him!
Die, I say!

LEPORELLO
What are you doing?

DON GIOVANNI
Die, I say!
LEPORELLO
Ah, cosa fate?DON GIOVANNI
Mori, dico!LEPORELLO
Ah, cosa fate?

DON OTTAVIO
(a Don Giovanni, pistola in mano)
Nol sperate!

DONNA ANNA, DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
L’empio crede con tal frode
di nasconder l’empietà!
(Si cavano la maschera.)

DON GIOVANNI
Donna Elvira!

DONNA ELVIRA
Sì, malvagio!

DON GIOVANNI
Don Ottavio!

DON OTTAVIO
Sì, signore!

DON GIOVANNI
Ah credete –

 LEPORELLO
What are you doing?DON GIOVANNI
Die, I say!

LEPORELLO
What are you doing?

DON OTTAVIO
(to Don Giovanni, pistol in hand)
Don’t try to trick us!

DONNA ANNA, DONNA ELVIRA, DON OTTAVIO
The villain thinks his trick
will serve to hide his villainy!
(They take off their masks.)

DON GIOVANNI
Donna Elvira!

DONNA ELVIRA
Yes, monster!

DON GIOVANNI
Don Ottavio!

DON OTTAVIO
Yes, sir!

DON GIOVANNI
You must believe –
TUTTI fuorché DON GIOVANNI e LEPORELLO
Traditore!
Tutto, tutto già si sa! ecc.
Trema, trema, o scellerato!
Saprà tosto il mondo intero
il misfatto orrendo e nero,
la tua fiera crudeltà!
Odi il tuon della vendetta,
che ti fischia intorno intorno;
sul tuo capo in questo giorno
il suo fulmine cadrà.LEPORELLO
È confusa la sua testa,
non sa più quel ch’ei si faccia:
e un orribile tempesta
minacciando, o Dio, lo va.
Ma non manca in lui coraggio.
Non si perde o si confonde.
Se cadesse ancora il mondo,
nulla mai temer lo fa.

DON GIOVANNI
È confusa la mia testa,
non so più quel ch’io mi faccia:
e un orribile tempesta
minacciando, o Dio, mi va.
Ma non manca in me coraggio.
Non mi perde o mi confondo.
Se cadesse ancora il mondo,
nulla mai temer mi fa.(Parte Don Giovanni.)

 ALL except DON GIOVANNI and LEPORELLO
Traitor!
We know everything! etc.
Tremble, tremble, scoundrel!
Now the whole world shall know
of the horrible, black crime
of your arrogant cruelty!
Listen to the sound of vengeance
as it thunders all around you!
Upon your head this very day
its thunderbolt shall fall.LEPORELLO
His head is whirling in confusion,
he no longer knows what’s happening.
A dreadful storm, oh Lord,
its thundering over him.
But he does not lack for courage.
He is not lost or worried.
If the world itself should end,
nothing could make him afraid.

DON GIOVANNI
My head is whirling in confusion,
I no longer know what’s happening.
A dreadful storm, oh Lord,
is thundering above me.
But I do not lack courage.
I am not lost or worried.
If the world itself should end,
nothing could make me afraid.(Exit Don Giovanni.)

Related Posts

Sovrn