Musing on Don Giovanni and Mozart

I put that song on this blog before, I know. I thought I would put it again. I have been listening to Mozart's operas a lot these days. I have a long history with Mozart, as a listener and later on as an (amateur) opera singer. I was in Austria on a trip with my family during the 200th anniversary of his death. We spent the next year or so listening to Mozart, then for years my mother listened and listened to it, enough for me to get an overdose by the time I was twenty. I got sick of him and his music.

Then, years later, when I started studying opera, I asked my teacher to get me some Mozart arias to sing. It was partially at the request of my mum who wanted to hear me singing her favourite composer, partially because I wanted to reconciled with his work. She gave me a few songs, including Deh vieni alla finestra. I quickly became a Mozart aficionado again, especially of Don Giovanni, which I rediscovered through its arias. They are beautiful, but the opera in itself is brilliant (one of my favourite), animated by a fascinating character. I hope to reflect on it and on him one day (a little bit more about it here). I have a few regrets in my life, not becoming a professional baritone is one of them, just like having never performed an opera onstage. If I had ever become opera singer, Don Giovanni would have been my role. I don't mean that I would have become famous for my interpretation of him (my voice is too weak I think), but it would have been the role I would have never got tired of singing. I decided to put Deh vieni alla finestra here again, because it was this aria that subrepticely brought me back to Mozart. I have decided to put it here sung by Samuel Ramey.

Apologies to Mozart's Girl for not responding to her award yet. I hope this post will help me be forgiven.