A Roll in the Hay with Mozart's Don Giovanni
Là ci darem la mano
Don Giovanni, K. 527, opera in two acts (1787)
I'm Mozart, and I'm about to explain the Là ci darem la mano track from my opera Don Giovanni. You'll hear Giovanni and Zerlina move from taking turns to singing together, and a chromatic slide in the music tells you the moment her resolve starts to weaken. Here on this site, my fellow composers and I also teach you to recognize our pieces when they play, so if you like, put yourself to the test right now.
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Two Voices and Nothing to Hide
Since this is your first time with classical music, I'll make it easy: in Là ci darem la mano you only have to follow two voices, Giovanni, a baritone, and Zerlina, a soprano. Think of it as a conversation set to music, and let the orchestra be the quiet friend who keeps the room warm underneath them. Listen first to who is singing, because at the start they take turns, and you can almost hear one of them asking and the other hesitating. Then wait for the moment when they stop taking turns and begin to sing together, because that change tells you how the whole scene ends.What's in a Name
I gave this duet the title Là ci darem la mano for a very simple reason: those are the words Giovanni uses to start his invitation, and the name sticks to the opening like a label on a jar. Da Ponte wrote those words, and I wanted the music to carry them as lightly as a friendly suggestion. That matters, because Giovanni is not shouting or threatening anyone; he is being charming, and charm is far more dangerous than noise. So the title does not describe a grand event, it simply gives you the first line of a conversation you are about to overhear.Choosing the Shape
Finding the right form for this duet was an adventure, because it is a little story told in one continuous stretch of about three to three and a half minutes. The music starts out gentle and unhurried, and then it changes its tempo and its whole way of moving, which is the biggest clue to how it is built. I divide it into three sections: the courtship, the wavering, and the happy agreement. I'll take them one by one in the next paragraphs, so you'll know exactly where you are when you press play.Section 1: The Charming Opening Offer
Here I begin in A major, andante, in 2/4, which means a calm, walking pace with two steady beats in every bar. Giovanni sings first, smooth and polite, and he invites Zerlina to come with him to his castle. She answers in her own verse, and the mood is light, though you can hear she is already thinking of Masetto, her fiancé. I kept the music simple and open here, because a seducer who sounds complicated would make her suspicious.Section 2: The Wobble
Now the music begins to slip downward in small chromatic steps, and I wrote it that way because it is the sound of Zerlina's resolve weakening. She is torn between Giovanni and Masetto, and the melody seems to lose its footing, like someone walking down stairs in the dark. Giovanni doesn't have to push; he only has to keep the tune warm and inviting while she talks herself closer to him. Notice that nothing loud happens here, and that quietness is exactly what makes this moment so persuasive.Section 3: Everybody Skips Along
Then the tempo changes to an allegro in 6/8, and the music starts to rock and skip, with a lilt that feels like a dance. The mood has turned from hesitation to delight, and you can hear that the question has been answered. At the start the two sing alternating verses, but now they blend in harmony, and their voices travel together as if they had planned it all along. That joining of the two voices is the whole story in a single sound, since the seduction has succeeded and the music says so without needing a single extra word.Your Turn, Press Play
Now I invite you to hear Là ci darem la mano for yourself, so find a comfortable seat and press play. Let the music carry you, and keep in mind what we've talked about: the polite offer, the slip downward, and the dance at the end. You don't need to know anything about classical music, because the two voices will tell you the story themselves. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I enjoyed writing it.---
I hope you enjoyed getting to know Là ci darem la mano as much as I enjoyed telling you about it. Did this little duet leave you curious about what comes next? Three minutes or so is not much time, yet it holds a whole small drama: an invitation, a hesitation and a hand that is finally offered. When you hear it again, you may notice new things, such as the way the two voices drift closer together until they sing as one. There is still a great deal more to explore in Don Giovanni. The story runs through a single day, and it moves from a wedding party to a ball, then to a graveyard and a very unusual supper. The Overture, the statue's arrival and the final scene all have their own stories to tell. I would love for you to meet them too. If you're curious, please click on the links provided and keep exploring the opera at your own pace. Take your time, listen again whenever you like, and let the music tell you what it wants to.