OperaLook-Infeaturing scenes from Mozart’s

DonGiovanni

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OperaLook-Infeaturing scenes from Mozart’s

DonGiovanniWith members of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Programand the WNO Orchestra

Conducted by Israel Gursky

Production directed by John Pascoe

Presented in the Kennedy Center Opera House

Crazy parties? Bloody swordfights? Singing statues?Anything can happen at the opera.

Welcome to an Opera Look-In, where you’ll get asneak peek behind the magical and imaginaryworld of opera and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’sDon Giovanni.

Operatic Magic:Anything can happen at the Opera

Operatic Magic:Anything can happen at the Opera

The StageManagerThe stage manager keepsthe performance runningsmoothly and overseeslighting, set and propchanges, entrances andexits—anything you canthink of!

TheConductorThe person in charge ofall things musical. He orshe helps keep theinstruments and singersin time by maintaining abeat and also giving cluesas to how the musicshould sound (i.e., loud,soft, furious, or romantic).

The Costume DirectorThis person takes care ofhow the singers look andfeel in their costumes,shoes, and accessories.The costume designeralso decides who wearswhat and when.

The Wig and MakeupArtistThe person who createsall the makeup effects fora singer’s face, hair, andskin. They’ll make theperformers look more liketheir characters byhelping them appearolder, younger, or—aswith the Commendatorein Don Giovanni—more frightening.

The Vocal CoachThe vocal coach helpsthe singers prepare theirmusic before theyrehearse with the otherinstruments, and helpsthem practice their“recitative” (lines thatare sort of half speech,half song).

Taking You Behind the CurtainTaking You Behind the CurtainWNO’s Backstage team

TheChoreographerThe person responsible forthe opera’s coordinatedmovements, such asdances or ballets. Someproductions even have aspecial fightchoreographer,like the one you’ll meettoday, who designs themovements behind anyand all battles onstage.

Meet our team of “opera-makers” who’ll help take you through the ins and outs of opera performance.Their business is to make the impossible seem possible!

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S o, when you’re building a world where anythingis possible, where do you begin? Read on for a

guide to what you’ll see on stage today.

What is an opera anyway?“Opera” is a story told through music. Instead ofspeaking, the characters sing through their thoughtsand emotions. Sometimes the characters sing bythemselves (this is called an “aria,” pronouncedAHR-ee-uh), and sometimes they sing in groups oftwo or more. Today, you’ll hear up to sevencharacters singing at once. There’s also an orchestrathat uses different combinations of instruments atdifferent times.

Things to listen for:. how the musicians help set a mood by playing orsinging extra fast, extra slow, extra loud, or extrasoft. how the instruments play along with the singersand support them, while occasionally doing theirown thing and playing a separate tune. how characters often appear to be singing andspeaking at the same time

S What’s the story?Don Giovanni tells the tale of a young noblemanwho tries to chase as many ladies as he can—butgets himself into some big trouble as a result. Onenight, his attempts to woo a wealthy noblewomango horribly wrong and he ends up committingmurder. Though he then spends much of the operaflirting with everyone—including his formergirlfriend, Donna Elvira, and the sweet peasant girl,Zerlina—it’s only a matter of time before his evilpast catches up with him.

Meet the CastOperatic music calls for many different kinds ofsinging, from the very high to the very low, andsingers tend to fall into separate categories, basedroughly on how high or low they can sing. DonGiovanni features eight different voices, each fallingunder a voice category or type:. Don Giovanni, a young nobleman(baritone – a middle-range male voice). Leporello, his servant(bass – the lowest male voice). Donna Anna, a young noblewoman(soprano – the highest female voice). Commendatore, a military commander andDonna Anna’s father (bass). Don Ottavio, a young nobleman engaged toDonna Anna (tenor – the highest male voice). Donna Elvira, a young noblewoman andDon Giovanni’s former love (soprano). Zerlina, a peasant girl (soprano). Masetto, her fiancé (bass)

What is an opera anyway?

What’s the story?

Meet the Cast

“Once Upon a Time…”“Once Upon a Time…”Creating an Imaginary World

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Putting It TogetherThe Stuff That Dreams Are Made of

Putting It TogetherThe Stuff That Dreams Are Made of

I t takes a whole lot of effort to create an opera. Sometimes as many as70 people can be working at once during a single performance. We’ve put

together an “Opera Checklist” to give you an idea of all the things you need toput on a masterpiece like Don Giovanni. If you see or hear any of the items on thislist during the Look-In, check them off, just like a stage manager would do duringthe performance.

Orchestra PlayersThose people in the dark pit at the foot of the stage. Their instruments keep the operaon its musical feet. Listen carefully for the fortepiano (an 18th-century keyboard), whichaccompanies the singers’ recitative.

PropsThose items onstage, like swords, wine glasses, food, etc., that are touched and used by thesingers at certain times and chosen especially by the director.

SetsThe stuff that gives the opera a sense of place, including the walls, windows, furniture, andthose specially textured “scrims” that also count as set pieces.

CostumesAnything the characters wear, including hats, shoes, and jewelry. Sometimes, designers haveto gather information about what the characters are wearing from the words sung in theopera. For example: Donna Anna mentions that Don Giovanni is in disguise in the first scene.

LightsSpecial lights set up all around the theater that help you see the action onstage and giveyou clues about the story, such as the time of day. Plastic “gels” are used to change thecolor of the lights and metal “gobos” are used to create different shadows or textures.

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Dear Teachers: Here are some thoughts and activities to share withstudents before the curtain rises and a little bit of homework fun for when

it comes down.

Before the Look-InPre-Opera PrepAsk students what they think the experience of opera might be like. What sightsand sounds do they expect? Be sure to point out that operas are similar to movies;they have something for everyone (romance, comedy, action, thrills).

Playlist ShuffleHave students consider what type of music they enjoy. Do any of their favorite songstell a story? Ask them to think about how this idea can apply to an opera.

Fun with InstrumentsToday, students will hear a full-sized orchestra. Can students list the four orchestra families?Ask them what instruments they can identify by ear. Listen for these unique sounds duringthe show.

After the Look-InRole ReversalMany singers have tackled both Don Giovanni and Leporello on stage.Do students think these characters are similar? Have each student createmock text messages between the nobleman and his servant and readthem aloud without indicating which character is speaking. Can theclass identify who’s who?

Spoiler AlertThe overture music and the music in the final scene of the opera weredesigned to sound alike. Do students think Mozart spoils the endingby playing the finale music during the opening? With older students,discuss foreshadowing and the ways it might be used on stage(Hint: music, sets, lighting, lyrics).

Before the Look-In

For TeachersFor Teachers

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After the Look-In

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David M. RubensteinChairman

Michael M. KaiserPresident

Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education

Michael L. MaelExecutive Director

Francesca ZambelloArtistic Advisor

David and Alice Rubenstein are thePresenting Underwriters of WNO.

The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Programis made possible through the generoussupport of The Morris and Gwendolyn CafritzFoundation.

Support for Opera Look-Ins is provided bythe Paul M. Angell Family Foundation.

Support for Washington National Operaeducation programs is provided byPrince Charitable Trusts; The MorningstarFoundation; The Jacob and CharlotteLehrman Foundation; and National CapitalArts and Cultural Affairs Program and theU.S. Commission of Fine Arts.

Additional support for Performances forYoung Audiences is provided in part by TheClark Charitable Foundation; Mr. James V.Kimsey; The Macy*s Foundation; The Max andVictoria Dreyfus Foundation, Inc.; The Morrisand Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; the ParkFoundation, Inc.; the Paul M. Angell FamilyFoundation; an endowment from the Rynaand Melvin Cohen Family Foundation; theU.S. Department of Education; the VerizonFoundation; Washington Gas; and by generouscontributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund,and by a major gift to the fund from the lateCarolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge

Look-In is produced by ARTSEDGE, aneducation program of the Kennedy Center.ARTSEDGE is a part of Thinkfinity.org, aconsortium of free educational Web sites forK-12 teaching and learning.

Learn more about Education at the KennedyCenter at www.kennedy-center.org/education

The contents of this Cuesheet do not necessarily representthe policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and youshould not assume endorsement from the FederalGovernment.

© 2012 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Please recycle this Look-In by sharing itwith friends!

Re-entering RealityRe-entering RealityA Few Things to Know Before

the Final Bows

About Our Guest Storyteller…Does the storyteller’s face look familiar? That’s because she’sAndrea Roane, anchor for Washington D.C.’s WUSA TV, Channel 9and host of the morning news. A broadcaster for more than 30years, Ms. Roane has received many awards and honors.

About Our Guest Storyteller…

ozart’s music helped pave the way

for many future composers, and his works

are among the most performed in concert

halls and opera houses around the world.

About the Composer…Even if you’ve never heard classical music before, odds are you’veheard of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791). Mozart begancomposing at age five and went on to become a master musician,writing symphonies, operas, and more—all in just 35 years of life. DonGiovanni is one of three operas he created with the writer LorenzoDa Ponte, who wrote the words to the songs you’ll hear today.

About the Composer…

6Cover photo by Roy Blunt