I expected to hate Cosi Fan Tutte. I had never seen an opera before, but I had a very bad preconception going in. I had always known opera to be hefty people singing really long notes to a crowd of old people. The other Art Seminar classes also told me that the show was terrible. I was walking into the MET with huge bias, and was dreading the show. But despite my prejudice, I walked out of the intermission with a completely different perspective. I thought the show was amazing, one of the best shows of the semester. The cast, the set, and the comedy were all so vivid and humorous; I couldn’t believe it was written hundreds of years ago. I never thought I’d say it, but Cosi Fan Tutte made me a fan of Opera.
I’m so grateful that the MET had subtitles in the backs of the seats. If not, I would have missed out on an amazing script. There was wit, cleverness, and depth; the three traits of any good libretto. The humor was relevant, which shocked me. The dialogue was intelligent and engaging. It was probably so absorbing because of how well it portrayed human emotion. When I heard that the Opera was theatrical, I thought that the constant singing would ruin the acting. But although the actors sang every line, I still thought they put on authentic and convincing performances. Cosi Fan Tutte is such a masterful display of real human emotion; it’s no wonder that the show is still popular to this day. The emotion that the cast puts into every note is still relatable for any audience.
The set was also a fantastic element of the Opera. It was dynamic, well constructed, and the boats in the background were amazing. The way Despina pulled the house onto the stage was not only hilarious, but it also highlighted the quality of the production crew. This high quality production is part of what makes Cosi Fan Tutte so much more enjoyable than a performance like the Kathakali or Baroque. The magnitude of the show compels me to pay attention and take the show seriously, which helped me overcome my initial bias.
But what truly set Cosi Fan Tutte apart from anything I had ever seen before was the vocal performances of the cast. Every singer was phenomenal; their voices were so loud and clear. Before I took my seat at the opera I looked up and saw just how huge the theatre was. I then remembered that the singers didn’t use microphones. Not knowing what to expect, I was blown away at the volume of their voices. They were just as loud as any microphone could have been, and they sang with so much clarity in their voices that I almost understood them! I realized how hindering microphones really are to a vocal performance, and I was stunned at how natural and pure their voices were.
I haven’t been more surprised by any performance this entire semester. I went from dreading Cosi Fan Tutte to loving it. The opera was so well done, and the acting and singing were phenomenal. On top of all these aspects, the comedy was fantastic and kept me interested. Overall, I would say that Cosi Fan Tutte was three hours well spent.
