Mozart's Così fan tutte

Following several widely lauded runs across Europe, the celebrated Mozart / Da Ponte trilogy by stage director Ivan Alexandre and conductor Marc Minkowski makes a triumphant return to the exquisite Royal Opera of the Château de Versailles in 2023, and you can watch it in full on medici.tv! Backed by Minkowski's marvelous Musiciens du Louvre, an expert cast breathes new life into the most famous operatic cycle this side of Wagner: Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte — the three masterpieces created by Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, all full of sparkling wit and instantly memorable arias and all counted among the crown jewels of the opera.

Così fan tutte, first performed in 1790, is the final Mozart / Da Ponte collaboration and the only one of the three not based on existing literary sources. A comedy of errors heightened to the point of absurdity, its supposed frivolity belies an incisive critique of Enlightenment values, offering "sweeping observations on the human condition," according to esteemed conductor Jane Glover in The Guardian. Soldiers Guglielmo (Florian Sempey) and Ferrando (James Ley), challenged by the old cynic Don Alfonso (Alexandre Duhamel, fresh off his titular turn in Don Giovanni), disguise themselves in order to test the fidelity of their fiancées, sisters Dorabella (Angela Brower) and Fiordiligi (Ana Maria Labin), with the help of mischievous maid Despina (Miriam Albano) — but all may end up getting a bigger dose of reality than they bargained for…

Every tune in this opera is a standout, but you're guaranteed to be stopped in your tracks by the sheer beauty of the sublime Act I trio "Soave sia il vento." Other highlights include the coloratura soprano aria "Come scoglio" performed in Act I by Fiordiligi, attempting to summon her nerve and resist temptation; Despina's Act II attempt to urge the sisters to cede to their suitors in disguise ("Una donna a quindici anni"); and the whole raucous finale, in which all is revealed and human foibles are forgiven.

Photo © David Ruano / Liceu Opera Barcelona