Mozart: Cosi fan Tutte, K. 588
DVD was recorded at the “Haus für Mozart” during the 2009 Salzburg Festival.
The title (Italian) of this opera means “That’s how they all do it”. In the original score the following was also added: “Or School for Lovers”
I have always loved the 5 or 6 best-known Mozart operas. And this one is the story of two young men who test their respective lovers to see if they would remain true to them. The two ladies are strongly tempted to be untrue, and Mozart’s title reveals his position: “Cosi fan Tutte” (They all do it).
This specific recording is done in a contemporary setting with a strong ensemble of young singers who toy with love and trust under the cynical gaze of singer Bo Skovhus’ Don Alfonso and his foxy, temperamental sidekick Despina, played by fiery young soprano Patricia Petitbon. Baritone Florian Boesch and tenor Topi Lehtipuu nicely complement their frisky partners Miah Persson and Isabel Leonard.
Conductor Adam Fischer keeps the tempi brisk and the Vienna Philharmonic shows us again their marvelous expertise in their reading of the score.
While I liked the fact that the humor of this comic tale is maintained even though it is in a contemporary setting, this is the one Mozart opera where I get tired of all the spoken recitatives, and I am always eager for the music to begin again. As in another opera done in Salzburg that I reviewed here previously (Don Giovanni), I feel that the staging was done at a meager budget, and was not very imaginative.
Bottom line: Great conducting by Adam Fischer and the VPO. The music is always timeless and wonderful.
Here are 8 minutes from another performanc of this opera:
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Tags: Mozart, Cosi fan Tutte, Salzburg Festival, Adam Fischer
You’ve got it in one. Couldn’t have put it bteter.