Don Giovanni Opera in Modern Times

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Don Giovanni Opera in Modern Times

Music has the capability to bring forth many emotions and feelings in a person. Depending on the tone and the melody of the music, emotions such as anger, joy, and grief may arise. For example, rap music, in general, brings forth emotions such as anger, frustration, and rage to a person's mind. Melodies such as Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On and Aerosmith's I Don't Want To Miss A Thing often arouse emotions of love, sadness, and hope; "lovey-dovey" feelings which remind a person of a past or current love. In Mozart's Opera Don Giovanni, many emotions and feelings, such as hatred, distress, and sorrow are portrayed and felt through the characters.

Opera is a unique genre of spoken word and song accompanied by music. The music takes one through ascending and descending ranges of emotions. Mozart's Don Giovanni is a perfect example of how this genre emits a wide variety of feelings and attitudes. This "dark comedy seems to convey Mozart's feeling that events have both comical and serious dimensions…" (Kerman, 205). The opera, as a whole, is neither exclusively comedic nor entirely tragic.

The character I have chosen to focus on specifically is Donna Elvira. Her character is one that portrays many different roles and expresses many different feelings and emotions. Elvira's main purpose as a character is the role of the avenger, seeking revenge upon Don Giovanni for his false promises and promiscuous manner. However, as much as she wants to hate Don Giovanni, ruin his name, and make sure that everyone knows that he is a liar and a "player", one also senses reluctance and fear in not just her voice, but also through the music which accompanies her. Her tone is often shaken and a...

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...ng been reminded of past heartache and pain through the music, one now is able to relate with Elvira's situation and sympathize with her on a new and deeper level than before.

By no means am I a musical genius, I can not even carry a tune if one paid me to; therefore, distinguishing the difference between the tone, rhythm, and pitch of music is personal difficulty for me. However, relating to a character and feeling emotionally what he/she does is not a task that takes great skill. It is in our nature, as humans, to be emotionally moved by music. The sound, melody, rhythm, tone, even words in a song provoke emotions based on past experiences and current problems. Many people, most for that matter, use music as an outlet for emotion. Some compose, like Mozart, some write lyrics, others simply listen to the sounds and let their emotions as a result of the music.

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