Trampling mora borders – Cologne Opera asks What if Don Giovanni lived today?

By He Jianwei

Don Juan is a legendary libertine whose story has been told many times by many authors in many languages.

Spanish Baroque dramatist Tirso de Molina first put the character in a play in 1630. Among the Don’s best-known appearances are Molière’s play in French, Byron’s epic poem in English and Pushkin’s play in Russian.

But one of the most influential versions was the opera Don Giovanni composed by Mozart and first performed in 1787.

Last month, Cologne Opera presented a new version of Don Giovanni, set in modern times, which quickly became a hit in Germany. Two months later, the modern-day, cell-phone wielding Don Giovanni will take the stage in Beijing.

Don Giovanni tells the tale of a womanizer and his thirst for pleasure, presenting the audience with the enduring themes of guilt, regret, love and death. Photos provied by Wu Promotion