Don Gio­vanni/­Re­qui­em

Sex, drugs and Viennese classical music - that was the motto of the congenial duo Mozart and Da Ponte. Similar to his hot-blooded opera hero, the young wild Mozart also met an early feverish death: he died at the age of 35 while working on his Requiem.

At the Schillertheater, Kirill Serebrennikov completes his Mozart-Da Ponte cycle with what is probably the most abysmal of the three comic operas. In his fearless approach to the masterpiece, Serebrennikov depicts the bon vivant's offbeat amusements as preparations for the afterlife and follows Don Giovanni's journey to hell with Mozart's requiem mass.

Second memory
Don Elviro seeks revenge on Don Giovanni for breaking his heart. Don Giovanni tries to dodge the confrontation. Leporello tells Elviro the truth: the encounter with Don Giovanni was simply a slip-up in a long line of the latter’s affairs with women. Elviro is inconsolable and even more vengeful.

Third memory
At the hospital where the critically ill Don Giovanni is, a celebration takes place for the couple Masetto and Zerlina. Masetto accuses Zerlina of caring for the handsome patient rather too well.

Bardo of Dreams

First dream
Don Elviro, Donna Anna and Don Ottavio foil Don Giovanni’s attempt to seduce Zerlina. Donna Anna realizes that Don Giovanni is her father’s murderer, which shakes her to the core. Don Ottavio tries without success to console his beloved.

Second dream
Don Giovanni feels a burning desire to live. Zerlina tries to make up with Masetto — and succeeds — but at the sight of Don Giovanni, Masetto’s jealousy flares up again.

Third dream
Don Giovanni feels drawn to Zerlina. At the same time, he craves pleasure and welcomes a confrontation with his growing number of enemies. Don Giovanni’s thoughts now grow confused — he feels like he’s in the eye of a storm. He begins to sense the approach of death.

ACT 2

Bardo of Visions

First vision
Don Giovanni changes clothes with Leporello in an attempt to cheat death. He becomes infatuated with Don Elviro’s companion, Donna Barbara. To get her alone, he forces Leporello to impersonate him and lure Don Elviro away. Leporello, despite his protests, has no choice but to play along and disappears with Don Elviro.

Second vision
Disguised as Leporello, Don Giovanni taunts Masetto, then beats him up. Zerlina fnds her husband injured and bleeding.

Third vision
Leporello, pretending to be Don Giovanni, attracts the fury of Giovanni’s enemies: Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, Masetto and Don Elviro. When they expose his true identity, it only makes things worse for Leporel- lo. Enraged, Zerlina starts hitting him, claiming this is what men deserve.

Bardo of the threshold of Death

First threshold
Don Elviro foresees Don Giovanni’s torments after death — and his own grief. Don Giovanni, accompanied by Leporello, visits the grave of the Commen- datore and mocks him. The ghost of Commendatore speaks to them. Don Giovanni jokingly invites him to dinner — and the Commendatore accepts.

Second threshold
Donna Anna is at her father’s grave. Don Ottavio asks her to let go of the past and be with him. Donna Anna hesitates, torn by conflicting emotions.

Third threshold
Don Giovanni and Leporello lay on a feast with music and dance. Don Elviro desperately pleads with Don Giovanni to repent and change his ways — but in vain. To Don Giovanni’s amazement, the Commendatore actually appears and drags him into the realm of the dead. Don Giovanni dies.

REQUIEM

Bardo of Death

Introitus. Kyrie.
The moment of death.

Dies Irae.
Separation of consciousness from the body.

Tuba Mirum.
Vision of radiant light.

Bardo of Recognition

RexTremendae.
Recognition of the soul.

Recordare. Confutatis.
Appearance of the peaceful and wrathful deities.

Lacrimosa.
Liberation.