Don Giovanni, K. 527: Act II, No. 22, Aria: Il mio tesoro intanto [tenor]: Serious Opera, Orchestra Accompaniment, Conductor Score

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) wrote the two-act opera Don Giovanni, K. 527, in 1787 following a commission from Prague impresario Pasquale Bondini. With the success of The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart turned to the librettist for that opera, Lorenzo Da Ponte, for this new project. The opera tells the story of Don Giovanni, an arrogant and promiscuous nobleman who abuses everyone he meets, killing the father of a woman he assaulted, attempting to seduce other women and abandoning the one he has already seduced. At the end, the man he had killed returns as a ghost and demands Don Giovanni's repentance. Don Giovanni refuses, and is dragged to Hell, with the cast telling the audience that "Evildoers always come to an evil end." The opera premiered in Prague at the Estates Theatre on October 29th, 1787, with Mozart conducting, and was very successful. The opera remains not only one of the best by Mozart, but it is considered one of the crown jewels of the opera repertoire. Act II, No. 22, the tenor aria "Il mio tesoro intanto," occurs after Don Ottavio has learned of Don Giovanni's continued crimes and resolves to avenge the murder of Donna Anna's father. Before departing, he asks his companions to comfort his grieving fiancv©e while he seeks justice, revealing beneath his often understated demeanor a steadfast nobility and unwavering devotion. Written for the original Prague version of the opera, the aria was later complemented, but not replaced, by the newly composed "Dalla sua pace" for the Vienna production of 1788, reflecting Mozart's practice of tailoring music to different casts. Today, "Il mio tesoro intanto" stands among the finest tenor arias of the Classical era, appearing regularly in complete performances of the Prague version of Don Giovanni, in recital programs, vocal competitions, and conservatory study, where it is admired for its combination of lyrical beauty, dramatic sincerity, and technical brilliance. Instrumentation: 0.0.2.2: 2.0.0.0: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set): Solo Ten. Reprint edition.