Week 3 Prèci

Tessa Larson

This article focuses on the Tafelmusik that occurs in the end of the 2nd act as Don
Giovanni is indulging in what is ultimately his last supper. The Tafelmusik is performed by a
small onstage orchestra and uses 3 quotations from different operas. The quotations are from una
cosa rara by Martin, I due Litiganti by Sarti, and Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart himself.
Although many scholars argue that the Tafelmusik was an afterthought on Mozart’s part, and
although there are some clear puns in the scene it has long been assumed that Mozart chose the
pieces to be quoted because they would be well known by the audience at the time. Although this
likely did play a part in the specific quotations that were chosen for this piece, they each have a
number of aspects that have particular value to the scene and an observant audience member
might notice these parallels Mozart draws between Don Giovanni’s final moments and characters
and scenes of these other operas.

This scene distinctly mimics the biblical last supper; however, it is the antithesis of the
Eucharist. Instead of being surrounded by his disciples Don Giovanni is essentially alone. He
doesn’t share his meal with Leporello, instead he starves while Don Giovanni feasts. These
aspects are amplified by the Sarti quotation which can be interpreted as saying that Giovanni is
the lamb that is being sung about in the aria that is being quoted. In its original place the aria
talks about an innocent lamb going to slaughter, and although Giovanni is certainly not innocent,
he is unaware that he is in his final moments. His blind confidence acts as the innocence of the
lamb leaving him none the wiser to his fate.

When the quotation from una cos rara begins Leporello comments “una cosa rara” this is
one of the many puns that Mozart’s original audience would have immediately noticed since in
the context of the scene the line makes sense as a praise of the food or the music, but of course
an audience at the time would have likely recognized the music’s origin. This quotation however
indicated much more meaning than that, it is from the act 1 finale of una cosa rara. The text that
this music is set to is “Io moro” meaning I am dying. In fact, this line is used earlier in the show
by Donna Anna, but at this moment it seems almost as though the music is telling Don Giovanni
that he is dying.

The quotation from Le Nozze di Figaro is one that is most well-known to modern
audiences, and perhaps to the audience at the premier as well, since Figaro was very popular in
Prague. However, in Vienna it was the least well known of the three quotations, since Figaro did
not have the same receptions in Vienna as it did in Prague. The piece of Non piu andrai that is
chosen for this quotation is when Figaro is talking to Cherubino and telling him all of the things
that he will no longer be able to do in the military. The aria goes on to talk about how he can find
glory there, but the quotation does not. This seems to signify that although Cherubino, who
would likely grow up to be just like Don Giovanni, gets to live on, Giovanni does not get the
second half of the aria and this is just one more way that Mozart makes it clear that Giovanni is
about to lose his life.