Facebook opera

Previously

It is unexpectedly warm in Seville in the south of Spain in the night of 21 March 1730, when Don Giovanni is born. At a young age, he becomes friends with Leporello and not long afterwards, the division of the roles becomes clear: Leporello becomes Don Giovanni’s servant and is sent to search for the perfect woman. A difficult task because Don Giovanni is not easily satisfied. The years role by and the list of ladies who have warmed Don Giovanni’s heart also roles by just as easily: the redheads, brunettes, blondes. The women of the countryside, the women of the towns. 

The stories of Don Giovanni spread through the world like wildfire and it does not take long for artists to be inspired by the exploits of this infamous womanizer. On 29 October 1787, Don Giovanni and Leporello see themselves on the stage in Prague in Mozart’s opera, and two centuries later, in 1995, they watch in a New York cinema whilst Johnny Depp acts a character which looks suspiciously like Don Giovanni in the film Don Juan DeMarco... And of course there are the many books about this persona, which he devours.

As much as he is a muse for other, Don Giovanni does not manage to find his own muse to tame his stormy heart. For centuries, the seducer and his servant wander the world in search of the perfect woman. For the last decade, they have been in Italy, Germany, France and Turkey, and have now come back home to Seville. If the perfect woman is not to be found out in the big wide world, perhaps she is to be found here, close to home.

Now

In the summer of 2011, Leporello lets all the women of Seville come and present themselves to Don Giovanni. Even tourists are allowed to come. After a parade lasting weeks and host of beautiful women, Don Giovanni’s mood is even heavier than it has been through all the centuries: his mind is reeling with all the women he has ever seen and had. Leporello has an idea for a clearly structured catalogue: Facebook. There, he can collect a list of all the women and the men can give him tips. Don Giovanni agrees, but he does not want to sit still behind his computer: he has heard of a South American beauty who apparently lives in The Hague.

Since May 2012, The Hague has been gripped by this seduction team. In April 2012, Don Giovanni and Leporello arrived in the capital, on the hunt for this exotic beauty that will warm his heart. Leporello is again allocated the task of finding her. But which one is she? A Cuban, Brazilian or indeed an Argentinean?

Finally, a meeting is arranged. With none less than Princess Máxima. The tryst took place in the Haags Montessori Lyceum on 29 May. It was an absolute debacle.

29 May 2012 The Prologue: Don Giovanni aims his arrows towards Prinsess Máxima

The exclusive and intimate tryst between Don Giovanni and the Princess ended yesterday in a debacle. The meeting was disturbed by a series of the Don’s ex-sweethearts coming for some payback. Assistent Leporello suffered especially, not in the least because Don Giovanni only appeared over Skype. With all this commotion, the facebook opera of OPERA2DAY received an unexpectedly exhausting and energetic start. On the facebook time line of Don Giovanni video clips of this embarrassing afternoon will shortly be made available.

The meeting with the princess got off on the wrong foot. The central hall of the Montessori Lyceum was completely filled with students from the school, a fact which made an intimate tryst utterly impossible. In addition, Don Giovanni didn’t even actually turn up on the day. In a live skype session, it was seen how – or rather, more significantly with whom – the Don was actually occupied at that moment. Assistent Leporello attempted to save the situation by getting the string quartet that had been invited to the tryst to put on a ‘grand concert’.

Don Giovanni reproaches his assistent Leporello for the disgrace (photo Dayna Casey)

The concert had to quickly be interrupted when a group of three young women appeared to inform us the status of their relationships with Don Giovanni. Leporello managed to fob them off fast enough but was powerless against the furious Zerlina. She took to the stage and made Leporello look extremely stupid, all before the eyes of the Princess. When a woman in full bridal attire then turned up and it transpired that she had earlier that day been deserted at the altar by don Giovanni, the students had had enough of him. A serenade sung by the Don via Skype – accompanied by mobile phone – was to no avail. In no uncertain tones, they let Don Giovanni know that they would rather that he disappeared. It thereby became evident that we had landed in the finale of a Mozart opera!

Leporello apologizes to the Princess (foto Dayna Casey)

After the conclusion, Princess Máxima with her renowned charm knew well how to calm the inflamed tempers around her. She conducted interviews with Leporello, the betrayed girls, the disappointed musicians and the assistents Leporello had invited to help him to stage the meeting. In the end, all left with cleared minds and uplifted hearts. Don Giovanni however, went missing without trace that evening.

And now?

What will happen now? The Don and Leporello have already planned their course! Follow their actions on Facebook…

Concept Serge van Veggel

Design and texts story De Kosmonaut (Annet Bremen, Koen Caris, Sytze Schalk)

Photography Dayna Casey

Contributions students of the Haags Montessori Lyceum and the International School of The Hague

Production Alice Gubler

Communication Marleen Leroy

Educational project    

Supervision Serge van Veggel

Coordination educational project Mieke van der Ven

Co-development educational project Krista te Brake

Lessons singing Janneke Daalderop

Lessons theater Leonie Pellen

Lessons creative text writing Annet Bremen, Sytze Schalk, Koen Caris

Lessons sound engineering Xavier van Wersch

Lessons portrait photography Charlotte Meindersma