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| The Cast of "Cosi fan Tutte" (photo: Metropolitan Opera) |
Mozart's
opera Cosi Fan Tutte has
always presented a fundamental challenge for a company attempting to
mount its production, namely how to portray the two female leads,
alluded to in the title, who, in the libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, inexplicably don't recognize their
respective disguised lovers. In this latest Metropolitan Opera
version (a co-production with English National Opera) the conundrum
isn't solved, but this Fathom Events HD Live broadcast makes a
significant effort to do so, by updating the story, placing the
action in America in the 1950's, utilizing a few unusual venues such
as a nightclub, a boardwalk, a Skyline Motel, and the Pleasure
Gardens Fairground, all at Coney Island.
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| Kelli O'Hara in "Cosi fan Tutte" (photo: Metropolitan Opera) |
The story begins as Don Alfonso (baritone Christopher
Maltman) offers Ferrando (tenor Ben Bliss) and Guglielmo
(bass-baitone Adam Plachetka) a wager, namely that their fiancees,
the sisters Fiordiligi (soprano Amanda Majeski) and Dorabella
(mezzo-soprano Serena Malfi) will be unfaithful to them, which they
don't believe possible. Alfonso then tells the two women that their
boyfriends have been called away into battle. Though inconsolable,
the women are urged by their maid Despina (soprano Kelli O'Hara) to
find new lovers. With Despina's help, Alfonso introduces them to two
“new” friends (Ferrando and Gugliemo in disguise). Rejected by
the women, the two imposters pretend to take poison, and Despina
(herself disguised as “Doctor Magnetico”) pretends to heal them.
Claiming they must be kissed to recover fully, the “boys” are
rebuffed again. Later, the women are encouraged by Despina to choose
which new lover each prefers. Dorabella finally succumbs to the
disguised Guglielmo, but Fiordiligi spurns the still-disguised
Ferrando, though eventually she gives in. Still disguised as the
Doctor, Despina arrives ostensibly to marry the two couples, but
Alfonso declares that the boys have returned and reveals them to be
the disguised suitors. Initially the boys profess to be shocked, but
eventually admit to the whole charade; Alfonso bids them all to have
learned their lesson.
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| The Cast of "Cosi fan Tutte" (photo: Metropolitan Opera) |
In this performance, under Conductor David Robertson, there was much to enjoy. The comic
Production by Phelim McDermott with colorful Set Design
by Tom Pye in collaboration with Improbable) was a visual stunner,
from the Costume Design by Laura Hopkins to the Lighting Design by
Paule Constable. The Live in HD Director was Gary Halvorson, and the
Host was Joyce DiDonato (who will be seen on Saturday April 28 as the
title character in the season's final Live in HD broadcast,
Cendrillon). As for the sextet of singers, they were
virtually perfect in their roles. Maltman, dressed as a baggy pants
comedian, and Bliss and Plachetka, as leather bomber-jacket greasers,
as well as Majeski and Malfi in their 50's dresses, looked the part
and sounded wonderful. And, though primarily known for her Broadway
theater roles, O'Hara (who previously performed in the Met's The
Merry Widow) once again displayed a lovely voice and a knack for
comic timing. They all managed to exceed one's expectations with the
slap-schtick approach to Da Ponte's libretto, complete with
real-life actual sideshow performers, from sword-swallowers to
fire-eaters to (also real-life) snake charmers. It made for a unique
conception of the opera that will be hard to equal or surpass.
The Encore presentation will be broadcast on Wednesday
April 4th at a theater near you.
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