Romance, murder, and revenge "Don Giovanni" offers an ingenious blend of comic and tragic elements in recounting the adventures of a dashing libertine whose trail of seductions and abandonments leads (literally!) to hell. Mozart's masterpiece, a product of his inspired collaboration with poet Lorenzo da Ponte, premiered to public and critical acclaim in 1787. Since then, every great opera singer has assayed one or another of its leading roles, and audiences around the world have delighted in its charms. This addition to Dover's series of vocal scores for the world's most popular operas contains the complete music for voice with a piano reduction of the orchestral part. Handsome and inexpensive, it features large pages and clear type for easy reading. Reproduced from an authoritative edition, and including an English-language version of the libretto, this edition of "Don Giovanni" will prove an indispensable, practical aid for soloists, chorus members, and rehearsal pianists. "

Romance, murder, and revenge — Mozart's masterpiece offers an ingenious blend of comic and tragic elements in recounting the adventures of a dashing libertine. Reproduced from an authoritative early edition.

Don Giovanni - vocal score (Italian and English) - Schirmer edition, 1900. Includes recitatives and arias composed for the Vienna revival. Original Italian libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, English translation by Natalie McFarren.

John Wells introduces the opera with a high-spirited account of the action-packed career of the author, in many respects the prototype of Figaro himself. Basil Deane explores the score: he shows that Mozart's characters are illuminated here not so much in soliloquies but in their reactions to each other. Composer Stephen Oliver discusses how the comedy exists not just in the words but, essentially, in the music. The full Italian text is given, with a note on the order of scenes in Act Three and the alternative passages Mozart wrote for the 1789 revival. The classic translation of E.J. Dent is an excellent way to get to know the twists and turns of the plot and the stylish wit of da Ponte's innuendos.Contents: A Society Marriage, John Wells; A Musical Commentary, Basil Deane; Music and Comedy in 'The Marriage of Figaro, Stephen Oliver; Beaumarchais's Characters; Le nozze di Figaro: Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte; The Marriage of Figaro: English version by Edward J. Dent

Don Giovanni vocal score in Italian and English. Schirmer edition, 1900.