The Santa Fe Opera

Skip to main content Skip to search
SFO Don Giovanni Illustration copyright Benedetto Cristofani

Don Giovanni

June 29 - August 23, 2024

Suave, Shameless and Doomed.

Lecherous nobleman, Don Giovanni is infamous for his exploits (he keeps a catalog). He kills the father of one of his victims and now, his continued debauchery will seal his fate. Who will exact revenge and make him pay the price for his misdeeds?

Stephen Barlow directs a new production set in Victorian London viewed through the lens of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. This comedy infused with darkness features Ryan Speedo Green in his role debut as Don Giovanni, the company debut of Rachael Wilson as Donna Elvira, as well as appearances by former apprentices Teresa Perrotta as Donna Anna, Nicholas Newton as Leporello and Liv Redpath as Zerlina.


Cortés, desvergonzado y condenado.

El lascivo aristócrata don Giovanni acaba de perpetrar otra de sus infames hazañas (¡incluso las cataloga!). Ha matado al padre de una de sus víctimas y ahora su libertinaje desenfrenado sellará al fin su destino. ¿Quién exigirá venganza y quién será el que le haga pagar por todas sus fechorías?

Stephen Barlow dirige esta nueva producción ambientada en el Londres victoriano y concebida a través de la perspectiva de El Retrato de Dorian Gray de Oscar Wilde. En esta comedia de tintes oscuros podremos ver a Ryan Speedo Green por primera vez en el papel de don Giovanni, a Rachael Wilson como doña Elvira (en el que será su debut en la Ópera de Santa Fe) y a las antiguas integrantes de nuestro programa de jóvenes talentos Teresa Perrotta (como doña Anna), Nicholas Newton (como Leporello) y Liv Redpath (como Zerlina).

Music By
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto By
Lorenzo Da Ponte
Sung In
Italian
Instant Translation Screen
English and Spanish
Production support generously provided by
The Tobin Endowment
The Robert & Ellen Vladem Perpetual Fund for Opera Production
The performances of Harry Bicket are supported by
Joseph M. Bryan, Jr.
The performances of Ryan Speedo Green are supported by
Sarah Billinghurst Solomon
The performances of Nicholas Newton are supported by
Guy L. & Catherine D. Gronquist
Run Time
Approximately 3 hours 25 minutes; includes a 25-minute intermission

Act I

Leporello complains about his work as a valet, while Don Giovanni pursues an amorous adventure. Giovanni, masked, hurries out of the house, chased by Donna Anna, and then by the Commendatore, her father, who draws his sword to free his daughter from this unknown intruder. Giovanni deals the Commendatore a mortal blow. Anna is overcome with grief. She returns with her fiancé Don Ottavio, who tries to comfort her, and they swear to avenge her father.

In the morning Giovanni and Leporello overhear a woman’s lament. Giovanni approaches to seduce her, and then realizes she is Donna Elvira, whom he has already seduced and abandoned. He manages to escape her, leaving Leporello to explain that she is but one entry in a formidable catalogue of conquests.

Later they come upon a jovial working-class wedding. Giovanni flirts with Zerlina, the bride, and invites the entire party to his villa. The groom, Masetto, is duly disgruntled, but distracted by Leporello. Giovanni and Zerlina are left alone – until Elvira interrupts and sweeps Zerlina away. Anna and Ottavio enter, asking Giovanni’s help in finding the killer of Anna’s father. Elvira interrupts again, denouncing Giovanni; but he claims she is mad. Suddenly Anna recognizes in Giovanni’s speech the voice of her father’s murderer and her attacker. Back in her boudoir, she describes the scene to Ottavio, and they both swear vengeance again.

At Giovanni’s home, Zerlina tries to calm a jealous Masetto. Giovanni leads them both back to the party. Three masked figures (Anna, Elvira and Ottavio) make their entrance. The dancing begins. Giovanni leads Zerlina into an adjoining room and when her screams are heard, everyone rushes to her aid. Giovanni seizes Leporello and tries to blame him, but no one is deceived. Anna, Elvira and Ottavio unmask and denounce Giovanni as the Commendatore’s assassin. Giovanni flees.


El sirviente Leporello se queja de su trabajo al servicio de su señor don Giovanni mientras éste se dedica a una nueva aventura amorosa. Don Giovanni, enmascarado, sale corriendo de la casa perseguido por doña Anna y por el padre de ésta, el Comendador, quien blande su espada para liberar a su hija de este desconocido intruso. Don Giovanni le asesta al Comendador un golpe fatal y éste muere. Doña Anna, consumida por el dolor, vuelve con su prometido don Ottavio, quien trata de consolarla. Ambos juran vengar la muerte de su padre.

A la mañana siguiente don Giovanni y Leporello oyen un lamento femenino. Don Giovanni se apresura a consolar a la dama cuando se da cuenta de que se trata de doña Elvira, a la que ya sedujo y abandonó. Don Giovanni consigue zafarse de la situación, dejando al pobre Leporello explicar a doña Elvira que ella no es más que otra entrada en una larga lista de conquistas.

Algo más tarde, don Giovanni y Leporello se encuentran con una alegre boda de trabajadores. Don Giovanni coquetea con la novia Zerlina e invita a todos los presentes a su casa de campo. El novio Masetto, visiblemente disgustado, es entretenido por Leporello. Don Giovanni y Zerlina consiguen quedarse solos pero doña Elvira entra en escena y se lleva a Zerlina. Doña Anna y don Ottavio entran y piden ayuda a don Giovanni para encontrar al asesino del padre de doña Anna. Doña Elvira entra de nuevo y acusa a don Giovanni. Éste sostiene que doña Elvira está loca. De repente, doña Anna reconoce que la voz de don Giovanni es la misma que la del asesino de su padre y que la de su propio agresor. De vuelta en sus aposentos, le describe la escena a don Ottavio. Una vez más, ambos juran venganza.

Zerlina intenta calmar a su celoso Masetto en casa de don Giovanni, quien consigue conducirlos de vuelta a la fiesta. Tres figuras enmascaradas (doña Anna, doña Elvira y don Ottavio) entran. El baile comienza. Don Giovanni se lleva a Zerlina a un cuarto adyacente y cuando los gritos de ésta se hacen notorios todo el mundo corre en su ayuda. Don Giovanni agarra a Leporello e intenta cargar las culpas sobre él pero ya no engaña a nadie. Doña Anna, doña Elvira y don Ottavio se quitan las máscaras y denuncian a don Giovanni como el asesino del Comendador.

Act II

Giovanni and Leporello exchange clothes so that Giovanni can woo Elvira’s maid. Elvira falls for the trick, and Giovanni sings a melting serenade to the maid. Masetto arrives with a band of peasants on the hunt for Giovanni. Giovanni divides them up and sends them off, and gives Masetto a beating. Zerlina hears his groans and comes to console him.

Leporello, still disguised as Giovanni, is trying to shake Elvira when Anna, Ottavio, Zerlina and Masetto surprise him and demand his death. Leporello reveals his identity, begs for mercy and manages to escape. Ottavio swears vengeance. Elvira reflects on her betrayal and her enduring love.

Giovanni and Leporello hide in the funeral chapel. They hear a solemn voice and realize it is coming from the Commendatore, whom Giovanni orders Leporello to invite to supper. The Commendatore’s ghost nods his assent.

Ottavio hints at his forthcoming marriage to Anna, and she reproaches him for speaking of it so soon after her father’s death.

Giovanni seats himself for supper. Elvira enters, demanding that he mend his ways. He sends her away, and her shriek is heard in the corridor, only to be echoed by Leporello’s: the Commendatore has come to dine. He confronts Giovanni with his horrifically guilty conscience. Giovanni is tortured but declares he will not repent. The Commendatore exacts his revenge. The other characters deliver the moral of the story: the lives and deaths of evildoers are always the same.


Don Giovanni y Leporello se intercambian la vestimenta para que don Giovanni pueda cortejar a la bella criada de doña Elvira. Doña Elvira cae en la trampa y don Giovanni procede a cantarle a Zerlina una embaucadora serenata. Masetto llega con un grupo de campesinos en busca de don Giovanni, quien, tras dividirlos y mandarlos de vuelta por donde han venido, le da una paliza a Masetto. Zerlina escucha la escena y viene a consolar a su prometido.

Leporello, disfrazado de don Giovanni, está intentando despistar a doña Elvira cuando doña Anna, don Ottavio, Zerlina y Masetto le sorprenden y piden su muerte. Leporello les revela su verdadera identidad implorando piedad y consigue escapar. Don Ottavio jura venganza. Doña Elvira reflexiona sobre cómo la ha traicionado Don Giovanni y sobre el hecho de que, a pesar de todo, ella sigue teniendo sentimientos hacia él.”

Don Giovanni y Leporello están escondidos en una capilla funeraria cuando escuchan una voz solemne. Es el Comendador. Don Giovanni ordena a Leporello invitarlo a la cena. El fantasma del Comendador asiente y acepta la invitación.

Don Ottavio alude a su casamiento venidero con doña Anna. Ella le reprocha hablar de eso cuando la muerte de su padre está todavía tan reciente.

Don Giovanni se dispone a cenar. Doña Elvira entra exigiendo que corrija su comportamiento. Don Giovanni la despide. Sus gritos se oyen desde los pasillos, sólo acompañados por la voz de Leporello anunciando que el Comendador acaba de llegar para cenar. El Comendador fuerza a don Giovanni a confrontar su conciencia y la horrible culpa que lleva consigo. Don Giovanni es torturado pero se niega a arrepentirse. El Comendador exige venganza. El resto de los personajes se encargan de expresar la moraleja de la historia: la vida y la muerte de los malvados nunca presenta diferencia alguna.

Ryan Speedo Green

Ryan Speedo Green

Bass-baritone

Don Giovanni

Perrotta, Teresa headshot

Teresa Perrotta

Soprano

Donna Anna

Rachael Wilson

Rachael Wilson

Soprano

Donna Elvira

David Portillo

David Portillo

Tenor

Don Ottavio

Newton, Nicholas headshot

Nicholas Newton

Bass-baritone

Leporello

Liv Redpath

Soprano

Zerlina

William Guanbo Su

William Guanbo Su

Bass

Masetto

Soloman Howard

Soloman Howard

Bass

Commendatore

Harry Bicket Headshot

Harry Bicket

Conductor

Stephen Barlow

Stephen Barlow

Director

Yannis Thovaris

Yannis Thavoris

Scenic & Costume Designer

Christopher Akerlind headshot

Christopher Akerlind

Lighting Designer

Susanne Sheston headshot

Susanne Sheston

Chorus Master

Mitchell-Harper

Mitchell Harper

Choreographer

Video

2024 Season Playlist