so yer love is true, mozart

Ah, yes, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, but Giovanni is never the one that does!
Leporello (Nan Qin) is waiting while his boss, in a mask, makes a seduction play for Anna.
The driver bemoans his life ("Notte giorno faticar") while idling.
Then a shot rang out!
The knave has been found out and killed his prey's father!
Off they go, post haste!

Upon their return, they espy a wedding procession.
Masseto (Bryan McClary) and Zerlina (Kerby Baier), both peasants, sing joyfully ("Giovinette che fate all'amore") of the life that awaits them as a couple.
Oh, but Giovanni has not yet sampled her wares and makes a move to rectify that lack.
They are invited to move their celebration to his castle, and they do.

Once there, Giovanni (William Desbiens) beseeches Zerlina (Melanie Spector) to take his hand and to allow their two to entwine ("La ci darem la mano").
But, ho! What's this?!
Oh, it's just Giani Canto, wanting to show off his chops and maybe have a turn at playing that legendary Lothario.
Nope, sorry, kiddo, but you're not in this scene, Maria Zouves tells Giani.
No fair hijacking the airwaves!
Back to Act 1, Scene 3, as Giovanni finishes pitching his unsuccessful woo.
Curses, foiled again!

Meanwhile, Anna had been in the wedding party and she recognized the voice of her assailant!
She beseeches her suitor, Ottavio (Sean Christensen), to redeem her honor, and to slay the one who slew her father.
He agrees, as he knows he will have no peace until he has restored hers ("Dalla sua pace").
(The background is the Estates Theatre, in Prague, where "Don Giovanni" premiered in 1787.)

Giovanni (Marijan Gladić), unaware that he has been found out by Anna, is busy making his own plans.
"Fin ch'han dal vino", he sings as he cavorts, while visions of sugarplums - um, no, wrong story, sorry.
That would be 'drunk women to debauch' dancing in his head.
Then his jilted lover, Elvira, spoils that dream for him by warning away the ladies.
So he and Leporello go off in search of other trouble.

And other trouble is certainly what they happen upon!
They espy Elvira (Liz Lang) singing of her stupid heart ("Ah, taci ingiusto core") still loving the man who jilted her.
Oh, that would be me, says Giovanni (Nan Qin) to his sidekick Leporello (Andrew Payne).
Let's exchange clothes and you get her attention while I tell her I regret my wrongdoings and want her back.
So, that's what they do, and their trick fooled the child - oops, wrong story again.
The woman, wanting to believe her former lover, chooses to do so.
That's all folks, for tonight's adventures with "Don Giovanni"!
Want to know the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey put it?
Go in search of the movie, either from 1979 or from 1970 - it'll be worth it!

There was one more piece tonight from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's cautionary tale.
It was "Deh vieni alla finestra", loosely meaning "hey, girlie, come over here".
Naturally, that was a song that could only have been part of Giovanni's repertoire!
It was an absolutely delightful 20-second interlude for the "Wash Your Hands!" bit -
and what a thrill to have Sherrill Milnes to show us how to lather up and rinse!
Mille grazie!

Now, time to get calmed down and ready for sleep...
so I can watch the matinee of this in the morning!
If only I could watch it again and again, I certainly would.
I am so grateful for not only tonight's svf-8 event, but the entire run of the Savannah Voice Festival - what a great blessing to this seaport and to the world!
Mille grazie, y'all!