Listening Guide

Background

The curtain-raiser to Mozart’s opera about the legendary seducer Don Juan, whose crimes finally catch up with him when the statue of a man he killed comes to life. The overture packs the opera’s mix of terror and comedy into a few minutes.

The overture begins with a shock: two huge, dark chords and slow, eerie music. Then the mood flips to something quick, bright and full of mischief. That’s the whole opera in a nutshell: a comedy with a terrifying ending.

What to Listen For

1. The two opening chords

   The full orchestra and timpani strike two heavy chords that seem to stop time.

2. The ghostly introduction

   Uneasy, creeping strings and scales that rise and fall foreshadow the statue scene at the end of the opera.

3. The switch to bright energy

   The tempo leaps forward and the music turns quick and playful, like the curtain rising on a comedy.

Instruments to notice

• Timpani
• Trumpet
• Violins
• Oboe
• Bassoon

Needs confirmation In the opera the overture runs straight into the first scene, so concert performances add a closing ending. Which version will be played needs confirmation.