Chapter IV · "Don Giovanni"

The oldest Italian operas in the American repertory—Mozart as an influence—What great composers have said about "Don Giovanni,"— Beethoven—Rossini—Gounod—Wagner—History of the opera—Da Ponte's pilferings—Bertati and Gazzaniga's "Convitato di Pietra"—How the overture to "Don Giovanni" was written—First performances of the opera in Prague, Vienna, London, and New York—Garcia and Da Ponte —Malibran—English versions of the opera—The Spanish tale of Don Juan Tenorio—Dramatic versions—The tragical note in the overture —The plot of the opera—Gounod on the beautiful in Mozart's music —Leporello's catalogue—"Batti, batti o bel Masetto"—The three dances in the first finale—The last scene—Mozart quotes from his contemporaries—The original close of the opera.