Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte, a librettist, first met in Vienna in 1783. They shied away from the staid Greco-Roman mythologies, used frequently in opera until then, choosing to collaborate on human interest stories. Musicologists rightly praise Mozart’s ability to "draw" a character in very few bars. In 1786 "The Marriage of Figaro" was their first collaboration.

It was a huge success in Vienna. "Don Giovanni," of 1787, was next. It premiered in Prague. Based on reprobate and seducer, Don Juan, of Seville, Spain; a story Da Ponte worked on with Composer Bertati in 1782, The manager of Prague Opera wrote, "A most brilliant audience for Don Giovanni!