"Il dissoluto punito, ossia Il Don Giovanni" is the full title of the opera, widely regarded as the most accomplished work of its genre. Fortunately, today she is known only as "Don Giovanni", a title that better evokes the hero in all his powers of seduction, his defiance of social order, his merry lechery. It is this hero that fascinated Mozart, not the "dissoluto punito" - the "punished libertine" - who harks back to the morality and conventions of the late 18th century. The work, again to a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (like "Figaro" and "Così"), was written for Prague after "Figaro" had enjoyed such an overwhelming success in the Bohemian capital. It premiered there on October 29, 1787. The perfect fusion of opera buffa with opera seria is suggested by the novel designation of the opera as dramma giocoso, as a happy drama. It's a moral tale of murder, sexual exploitation and betrayal, punctuated by comedic elements that bring warmth and humanity to the whole.
The aristocrat of the conductors, the sole ruler of the baton, Riccardo Muti cuts a noble figure at the head of every orchestra and ennobles every ensemble with his charismatic personality and his hot-blooded musicality. In many ways, including his uncompromising approach to artistic matters, he is reminiscent of Arturo Toscanini, who was a demanding ruler even on the podium. His rise to international fame began with guest conducting at the Salzburg Festival in 1971 and conducting the Berlin Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1972. A few years later, Muti became Principal Guest Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, becoming Music Director in 1980. As a conductor of the symphonic and opera repertoire, Muti was promoted to music director of La Scala in Milan in 1986. During the 1990s, Muti cemented his reputation at the helm of this venerable institution, as well as countless other high-profile venues around the world. Today he is one of the undisputed giants among the world's leading conductors.
