Our first Mozart offering in this year of his 250 th birthday. Following the success of Marriage of Figaro in 1786, Mozart again collaborated with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte, this time on a work which explored the dark side of traditional comedy. Don Giovanni (1787), an opera of great power and eloquence, depicts the exploits and eventual punishment of an inveterate womanizer. It is based on the tale of Don Juan, widely used in literature from the 16 th century onwards. The overture is short, and includes music depicting both the dark and light sides of the Don.