– Mariam Kirvalidze
I have never seen an opera before Cosi Fan Tutte. My expectations of a Metropolitan opera comprised of a plump woman singing center stage without my knowledge of what she was singing. So naturally, I was surprised to see a show that reminded me of a play with an intricate plot that the opera really depended on. Although I knew the opera was based on a story of four lovers who engaged in lusty affairs that led to unfortunate internal conflicts, I thought the singers would simply be echoing their feelings instead of partaking in action. I was really impressed that the opera singers had to both act and sing beautifully at the same time (the style of singing sounded like dialogue to me). Because the singing was done in a conversational manner, I was able to relate more to the opera. The singing between the sisters in their room reminded me of my best friend and I debating about a dilemma. The dramatic acting that conveyed such characteristics that the audience could easily empathize with, the lovely “Italian-esque” scenery, and the Renaissance costumes could have made a wonderful play even without the music. Despite this, the voices and Mozart orchestra kept me shivering throughout; I could barely distinguish the two and saw them as one unit. As the mood grew light, the singing sounded decorated and optimistic and the orchestra sounded airy and amusing. I also noticed easily, as Mark Ringer mentioned, that the young singers had varying optimal ranges of voices. For instance, Fiordiligi and Ferrando were sopranos, whereas Dorabella and Guglielmo had lower ranged voices. I never thought that there were such specificities in opera before and I always assumed singers did what they could. I couldn’t say which set of voices I liked best. All of the voices seemed to echo loudly through the spacious, grandiose auditorium, even without the use of microphones. This fact really made me appreciate the singers’ abilities and human ability in all. The singers made me feel as if there are no limits on what man can do.
Adding to my fascination of the opera was the highly interesting plotline. The men tried to see if their fiancés would be unfaithful if left unwatched and sure enough, within a day, the women were in the arms of other men (so they thought). But what bothered me was that the women themselves did not decide they would cheat on their men, but instead, they were practically manipulated, brainwashed, and pushed into their new affairs by Despina and Alfonso. Thus, I don’t consider it fair to say that all women are unfaithful- perhaps it takes the cunning deceit of man to bring out the unfaithfulness of a woman. The opera also ended on a very interesting note in which the couples rejoined with the partner they cheated with- leaving the audience thinking if the men loved the women they weren’t supposed to be with as well (further taking away from the idea that it is solely women who are unfaithful). I think the concluding mystery which leaves the audience wondering is pretty daring of an 18th century opera.
I always enjoyed Mozart’s compositions and because I really admire the talent of singing, I loved this experience. But at times, the intensity of it all was so strong that I wasn’t able to absorb of it and felt like it washed over me but not through me. I believe my lack of experience with opera together with the long duration of the opera accounts for these feelings. But this is only a small dissatisfaction in an otherwise highly gratifying and amazing experience which I hope to explore again.
