The opera Don Giovanni by W.A. Mozart is a two-act comedy with a dramatic touch. The story follows the exploits of the infamous libertine Don Giovanni as he seduces and deceives, leading to his ultimate downfall.

Of Mozart’s five last operas, four have become not only standard repertoire today but also four of the most-played operas ever worldwide. In May 1786 The Marriage of Figaro premiered in Vienna. It was very successful there. However in Prague, one of the two artistic metropoles of the Holy Roman Empire, the opera was even more of a triumph. So big, in fact, that Mozart immediately received a commission for another opera.

These were difficult years for Wolfgang. His income had diminished, as he didn’t do as many concerts as before. In Vienna, there are no recorded public appearances whatsoever for 1787. On top of that, his father died in May 1787. So, the success of his next work was crucial if he was going to save his position, and more so, his finances. 

The collaboration with Antonio da Ponte had been very good for Figaro, and for his next libretto, it was obvious who was going to write it. This time the first premier was in Prague and only six months later it went up in Vienna. And in a similar way as with The Marriage of Figaro, while the audience in Prague adored it, in Vienna it was more of sober admiration. The reason could possibly have been that there was a war going on against the Turks.

Maybe because of these two achievements he was appointed Kammermusicus in November 1787. Not a big deal, but he had worked towards a position within the court for his whole life, and finally it became reality.