is heard
at the door and the statue unceremoniously enters. All except
Leporello and Don Giovanni fly from the room in terror. The doomed man
orders an extra plate, but the statue extends its hand and invites him
to sup with it. He takes the marble hand, and its cold fingers clutch
him in a firm grasp. Thrice the statue urges him to repent, and as
many times he refuses; whereupon, as it disappears, demons rise, seize
Don Giovanni, and carry him to the infernal regions.

Musically considered, "Don Giovanni" is regarded as Mozart's greatest
opera, though it lacks the bright joyousness of the "Marriage of
Figaro," and its human interest. Its melodies are more pronounced, and
have entered more freely into general use, however, than those of the
former. Repulsive as the story is, some of the melodies which
illustrate it have been impressed into the service of the church. The
first act is introduced with a humorous aria by Leporello ("Notte e
giorno faticar"), in which he complains of his treatment by his
master. After the murder of Don Pedro, in the second scene, occurs a
trio between Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni, and Leporello, the leading
motive of which is a beautiful aria sung by Donna Elvira ("Ah! chi mi
dici mai"). The scene closes with the great buffo aria of Leporello
("Madamina il catalogo") popularly known as the "Catalogue Song,"
which is full of broad humor, though its subject is far from
possessing that quality. In the third scene occur the lovely duet for
Don Giovanni and Zerlina ("La ci darem, la mano"), two arias of great
dramatic intensity for Donna Elvira ("Mi tradi") and Donna Anna ("Or
sai chi l'onore"), and Don Giovanni's dashing song, "Finche dal vino,"
the music of which is in admirable keeping with the reckless nature of
the libertine himself. The last scene is a treasure-house of music,
containing the exquisitely coquettish aria, "Batti, batti," which
Zerlina sings to the jealous Masetto, and the beautiful trio of Donna
Anna, Donna Elvira, and Don Ottavio, known as the Mask Trio, set off
against the quaint minuet music of the fete and the hurly-burly which
accompanies the discovery of Don Giovanni's black designs.

The second act opens with a humorous duet between master and servant
("Eh, via, buffone"), followed by the trio, "Ah! taci, inquisto care,"
as Elvira appears at her window. After she leaves with Leporello, Don
Giovanni sings a serenade ("Deh? vieni all finestra") to Zerlina,
which is inte