DON GIOVANNI: Myths of Seduction and Betrayal,...

DON GIOVANNI: Myths of Seduction and Betrayal, edited by Jonathan Miller (Johns Hopkins University Press: $10.95, illustrated) and THE METROPOLITAN OPERA BOOK OF MOZART OPERAS edited by Paul Gruber, translations by Judyth Schaubhut Smith, David Stivender and Susan Webb (HarperCollins: $19., illustrated). Many critics consider “Don Giovanni” the greatest of Mozart’s operas; George Bernard Shaw regarded it as the greatest opera ever written “in virtue of its uncommon share of wisdom, beauty and humor.” As the hoopla surrounding the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death subsides, music lovers can relax and peruse the unusual essays in the collection edited by Jonathan Miller. Although the story of “Don Giovanni” or Don Juan can be traced only to the 17th Century, Peter Conrad sees the character as an archetypal figure comparable to Faust. Historian Peter Gay offers a brief, Freudian analysis of the libidinous Don’s activities, noting that “Don Giovanni” was Freud’s favorite opera. Malcolm Baker surveys 18th- Century funerary sculpture and speculates on the probable appearance of the terrifying Stone Guest who drags the unrepentant sinner off to hell. “The Metropolitan Opera Book of Mozart Operas” offers modern, readable (but not singable) translations of seven of the composer’s most famous works. It’s a useful reference to have at hand while reading the Miller anthology--and/or listening to a favorite recording.