On Sep 23, 2009, at 6:04 PM, Colin West wrote: > On Sep 23, 2009, at 4:46 PM, Shane Mage wrote >> >> As for Don Giovanni, it is perfectly true that it is an "anti- >> authoritarian masterpiece," but in exactly the opposite sense from >> that meant by the liberal critics. To grasp that fact for yourself >> consider only these two (of many) things: (1) the closeness, >> especially in Mozart's day, of the cognates "liberty" and >> "libertine," >> and (2) having (seemingly) been killed early one morning, by evening >> of that same day the Commendatore is (seemingly) buried in a >> graveyard >> with a massive equestrian statue over his tomb. >> > ...I have to disagree here. Of Mozart's great operas Don Giovanni > is, to > me, the lesser. It relies on the stale "deus ex machina" to move the > plot...
Your preference is not at issue (me, I prefer whichever I heard last). As to the "deus ex machina," presumably the statue, you simply fail to grasp the point that the statue cannot possibly exist-- it is the Commendatore in flesh and blood. If you're talking about the flames under the trapdoor, that's a clever stage effect but no sort of deus ex machina. > and Giovanni himself, although reputedly something of a roué, > entirely fails to seduce anyone in the entire opera. He certainly succeeds with Zerlina and also with Elvira (at the start of Act II), though indeed neither of those ladies is reluctant in the slightest degree! > > Further, 'liberty' and 'libertine' may be cognates but only in > English. In German it would have been 'Freiheit' and (I think) > 'Wüstling' ["Wüstling" is only one of the three possible > equivalents. The other two, per Cassel, are "römische > Freigelassener" and "Freidenker"] so I don't see how that works. Have you only heard it in German translation? The language of Don Giovanni is Italian. Shane Mage > This cosmos did none of gods or men make, but it > always was and is and shall be: an everlasting fire, > kindling in measures and going out in measures." > > Herakleitos of Ephesos ________________________________________________ YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. Send list submissions to: [email protected] Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
