Rome Opera Tickets

Rome's Caracalla Festival is often associated with exceptional music in wonderful venues and this production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Basilica di Massenzio is no exception. The staging takes place at one of the largest ancient structures in the Roman Forum, providing a thrilling backdrop to one of Mozart's most emblematic operatic works. When it was first performed on 29 October 1787 at the Estates Theatre in Prague, the audience was stunned by the opera's powerful themes, particularly the supernatural elements that develop in Don Giovanni's second act. It was a huge success from day one and Don Giovanni still has the power to entertain, shock and delight at once.

Written in Italian, Lorenzo Da Ponte was asked by Mozart to produce Don Giovanni's libretto. He had previously collaborated with Mozart for The Marriage of Figaro. However, Da Ponte was busy with other commissions when the request from the Austrian composer for a retelling of the Spanish legend, Don Juan, came through. Therefore, the resulting work contains some of Mozart's own storytelling here and there. The composer certainly incorporated little jokes into his orchestration. As such, some of the themes Mozart conveys in the opera are very much his own. After all, the legend of Don Juan was well-known already and, indeed, it had already been turned into a stage production well over a century before. Despite this, Mozart's skill imbues Don Giovanni with a power – some would say horror – all of its own. This is why, although Mozart originally classified it as an opera buffa, Don Giovanni is now considered to be an iconic example of a two-act dramma giocoso.

The title character in the opera is a libertine, a serial philanderer who seemingly breezes through a life that is full of immoral deeds. In the first act, Mozart's comic touches and inventive orchestration give the opera a familiar feeling. However, Don Giovanni takes a dark turn which becomes progressively horrifying in the second act. This sense of dread culminates when the Commendatore enters proceedings. A ghostlike figure, the Commendatore is a statue which has come to life. This character's memorable basso call 'Don Giovanni!' ranks as one of the most dramatic moments in opera. Don Giovanni pleads for his life but will the spectre make good with his promise of dragging the protagonist to hell?