Kenny Najarro 2-10-18
ART 211 - Roundtree Don Giovanni Opera Assignment
Opera is a medium that encompasses various aspects of art - costuming, singing, set design, music, and lighting - in an attempt to build an immersive world that the audience can sink into. And that is the case for Mozart’s Don Giovanni; the show originally premiered at the National Theatre in Prague in 1787 (Fairman). While the production differs drastically than the 2010 production at the Glyndebourne opera house in the United Kingdom, the story that audiences adored over 200 years ago still resonates. However, more than a couple of centuries removed from its inception, Don Giovanni’s themes and characters articulate today’s society in what can only be classified as an eerie premonition. That said, what is hailed as one of Mozart’s most impressive works has gained newfound momentum for its implementation of technology within the show - through set design and costuming primarily. Its modernization works two-fold - to appeal to today’s audience and to create a spectacle that not only mirrors the original production, but creates a wholly brand new experience.
When first watching the 2010 production of Don Giovanni, the element of the show that greets the viewer first and foremost is the set design. Thoughtfully constructed, the set is a giant rotating cube that allows for various settings through the use of the opening and closing of walls that contain the world of the show (Ozorio). Its intricate design creates the opportunity for the performers to garner most of the attention as the cube’s rotations are almost seamless and do not divert the attention of the viewer. This adds to the immersive nature of the show; the set mirrors the show’s mood and atmosphere as the set changes start out slowly in the beginning of the show - when Don Giovanni rapes Donna Anna and ultimately has to murder her father in a duel to save his own life - to changing feverishly as his scorned lovers search for the slippery, malevolent trickster. What’s even more impressive is the attention to detail on the inside and outside of the walls of the rotating cube; on the surface of the cube, all four sides feature larger than life murals that can be comparable to the art style of the Sistine Chapel in an attempt to communicate the grandeur that is Don Giovanni’s lifestyle. However, as the inside of the cube unfolds - a stone building, cemetery, ballroom, and bountiful garden are the possible locations of the opera. This juxtaposition of the cube’s inside and outside represents the titular character by conveying that Don Giovanni on the surface is a suave charmer, but on the inside he has as many masks as he wants.
On the front of technology, the costuming throughout the show is very telling of how the show wants to be perceived by the audience. Different from the fashion that was popular in the time of the show’s premiere, the 2010 Glyndebourne production decided to go with costuming that most closely resembles a 1940/1950s noir film. Don Giovanni throughout most of the opera is dressed to the nines in expensive looking suits - his powder white suit conveys this mostly. His costuming is to be juxtaposed to most specially Zerlina and her husband - peasants who’s wedding day he destroys through his deceitful and persuasive abilities - as Zerlina’s wedding dress and Masseto’s suit looks second hand in comparison. This is even echoed in Giovanni’s right hand man Leporrello as he dons a raggedy tank top and distressed pants at the beginning of the opera; even as the servant of Giovanni, Leporrello’s costuming serves as a reminder of his place in the world in comparison to his boss. That said, the women of the show other than Zerlina - Anna, Elvira - wear luxurious dresses to depict that they are not props to Giovanni’s games, but have power in themselves to seek justice (and revenge). Elvira’s costume specifically does this effectively as she wears a blood-red dress to communicate the anger and rage she feels towards Giovanni in her attempts to kill him.
Don Giovanni sprawls over the themes of murder, rape, revenge, life after death, infidelity, and ultimately: if you wrong enough people, it will catch up to you. That is the case of Giovanni as he swallowed into the depths of hell by the ghost of the Commendatore - Anna’s father who Giovanni murdered. All of the topics the opera covers could is divisive in nature by society’s standards today; however, from what has been documented, it was a hit when first performed in Prague, but did not perform well when Mozart revised the opera to be performed in Vienna (Schwarm, Cantoni). That is to say, that even when the show premiered, it created a division in its audiences. Whether it be because it painted Giovanni in a positive, likable light with all of his shortcomings at the forefront or because of a topic like rape and women wanting repercussions for the heinous action - there is a power dynamic that people did not receive well. While a difference in opinion may be the case for the original premiere of Don Giovanni, it allowed audiences to view and encounter the full array of possibilities opera can offer. Not just in the masterful musicianship through the orchestra, but through the storytelling and set design. This show established that not one aspect of a successful and memorable show needs to be sacrificed; all the elements of the show flow seamlessly and serve as what is recognized as one of the best opera’s constructed.
Interestingly enough, if one were to reconstruct Don Giovanni into a different medium such as a video game - the transition would work pretty well. I believe the best way to transform the opera into a video game would be a role playing game from a third person point of view. The game would revolve around Don Giovanni as he gets himself into peril, escapes, and does it all over again. The scope of the game would be a wide expanding map where Don Giovanni, with the help of Leporrello by his side, would roam around the world of the opera’s settings. There would be opportunities to talk to the other characters within the opera, have fighting sequences between all of the men and women Giovanni has crossed, while also allowing for the duo to complete small missions like sexual conquests, swindling people, and going through places in stealth with masks on - as Giovanni loves to do. The final moment would involve Giovanni fighting against the ghost of the Commendatore to prevent Giovanni from being engulfed in flames and dragged to hell. That would allow for a different ending from the opera, but if the players dies in that battle, they would have to restart the game over with all of the events of the show going all a bit differently to ensure variety. The Don Giovanni video game would obtain a Mature rating as it would have bloodshed, suggestive themes such as rape, and foul language as the cherry on top to a video game that follows a violent and unethical protagonist - or depending how you view it, antagonist. Moreover, the smaller details of the game would include costume changes for Giovanni and Leporello, check points at critical moments for saving, have limited health - that which if they lose all of would cause them to return to their last checkpoint, and have the duo switch on and off depending on the situation they encounter within the game.
Also, another element that would be introduced into the game - to ensure it still feels like an opera - is singing battles between characters. One scenario would be at the very first scene when Giovanni is attempting to escape from Donna Anna’s room after raping her; the two would sing against each other, where the player would have to do some sort of button mashing on the controller to see who could sing the hardest/most passionately by repeatedly pressing a button.
Works Cited
Fairman, Richard. “Imagining the 1787 Debut of ‘Don Giovanni’.” Financial Times, 8 Oct. 2010, https://www.ft.com/content/4edbf6cc-d263-11df-9e88-00144feabdc0. Accessed 10 Feb. 2018.
Mozart, Don Giovanni - Glyndebourne Festival 2010. Directed by Jonathan Kent, performances by Gerald Finley, Luca Pisaroni, Kate Royal and Anna Samuil, 2010.
Ozorio, Anne. “A Magnificent Don Giovanni at Glyndebourne.” Opera Today, 12 July 2010, http://www.operatoday.com/content/2010/07/glyndebourne_do.php. Accessed 10 Feb. 2018.
Schwarm, Betsy and Cantoni, Linda. “Don Giovanni - Opera by Mozart.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Don-Giovanni-opera-by-Mozart. Accessed 10 Feb. 2018.
Comments
Post a Comment