COSÌ FAN TUTTE
MUSIC WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
LIBRETTO DE LORENZO DA PONTE
LIBRETTO DE LORENZO DA PONTE
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This celebrated opera buffa takes a fresh look at the delightful – albeit dangerous – game of love. In a scenario fit for an episode of Temptation Island, six exceptional lyrical talents welcome us to a terrace overlooking the Bay of Naples, where a wager among men aims to put the fidelity of two young women to the test. But before the masquerade is over, they will all learn more about themselves than they ever imagined. As funny as it is dramatic, this 'school for lovers’ is brimful with radiant music that never betrays nor lies.
THE PLOT
Così tells the story of two naval officers, best friends in the world, and their fiancées, two sisters. Meddling in their relationships are a know-it-all philosopher and a sharp-tongued chambermaid. The philosopher presents his young friends with the cynical wager that no woman can remain faithful if the right temptation crosses her path. Accepting his terms, the young officers pretend to set sail and return in disguise, each trying to seduce the other's fiancée. But what starts out as an innocent ruse soon turns into a risky game. At the end of this crazy day, who will be leaving with whom? |
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Stage direction Eric Gobin
Musical direction Vahan Mardirossian Fiordiligi Laura Telly Cambier Dorabella Cécile Lastchenko Ferrando Kenny Ferreira Guglielmo Kamil Ben Hsaïn Lachiri Despina Dorine Mortelmans Don Alfonso Shadi Torbey With the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia Pianists Lionel Bams, Noemi Biro, Arnaud Dos Santos Assistant stage director Charlie Cattrall Italian language coach Primo Lunghi Dramaturg Keith Tillotson Set Frédéric Philippe Sung in Italian with surtitles (FR and NL) Pre-show chats (FR and NL) an hour before curtain Duration 3 hours with intermission |
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A FEW WORDS FROM THE STAGE DIRECTOR
Mozart wrote Così, a delightfully intimate opera exploring the complexities of love, at the height of his creative powers. It premiered on January 26, 1790 at Vienna's Burgtheater and is the last opera he would compose to a libretto by Da Ponte. We know that Da Ponte first offered his text to Salieri, who ultimately rejected it as unworthy of musical invention. Faced with the same challenge, Mozart made it not only the most musical of his operas, but also the most accomplished ensemble opera of all time.
It takes six stars to sing one Così.
Having neither title role nor main character, Cosi fan tutte is above all a game for six players. Mozart, always mindful of the interaction between his characters, here favours ensembles to better interweave them. Besides magnificent arias, Così alternates duets, trios, quartets and even sextets, each richer and more radiant than the last. Mozart's unique capacity to seduce both his performers and his audiences largely explains the enduring popularity of his operas. His exploration of human nature and his translation of sentiments into music resonate deeply even today.
Love is like a volcano.
In the end, the real danger bubbles beneath the surface, in what the characters ignore about themselves. Così thus becomes a prodigious laboratory where one artfully probes the mysteries of human desire. But in this 'school for lovers', what lessons are we to draw? That all women are fickle? That all men are too? In this apparently misogynistic work, it is in fact the maid who asks the central question: 'Amor cos'è ?' What is love? The young people are very sure of their definition at the start of the opera, but as it progresses, their beliefs are challenged. As, perhaps, are ours.
We go from marvel to discovery.
Returning to Così, reopening a score we first performed seven years ago, evokes both wonder and discovery. We marvel once again at the perfect balance between text and music, comedy and drama. And we discover that we are not the same, that the world has changed in seven years, that the show tells a rather different story about male-female relationships. Finally, a new cast comes into play, all perfectly suited to their roles and bringing their own creativity to the work. The experience promises to be an exciting one - yet another step in the never-ending exploration of a Mozartian masterpiece.
Eric Gobin
Mozart wrote Così, a delightfully intimate opera exploring the complexities of love, at the height of his creative powers. It premiered on January 26, 1790 at Vienna's Burgtheater and is the last opera he would compose to a libretto by Da Ponte. We know that Da Ponte first offered his text to Salieri, who ultimately rejected it as unworthy of musical invention. Faced with the same challenge, Mozart made it not only the most musical of his operas, but also the most accomplished ensemble opera of all time.
It takes six stars to sing one Così.
Having neither title role nor main character, Cosi fan tutte is above all a game for six players. Mozart, always mindful of the interaction between his characters, here favours ensembles to better interweave them. Besides magnificent arias, Così alternates duets, trios, quartets and even sextets, each richer and more radiant than the last. Mozart's unique capacity to seduce both his performers and his audiences largely explains the enduring popularity of his operas. His exploration of human nature and his translation of sentiments into music resonate deeply even today.
Love is like a volcano.
In the end, the real danger bubbles beneath the surface, in what the characters ignore about themselves. Così thus becomes a prodigious laboratory where one artfully probes the mysteries of human desire. But in this 'school for lovers', what lessons are we to draw? That all women are fickle? That all men are too? In this apparently misogynistic work, it is in fact the maid who asks the central question: 'Amor cos'è ?' What is love? The young people are very sure of their definition at the start of the opera, but as it progresses, their beliefs are challenged. As, perhaps, are ours.
We go from marvel to discovery.
Returning to Così, reopening a score we first performed seven years ago, evokes both wonder and discovery. We marvel once again at the perfect balance between text and music, comedy and drama. And we discover that we are not the same, that the world has changed in seven years, that the show tells a rather different story about male-female relationships. Finally, a new cast comes into play, all perfectly suited to their roles and bringing their own creativity to the work. The experience promises to be an exciting one - yet another step in the never-ending exploration of a Mozartian masterpiece.
Eric Gobin
AN AMADEUS & CO PRODUCTION