Walter Meyer wrote:

>If we're admitting double arias into this discussion, my choice would be
>"La ci darem la mano" (from *Don Giovanni*), the most convincing seduction
>scene I've heard on opera.  Aside from the beautiful music, there's the
>tantalizing text of Zerlina's responses to the Don's blandishments
>("vorrei e non vorrei, mi trema un poco il cor", "mi fa pieta Mazzeto",
>"presto non son piu forte") almost resolving itself in the "andiam, andiam
>mio bene, a ristorar le pene d'un innocente [sic] amor" but for the timely
>arrival and intervention of Donna Elvira.

I wholeheartedly agree!  I left out "La ci darem la mano" because I think
of it as a duet rather than an aria, but if we're rating duets it belongs
at the very top.  It is one of the miracles of Western art.  The melody is
one of the immortals, and it's also an absolutely perfect mini-drama--you
can't miss the feeling as Giovanni bit by bit breaks down Zerlina's
resistance.  After the Don's initial quatrain, Zerlina has a whole quatrain
to herself, as if thinking it over.  But soon she's responding to the Don
line for line--he's drawing her in.  He presses her with "Vieni, vieni,"
and in the reprise she's not only answering line for line, but with the
Don's original melody.  Then her phrases actually start to overlap his,
and finally, after "Andiam, andiam," she capitulates by repeating his very
word, after which they sing together, resolving the tension.  My favorite
touch is that the first time she feels herself giving in ("Non so piu
forte, Non so piu forte, non so piu forte") the repetitions come at the
same pitch, but the second time, near the end, they drop in pitch
successively, as she fades.  From opening to capitulation is something
like 2 minutes.  Wonderful!

Peter Goldstein