Foucault notions of power and its implications of studying power in Essay

Foucault notions of power and its implications of studying power in international relations - Essay Example are few of the pertinent examples of power play within the society. But Foucault’s concept of power within the international relation becomes vital elements of global politics that has wide ranging implications for world at large (Patton, 1998). In the contemporary times, power within and across nations has emerged as major contentious issue that tends to suppress the wider objectives of democratic principles and sovereignty of nations which are less power powerful in terms of socio-economic, technology and military superiority. He describes it as a relation that is only visible when it is applied or used strategically in a situation to achieve one’s own vested interests (Foucault, 1982; Mills, 2003). Thus, it use or misuse becomes vital ingredients of maintaining one’s status in global political arena. The hegemony of America in global politics is prime example of economic, technological and military power that it applies over other nations. America has used its power either directly like invading Iraq on false pretence or indirectly through leading financial institutions like World Bank, IMF and international agencies like United Nations etc. and forcing developing and under-developed nations to open their markets for foreign business. Thus, Foucault’s concept of power can easily be applied on international

US History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

US History - Essay Example esulted into an strong sentiments against Britain, the second part discusses the revolution and how revolution failed to provide the desired result to all segments of the society and last section is about the political ideologies. This paper will discuss the historical events which took place since 1750s and how they reshaped the American history. Right from seven years war to the ideological conflicts between Hamiltonians and Jeffersonian regarding how the constitution of the country should be shaped, this paper will discuss as to how different factors resulted into the independence of United States. American Revolution is considered as one of the most significant events in history which radically changed everything. The involvement of different international players of that time has made the even as one of the significant events however, before the event can took place, there was a historical process which actually led America to the point of revolution. One of the key reasons for the expansion of colonies in the region was the systematic expulsion of Native Americans from the region. Further expansion also took place due to the disease, depopulation, war as well as the trade of Indian slaves. It is also important to understand that during 1750s and era before than, the region was critically controlled by three forces i.e. British, Spain and France and it was the continuous struggle between these powers which actually shaped the future course of history in the region. (Boyer, Clifford and Sandra) The overlapping interests of Spain, France and Britain therefore led to what is now called Seven years war. What is important to understand however, is the fact that this war actually redefined the relationships between different political entities within the region? Both, Britain as well as France sought the support of Native Americans. The initial efforts by Britain were overthrown by the French however, French were overpowered and Britain finally succeeded in

Prevalence of Asthma and its associated factors in two different areas Essay

Prevalence of Asthma and its associated factors in two different areas of Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The narrowing or obstruction of the airways is caused by airway inflammation and broncho-constriction. Its prevalence has been reported to be increasing everywhere in the world. Asthma is a considerable burden, not only in terms of health care costs but also of decreased productivity and diminished participation in family life. While for children who were asthmatic, the condition attributed significantly in causing absenteeism of these children as compared to those who were not asthmatic; asthmatic children showed higher mean period of school absenteeism (1) During the past two decades, we have witnessed many scientific advances that have improved our understanding of asthma and our ability to manage it effectively. Still, the variation of national health care systems and of asthma therapies necessitates that recommendations for asthma care should be adapted to local conditions throughout the global community. Saudi Arabia has been one of the nations that had seen an increase in the prevalence of asthma. The country is located in the Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen; the terrain is mostly uninhabited sandy desert. Generally the climate is harsh with a dry desert and with great temperature extremes. Saudi Arabia's 2005 population is estimated to be about 26.5 million; including about 5.5 million resident foreigners. Until the 1960s, most of the population was nomadic or semi nomadic; due to rapid economic and urban growth, more than 95% of the population now is settled. Some cities and oases have densities of more than 1,000 people per square kilometer (2,600/mile) (2). The estimated birth and death rates for 2005 were .29.56-births/1,000 population 2.62 deaths/1,000 population. The age structure of the population for the same year for age group 0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,149,960/female 4,952,138), 15-64 years: 59.4% (male 8,992,348/female 6,698,633), and 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 334,694/female 289,826) (3). Asthma has been rising in prevalence for the past two to three decades in the country and even in different parts of the globe. A survey conducted for the number of asthma cases among children between the ages of 8 and 16 for a 9-year period revealed that there was a significant increase in the prevalence of bronchial asthma from 8% in 1986 to 23% in 1995 (4). Moreover, another study comparing the symptoms of asthma in urban and rural Saudi Arabia in 1998 showed that a greater number of allergic symptoms were found in urban than in rural children and in Saudi than non-Saudi Arab children (5). Likewise, a survey of the socioclinical profile of children with asthma in Al-Majmaah province showed that male children represented 69% of the sample and children under one year of age manifested significantly severe degree of asthma (6). In the United Kingdom, a number of studies have shown a rising incidence of asthma up to 32.2% (7). Similarly, in the United States of America the prevalence of self-reported asthma has increased by 42% (8). Literature Review Factors associated with asthma are countless. They have been categorized in many groups based on some common characteristics. In the following paragraphs the matter is discussed under specific topics as it is concerned with asthma. Genetic Factors Role of genetics in this regard has been universal and it attributes to a

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 29

Case Study Example Each of the hospitals has their own unique culture that can either help or prevent the coping ability of the employees with the stress of working in their demanding environments. As the individual in charge of socializing the new nurses, I would first communicate the desired behaviors through either written or verbal communication. I would ensure that I role model the required behaviors on daily basis. I would also develop a mentorship program for them to encourage them to engage in a two-way communication and build confidence in them in their early career. This will ensure that they remain motivated all the time. I would also create a time out for some few hours to give them a break from their works and make them feel rejuvenated. There are various challenges that hospitals face when creating a culture that helps in the reduction and management of stress among the employees. One of them is that they have to come up with a creative strategy of ensuring that they manage on the time spent on motivating employees. The reason is that the hospital has to continue with its normal operations while the supportive culture is still going on. Thus, they have to divide the employees into shifts to take them out in shifts for instance, and this can be costly in the long run. Secondly, some hospitals lack the required time to motivate their employees in the required levels. This is considering that hospital nurses, doctors and nurses are under pressure on time and they have to give their undivided attention to patients. If the hospital lacks enough number of nurses, doctors and staff, then coming up with an organizational culture to reduce and manage stress levels in the hospital might be difficult (Ivancevich, Konopaske, & Matteson, 2013). There was a certain organization that I worked for that had inadequate employees. The few employees that worked there had high-stress levels and had to deal with a lot in the organization setting. Thus, the

Drawing on the concept of fashion as a form of communication, Essay

Drawing on the concept of fashion as a form of communication, critically analyze the role that fashion and clothes have in shaping people's identities - Essay Example This is the reason why fashion is spread out so as to make people understand where they are coming from and how they shall be seen within the related scheme of things. This is the exact manner under which their relevant selves will be highlighted and their personal beliefs shall be bolstered. This paper will discuss how the concept of fashion has evolved over a period of time and how it closely linked with culture and the identity basis. How people’s ideologies have been shaped up with respect to fashion is also something that this paper shall delve upon. Before fashion can be studied in-depth, it is required that the role of society under which it exists is taken note of. This is because this very society adopts and adapts it so that the people can have it within their lives to give out a statement. Why society can pose as a serious problem for the fashion domains from making its mark is a significant aspect that should be taken note of. This is because fashion pinpoints the basis of societal representation from vastly different ideologies. These concepts can change with the advent of time and be based on the beliefs of a select few, which is another point of much consideration. It must be remembered here that the society has the final say in making up the realms of fashion and how it is culturally adopted across the board. The leaders within any society of the world would have their own opinions when it comes to fashion and its inter-related pointers (Kim 2013). This discusses the tangent of cultural adaptations which can be had wi thin the relevant thick of things, and which always remain necessary to comprehend. Hence fashion needs to be given a chance on a proactive basis for it to make its mark on a local as well as a global level. This is when it is truly and wholly manifested. The role of fashion and clothes in shaping the peoples identities has been immense and this has been the case

Moby Dick, Sophies World, East of Eden Essay Example for Free

Moby Dick, Sophies World, East of Eden Essay In today’s society, the issues of fate and free will are hotly debated, drawing in heated discussions of religion, chance, and the extent of free will. While some believe we have a significant amount of control over our lives exercised through free will in our choices, others believe an entirely different power is at hand in controlling our lives. These issues often find themselves associated in literature, with examples such as John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, and Jostein Gaarder’s Sophie’s World. Among these books, there are different interpretations on the role of fate and free will in human life. In particular, these three different works of literature express varying shows of balance between fate and free will, and how easily that balance can be changed. Ultimately, it is the decisions made by the different characters, the reasons behind their choices, and the respective consequences that ensue that lead understanding of the different demonstrations of the authors’ interpretations of free will and fate. Free will and fate are often regarded in terms of a balance, in that there is some of life that is controllable by using choice, represented as our free will, while there is still another portion where there is little to no control, something we call fate. This observation of a balance between free will and fate is especially seen in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. In Moby Dick, Ishmael, our protagonist, finds himself in the company of Queequeg, the chief harpooner aboard the Pequod. While together, Ishmael and Queequeg weave a mat, with Ishmael passing the shuttle through the threads on the loom while Queequeg strikes the woof with his sword, to tamp down the threads. During their weaving, Ishmael makes an observation in that their current activity was like how fate, free will, and chance worked, thinking, â€Å"it seemed as if this were the Loom of Time, and I myself were a shuttle mechanically weaving and weaving away at the fates†. Ishmael compares fate to the â€Å"fixed threads of warped of the warp subject to but one unchanging vibration† on the loom. He then connects free will to his actions, â€Å"with my own hand, I ply my own shuttle and weave my own destiny into these unalterable threads†. He puts t he final pieces together by saying that chance is like when Queequeg strikes the woof, being he was â€Å"sometimes hitting the woof slantingly, or crookedly, or strongly, or weakly† that led to â€Å"producing a corresponding contrast in the final aspect of the completed fabric†. His connection with the mat making and fate demonstrated his perspective of the balance between fate and free will, and perhaps brings to light one of the more major themes of Moby Dick. He believes that free will is bound by fixed limitations we perceive as fate, and that our choices are limited to what we can weave around our limitations, with the exception of random occurrences called chance, which can alter the limitations fate puts on our expressed free will. In Moby Dick, different motive often leads to different choices, which overall comes together to establish various consequences. Queequeg, one of the crewmembers under Captain Ahab, had fallen ill while aboard the Pequod. In absence of proper medicine and medical attention, the most obvious conclusion was that Queequeg was going to die aboard the ship. He had even prepared for death by having a coffin made for him. At the end of it all, when it had seemed that fate had established his end, Queequeg simply claimed that he re membered he had some duties left to do ashore, and that he still had responsibilities. With his own will, he tried defy fate by recovering from his illness, attempting to give himself time to do his business ashore. The fact that the motive behind his prolonging of death was due to his responsibilities, one could easily interpret his decisions as noble and respectable. However, Queequeg was but one of the two members of the Pequod who attempted to defy fate, the other of which being none other than the captain himself, Captain Ahab. After losing his leg in an encounter with Moby Dick, Captain Ahab had grown rather obsessed with capturing Moby Dick, much to the point of giving up his sanity. However with all the stories of the great sperm whale, and even now knowing how destructive the whale could be, it was safe to say his search for the whale was ill-fated. However, even with fate clearly saying that his trip would lead to his own demise and possibly more, he was determined to capture Moby Dick purely out of spite and vengeance, two reasons that are often seen in negative light. What it all came down to was Queequeg’s noble intentions in trying to defy fate allowed him to recover from his illness and gave him more time, while Captain Ahab’s bitter motives ultimately led to not only the demise of the Pequod and its crew (excluding Ishmael), but also that of his own. Perhaps this brings to light another major theme of Moby Dick, in that it is ultimately our decisions in life and the reasons behind them that shape up how fate operates in our individual lives. This, along with the idea of the existence of human free will limited by fate yet alterable by chance, establishes the general idea of fate and free will have a crucial roles in making it possible to understand and comprehend Moby Dick and all of its themes. Just as fate and free will have important roles in determining how life is experienced by an individual, they also have key roles and determining of how an individual behaves. In a sense, it’s almost as if the decision of how a human is natured is a determinant in establishing the line between good vs. evil in a person. This good vs. evil concept could especially be seen in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Caleb Trask, the protagonist, struggles throughout the book while in a fight where he tries to suppress and overcome his inner demons. Caleb, son of Adam and Cathy, had lived his life in the shadow of his brother Aron, who was obviously in better light with his father. While Aron symbolically was the embodiment of all that was good, Caleb was the opposite, having had embodied evil, like his mothe r. However, Caleb demonstrates the usage of free will in the struggle of overcoming evil. This is clearly shown during the confrontation of him and his mother, and his realization that Cathy is a prostitute. When Caleb meets with Cathy, Cathy tries to convince Caleb that in addition to her being evil herself, he also has the same evil within himself, and that he is more like her than he knows. However, he realizes otherwise, that he has choice in whether or not he would be evil. At the end of their conversation, Caleb reminisces on what Lee said, saying that, â€Å"I was afraid I had you in me†¦ [But] I’m my own. I don’t have to be you†. At this part of the story, Caleb demonstrates understanding of one of the major themes of the story, simply known as Timshel. Caleb realizes that it is his choice, his own free will to overcome evil. He establishes that while there is evil in all of us, we are all capable of overcoming that evil, and choosing whatever path we wish to walk, all by using free will. While Caleb had ultimately come to the conclusion that morality is a free choice, other characters of East of Eden had other interpretations of morality. Aron, Caleb’s brother, for example had a problem with the overcoming of evil. His world had been neatly put together for him so that he only had to face good in life, to the point where his mother’s evil proved too much for him. Cathy, had been convinced that world was nothing but evil, and therefore accepted it and settled for using deception in order to advance in life. In the end, however, the evil she had spent her life embodying herself in proved to be just as overwhelming to her as it was to her son Aron, and she ultimately commits suicide. Caleb, standing at the crossroads of good and evil, successfully applies Lee’s advice and realizes morality is free choice, and that free will and determination are enough to overcome evil and lead a life of righteousness. By accepting that humans are imperfect and sinful, Caleb was able to realize that humans don’t need to be perfect to be good, and that true goodness comes after overcoming evil. Because he had applied Timshel in his life he became capable of living a controllable life, one with a moral destiny that truly belonged to him. John Steinbeck’s in-depth coverage of the story of Caleb and his choices truly make Timshel, or â€Å"thou mayest†, a very powerful and key theme in East of Eden. The role of free will in this story establishes the fact that e vil can be overcome by human, regardless of fate, and all up to moral decision. Just as previously stated and seen in books like Moby Dick and East of Eden, free will and fate are often seen as in a balance, sometimes with the weight over on fate’s side or vice versa. However, there are instances where free will can completely overcome fate in cases where it doesn’t seem to the slightest bit possible. Such an example of impossible overcoming of fate with free will can be seen in Jostein Gaarder’s Sophie’s World. In Sophie’s World, the story of Sophie, a 14 year old girl who undergoes philosophy lessons, is followed. Sophie, who consistently receives notes not addressed to her but with ponderous questions such as â€Å"Who are you†, believes that her life is practical, and that she is living her own life. However though a complicated turn of events, it is shown that Sophie, along with her philosophy teacher Alberto, are both part of another man’s imagination, characters of his mind. Albert Knag, the man behind it a ll, can be seen as fate, in that he controls what happens to Sophie and Alberto showing that they do not truly have a choice, and that their sense of free will was but an illusion. Though the odds against them are tremendous, being they are characters in Knag’s book and in his mind, Sophie shows a giant show of free will and escape, using the help of Alberto. Using nothing but free will, Sophie does the impossible and escapes the book and becomes a spirit, able to roam the world but fated to have limited interaction with the world. However, it is shown that Sophie plans on attempting on have more and more influence in the real world and that she is not content with being an invisible person forever. Gaarder demonstrates a theme of how limitless free will truly is, and how fate can be overcome regardless of how the odds are stacked. With all three of these literary pieces, there is a similarity in that all three books cover the topic of fate and free will. However, these three books show different interpretations of the extent of the two factors, and what is and isn’t possible when interacting with the two. Such as in the case of Moby Dick, free will and fate are shown to be in a balance, with the two working around each other nicely. It is also seen that fate cannot be overcome, in that the demise of the entire crew was inevitable. In East of Eden, fate and free will were shown to have impact on how a person is perceived as good or evil, and how free will can potential allow one to completely overcome evil. In the case of fate, free will is shown to be able to overcome it, however only with tremendous effort and understanding. Similarly, in Sophie’s World, fate was able to be overcome, but again, only with a tremendous amount of effort and understanding. These three books together and their respec tive morals and themes can be directly applied to daily life. Free will and fate do have roles in human life, in that misfortunes can often be presented and perceived as fate, and naturally actions in the form of free will can additionally play in overcoming those misfortunes. By utilizing and exercising free will in daily life, the perception of fate as being something completely uncontrollable can easily be brought down to a more containable entity. Moreover, with the understanding of free will and fate that these three books offer, the opportunity for a life with a controllable moral future becomes available. In these three novels, the overall theme of a relation between free will and fate is existent. Respectively, the three authors of these books show their own interpretations of how fate and free will coincide, and how much control humans have on their own fate, or just how much free will they can exercise. However it is seen in all three books that with enough exercise of free will in the right light, positive events may occur, such as East of Eden’s Caleb overcoming evil, Moby Dick’s Queequeg recovery from his almost certain fatal illness, and Sophie’s World’s Sophie, who escaped her confinements of being a controlled character in another man’s mind. Though the authors may have had their own unique interpretation of fate and free will, with their respective limits, the overall message that all three authors would most likely agree on would be humans are given a tremendous amount of free will and are presented with different kinds of fate, and that what they choose to do with that free will ultimately decides how much fate will control their life.

Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Analysis

Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Analysis Were transported to seventeenth century Spain for what has been called the greatest opera ever composed Don Giovanni! From the initial thundering chords of the breathtaking overture, this opera is filled with sexual heat, thrilling music and dramatic action. Indeed more action takes place in scene one of Don Giovanni, than that of most operas. Within the first fifteen minutes alone; a disgruntled servant, an attempted rape, a dual, a murder, a grieving daughter, and an oath of vengeance ensnare the audience! Our story properly begins in the early seventeenth century, when the character Don Juan made his stage debut in a three act play titled El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra (The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest) the play was first performed in Madrid around 1624, but published in 1630. It appears under the name of a playwright named Tirso de Molina; however this was actually the pseudonym of a Roman Catholic monk named Gabriel Tà ©llez. It was most likely written to present the issue of morality in relation to Don Juans amorous excesses. In seventeenth century Italy, it was a favorite story of the commedia dellarte. Molià ¨re wrote a play on the subject in Paris in 1655. And rather go on decade be decade, well hop forward to 1787. A key year, not for Mozarts Don Giovanni, but for the first performance in the city of Venice of an opera called Don Giovanni Tenorio, o sia Il convitato di pietra (Don Giovanni and the Stone Guest) the composer of this 1787 version was Gi useppe Gazzaniga and the Libretto was by Giovanni Bertati. The next person Id like to introduce to this picture is Lorenzo da Ponte; the great court poet in Vienna. Mozart had known of Da Ponte for a while. Four years earlier in 1783, when Mozart was relatively new in Vienna, he writes home to his father from Vienna that hes after Da Ponte to write a libretto for him, but he is so busy writing original opera libretti for some composers and adapting pre-existing libretti for other composers, it would be actually more than two years before Mozart could pin down Da Ponte to work with him. When he did, Da Ponte provided him with the libretto for their first collaboration the Marriage of Figaro. It was composed between October of 1785 and April 1786 and was premiered in Vienna. It received success for a limited time, before other productions came to take its place. But as interest in Figaro waned in Vienna, there was another city that was crazy about the Marriage of Figaro and that city is Prague. (Which at that time, it was the second most impor tant musical centre in Europe) Mozart went to Prague in January of 1787; it marked the beginning of a passionate relationship between him and Prague. Among other things Mozart conducted a performance of Figaro at the Opera house during his stay. On the seventeenth of January he writes to his friend and student Baron Gottfried von Jacquin he says; I saw with the greatest pleasure all the people in the ballroom dancing with such delight to the music of my Figaro. For here in Prague nothing is talked of but Figaro, nothing is played sung or whistled but Figaro No opera is drawing like Figaro. Nothing, nothing but Figaro. Certainly a great honor for me! On foot of the success of Figaro, comes a commission of an opera for the following season (nine months time). That opera would be Don Giovanni, which was written to be premiered in Prague as part of the celebrations for the marriage of the Archduchess Maria Theresa (niece of the Emperor Joseph II) to Prince Anton Clemens of Saxony. Mozart was delighted to accept this new commission and, naturally asked Da Ponte to join him on the project. As it happened, Da Ponte was already heavily committed, working on two librettos Tarare (for Salieri) and Larbore di Diana (for Martin y Soler). But he too was greatly attracted by the occasion and he was strongly drawn to the subject matter (his friendship with Casanova, was now about to pay dividends) this is what Da Ponte himself says about his choice of subject for Mozart For Mozart I chose Don Giovanni a theme which appealed to me enormously. In working on Don Giovanni, I shall think of Dantes hell This is a wonderful image, the great Lorenzo da Ponte, court poet of Vienna, the great operatic librettist. You picture him sitting, inspired by, reflecting on, and plunging into the depths and the mysteries of Dante. The very simple fact is, he was probably thinking a lot more about the libretto that Bertati had written for Gazzaniga in Venice. Da Ponte knows about that libretto and its very clear that he draws very freely from it, hes not about to write something from scratch if he doesnt have to. But in fairness to Da Ponte everything he touches gets better, which in artistic circles is what you like to see happening he borrows and repays the debt with interest. So back to the chronicle of Don Giovanni and its main character; this is a particularly concise sketch of the quintessential Don Juan character; he is the epitome of the modern age, an expansive type who is determined to enjoy the world, Immeasurably self aware, defiant of all forms of authority and opposed to all higher order he is in effect a corporate C.E.O.! Beethoven although he greatly admired the music of this opera, he very famously stated the he could not bring himself to write an opera on a subject so immoral as either Figaro or Don Giovanni .However. this is not to say that Mozart shared Don Giovannis moral values. In a letter Mozart writes to his father shortly after he arrives in Vienna he says the voice of nature speaks as loud in me as it does in others, louder perhaps, but I simply cannot live as most men do these days, in the first place; I have too much religion, in the second place; too great a love of my neighbor and too high a feeling of honor to seduce an innocent girl and then in the third place; I have too much horror and disgust, too much dread and fear of diseases Mozart; an eighteenth century practitioner of safe sex.who knew? Now, taking a look at the opera, theres been a lot of critical discussion over the years. Musicologists and critics of all types have written extensively about Don Giovanni and one central issue that always seems to appear is the question Is it a tragic opera? (opera Seria) or is it a comic opera?(opera Buffa) and the simple fact is that what it really comes down to is that it is both! And the strength is that it can be both of them, the juxtaposition of the tragic and the comic heightens the effect of both. This said, its not simply the alternation between tragic and comic but the fact that Mozart is often able to have both facets displayed simultaneously. In this regard he has the ideal collaborator in the form of Lorenzo Da Ponte, because Da Ponte is often praised by his admirers for his ability to interweave the tragic and the comic elements. Its interesting to note that Mozart himself labeled this opera as a drama giocoso (Playful drama) which reflects what he understands the op era to be. To give an example of the juxtaposition between the tragic and the comic I first have to give you a sense of Mozarts gifts of characterization, because that is what a great opera composer has to have at his or her disposal. The ability not only to delineate a character in music, sometimes in the instrumental music even before they open their mouths to sing, but also the ability to somehow express different emotional states of that character in the course of the opera. So to give an example of a contrast of emotional states; the duet that follows the death of the Commendatore, his daughter Donna Anna is quite understandably upset and agitated. Her betroved Don Ottavio is much more in control and in their music you hear their emotional states she is agitated and he is calmer. Heres what they sound like in their duet: Track 1 You dont have to understand what theyre singing in Italian to realize that shes agitated and hes calmer because you hear it reflected in what they sing. If you talk about the expression of powerful emotions in music, which is something that also matters here. To begin with one thing you should know about Mozart, is that he was very much a man of the classic period; in which elegance, balance, restraint and proportion were the stock and trade of the composer. This also extended to his representation of strong emotions. Theres a famous letter that he writes to his father, when he is composing his first Viennese stage work The abduction from the soraleo in which there is a surly gate keeper at the poshes palace whose name is Ozmide, he has an aria of rage directed at a man whos trying to rescue his girlfriend form the heron and Mozart writing to his father says yes the emotions that are expressed here are extreme, but the music must never lose itself Thats one thing you have to recognise, there will be later operatic composers who will go over the top with their music, when the emotions go over the top, but the musical range within whic h Mozart operates, suggests that even at the most extreme, emotions never lose the propriety of the music that is expressing them. The musical range is different from what you might encounter in Wagner or in Twentieth century but Mozart knows exactly what hes doing and the shading of these levels is what its all about. Now in act two of Don Giovanni its Don Ottavio who swears vengeance for the death of the Commendatore he sings the aria il mio tesoro the text begins go and console my treasure and try to dry the tears from her lovely eyes. I mention this aria because I want you to hear a little of what many consider to be the finest recording of it ever made, which is interesting because it was recorded in 1916 by the great Irish tenor John McCormack: Track 2 Weve really set the stage now for what I mentioned earlier about the juxtaposition of the tragic and the comic elements. After the duet you heard earlier, Don Giovanni and Leperello (Dons Servant) return to the stage and we return to the Opera Buffa style. Donna Elvira then sings a very serious and dramatic aria, its important to note that in every aria except this one by Donna Elvira, the singer is addressing someone else on the stage. This makes her aria the operatic equivalent of a dramatic soliloquy. It is intense, and yet the intensity is undercut by the fact that the fact that Don Giovanni and Leperello are off to the side of the stage eavesdropping and making comments about what she has to say: Track 3 What makes this convention even more elegant is that the places where Don Giovanni and Leperello are making their side comments are exactly the places where you would normally have an orchestral refrain punctuating what shes saying. So hes using the conventional form, but hes twisting it slightly which again undercuts the dramatic intensity. Now back to the original play by Tirso de Molina, if you take a look at that you find that at the end Don Juan with his dying breath says that Elvira is virgo intacta (a virgin) which makes her the only woman in the original play who gets through untouched. In Da Pontes libretto though, things are very different. As a matter of fact another recurring theme in the critical analyses of this opera is; overwhelming lack of success on behalf of the title character. Legendary loverà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.wheres it happening? Heres a compilation of comments on this subject made through the years: 1924 The action portrays anything but a successful sexual adventurer 1867 The cheerful tone that runs through the whole opera depends chiefly on the repulses with which the hero is continually made on the field of the heroic deeds 1954 Of all the Don Juans of literature and of drama, that of Da Ponte is professionally the most futile Irvin Singer You can understand Don Giovanni as a professional Athlete with a very high batting average. That he encounters frustrations within the opera, simple shows how difficult the sport is 1967 Every time Don Giovanni is absent from the stage you should consider a conquest is taking place. We are accustomed to crime detection in prose; this is sin detection with all the major clues in the music and plenty of others in the Italian It would seem like the last authors interpretation is at odds with the intentions of our librettist Mr. Da Ponte, I say that because in that libretto that Giovanni Bertati wrote for Gazzaniga the conquests are explicit and overt. Lorenzo da Ponte decides that he will tone down the obviousness of the amorous conquests in his version of the story. We believe in his seductive powers by virtue of what he says and how he sings it, which of course is what opera is all about. The duet la ci darem la mano is an example of Don Giovannis seductive capabilities: Track 4 A man named Edward Dent (Who wrote a famous book on Mozart Operas) he says After Don Giovanni himself, by far the most interesting character would be Donna Elvira One of her finest moments is very interesting musically because it is Mozart specifically stepping out of the style of his time and stepping back to the style of Handel. Often you would find a composer in any period to be somewhat conservative in their musical style if theyre writing sacred music; the idea of reaching back and evoking a certain timelessness and archaic quality that serves the text. Well here were in the course of an opera, but its clear that he probably wants to make this come across like a sermon because what shes singing is flea the traitor, dont listen to what he says, his lips are lying ones, his eyes deceiving and he crafts it in the style of a Handel aria: Track 5 And then just another indication of the music variety you find here a very simple tune Batti Batti (Beat me, beat me) is rendered less trivial by an obligato solo cello: Track 6 The effectiveness of that cello leads us into the whole question of orchestral colour. When we think of the drama and the power of Mozarts music the first thing of course that comes to mind of course is melody, the most inescapable part of an operas score. But then theres the harmony which we sometimes dont think about as much as the melody but also exerts a powerful influence, but also orchestration; the use of varying colours in varying situations, which even if were not thinking about consciously exerts a very powerful subliminal effect on us. Heres a very nice example; orchestral colour used to literally paint an island of repose in the trio proteggia if giusto cielo (may just heaven protect my determined heart) the strings drop out and the singers are accompanied only by the winds. You can really get the sense that you are somewhere else: Track 7 But the most important instrumental point of interest has to do with trombones. In Mozarts time, trombones generally belonged to church music and not to the theatre. As far as their use in symphonic music it is not until Beethovens fifth symphony (twenty one years later) that the trombone made its first appearance in a symphony. So to put yourself in the shoes of the Prague audience I know trombones but I think of them as belonging to the church so how does he use them here? Mozart associates them with the statue of the commendatore, the statue that is going to come to life, and when it comes to life in the graveyard scene thats when the trombones appear. You can be sure the audience in those days were terrified: Track 8 And when the statue comes to Don Giovannis banquet he brings his trombones: Track 9 When the statue that has come to life shows up with his trombones, the music is not new to us because weve already heard it in the overture, and what is very, very significant about this; it is the only time in Mozarts entire operatic career that he writes an overture that begins with a slow introduction. The obvious reason why he does it in this case is because he wants to give us a taste of that terrifying music at the very beginning: Track 10 Its interesting to note that the night before the premiere of Don Giovanni; Mozart had to stay up all night to write the overture which according to a member of his orchestra had not even been sketched! Another wonderful point of interest, a very famous passage in Don Giovanni, which is a reflection of Mozarts experience writing dance music for the ballrooms of imperial Vienna that is where he simultaneously gives us three different dances representing three different levels of society. Mozart who we all know could work things out in his head and spew it out on the paper without effort actually made sketches for this, it was something he actually had to think about. Its the same effect that Charles Ives is going to create somewhat later. The idea of standing in a certain place with different ensembles playing, you hear them simultaneously and the soundscape is the composite of three different elements. This is what it sounds like in Don Giovanni: Track 11 Now thats simultaneous combination, Id like to also tell you about a kind of consecutive juxtaposition of things which is very interesting, it represents a little of the in humour of whats going on here; we are almost at the end of the opera, and were in the banquet hall of Don Giovanni whose own personal orchestra is playing. The first tune they play is the act one finale of Martin y Solers (one of Mozart contemporaries, and another composer asking Da Ponte for a liberetto) opera Una cosa rara so youll hear the acknowledgement of cosa rara: Track 12 Then they play an excerpt from an opera of another one of his contemporaries named i due littiganti by Sarti. Leperello cheers the selection, Don Giovanni simply tells him to pour more wine: Track 13 There is a basic rule of humour or comedy writing that is; set up, set up and punch line, Mozart knows how to do that! We have something by Martin, something by Sarti, the third thing that Don Giovannis orchestra plays is non piu andrai from the Marriage of Figaro. Now of course every single person in that audience in Prague would have immediately recognised it from the first few notes because as we know these were the tunes to which they were singing, whistling, humming, dancing etc. these were the tunes that took over Prague before Don Giovanni! How does Leperello respond he says I know that tune troppo (too well): Track 14 Since Ive already given away the ending of the opera, I will play some of the music that accompanies Don Giovannis descent into hell.through a trap door in the stage, which is a lesson to all of us to beware of trap doors in stages, because you know where they lead! Again with orchestral effects and an offstage chorus, it absolutely terrified the audiences of Mozarts time: Track 15 Theres a famous story told of a somewhat out of shape Don who got stuck in the trap door on the way down, and no matter what he did, he couldnt push himself either way, at which point someone in the audience yelled out Hurray boys, hells full! Id like to close by posing and answering a question, obvious in the light of the history that Ive provided you with, and that is; after it was performed in Prague, how did Don Giovanni fair in Vienna? Well seven months after the triumphant performances in Prague, it premiered in Vienna, but unfortunately the reception was somewhat cool. The Emperor said to Da Ponte The opera is divine, I would even venture that it is more beautiful that Figaro but such music is not meat to the teeth of my Viennese and the story goes that Da Ponte relayed this message back to Mozart and his reply was well let them chew on it. So Happy Chewing!