The Character of Don Giovanni in Mozart’s Opera
Publication Type |
Book Chapter |
Year of Publication |
1996 |
Author |
|
Editor |
Dunaway, John M. Springsted, Eric O. |
Book |
The Beauty that Saves: Essays on Aesthetics and Language in Simone Weil |
Pages |
173-183 |
Publisher |
Mercer University Press |
Place Published |
Macon, Georgia |
Language |
English |
Translator |
Publications (selected) |
Chapter |
11 |
Keywords |
Dante |
Annotation |
Allen frames his essay around Weil’s observation that, “Alexander the Great is to a peasant proprietor as Don Juan is to a happily married man” (pp. 173 – 174). Allen spends considerable time discussing Kierkegaard’s essay on the opera, particularly his claim music is the best vehicle for conveying the essence of Don Giovanni’s character (p. 174). He goes on to compare Don Giovanni to Dante’s portrayal of Satan in the Divine Comedy as well as to Goethe’s Faust. Finally Allen returns to Weil, focusing on her understanding of necessity and its impact on human self-absorption and distorted perceptions of reality. Allen concludes by using his discussion to argue for a ‘properly ordered sexuality’, one that through its limitation can receive the good, true erotic love can bring. |
Notes |
Abridged version previously published as "Character of Mozart's Don Giovanni" in Theology Today 45.3 (1988): 317-25. Significant content is available through Google Books |