and very versatile buffo aria for tenor ("In quegli anni"), sung
by Basilio, Figaro's stirring march number ("Ecco la marcia"), and a
lovely song for Susanna ("Deh, vieni, non tardar"). The opera is full
of life and human interest. Its wonderful cheerfulness and vital
sympathy appeal to every listener, and its bright, free, joyous tone
from beginning to end is no less fascinating than the exquisite
melodies with which Mozart has so richly adorned it. Like "Don
Giovanni" and the "Magic Flute," the best test of the work is, that it
is rounding its first century as fresh and bright and popular as ever.

DON GIOVANNI.

"Don Giovanni," an opera buffa in two acts, words by Da Ponte, was
first produced at Prague, Oct. 29, 1787. The full title of the work is
"Il dissoluto punito, ossia il Don Giovanni," and the subject was
taken from a Spanish tale by Tirso de Molina, called "El combidado de
piedra." The original cast of the opera was as follows:--

DONNA ANNA Signora TERESA SAPORITTI.
DONNA ELVIRA Signora MICELLI.
ZERLINA Signora BONDINI.
DON OTTAVIO Signor BAGLIONI.
DON GIOVANNI Signor LUIGI BASSI.
LEPORELLO Signor FELICE PONZIANI.
MASETTO and DON PEDRO Signor LOLLI.

The success of the "Marriage of Figaro" prepared the way for "Don
Giovanni." Mozart wrote the opera in Prague, and completed it, except
the overture, Oct. 28, 1787, about six weeks after he arrived in the
city. The first performance took place the next evening. The overture
was written during the night, the copyist received the score at seven
o'clock in the morning, and it was played at eight in the evening. He
had only a week for stage rehearsals, and yet the opera created a
furor. As an instance of his extraordinary memory, it is said that the
drum and trumpet parts to the finale of the second act were written
without the score, from memory. When he brought the parts into the
orchestra, he remarked, "Pray, gentlemen, be particularly attentive at
this place," pointing to one, "as I believe that there are four bars
either too few or too many." His remark was proved true. It is also
said that in the original scores the brass instruments frequently have
no place, as he wrote the parts continually on separate bits of paper,
trusting to his memory for the score. The next year (1788) the opera
was brought out in Vienna, and for this production he wrote four new