Cosi Fan Tutte Review

The lights started to dim, and the chatter in the auditorium became quieter before it quickly dissipated. A moment later there was a sudden burst of music coming from the orchestra, music that was vibrant and made me see bright colors, music that told a story of its own, a story that the human brain can recognize but can’t pin down with words.

This was the opening for Mozart’s opera Cosi Fan Tutte, performed at the Metropolitan Opera on November 9, 2010. The opera is about a wager made between two young men, Ferrando and Guglielmo, with who are both engaged to beautiful lovers, and an older man Don Alfonso, who claims that their lovers will ultimately prove unfaithful, because “all women are like that.” Ferrando and Guglielmo then pretend to be sent off to war, disguise themselves, and try to woo the lover of the other man.

This being my first opera since I was a child, I was struck by how exaggerated the acting was. Rather than being disingenuous, however, this exaggeration simply reveals the full spectrum of emotions a person feels. While a woman is supposed to contain herself, and not be excessively sorrowful when her lover gets sent off to war, and be supportive and proud, inside she feels the situation to be entirely tragic. This is made more than clear by the singing of the two female lovers, Dorabella and Fiordiligi, who are sisters. Even if one is not watching the opera with subtitles (I was fortunate enough to have mine work, my friend sitting next to me was not as lucky), one can hear and grasp the weeping quality of the sisters’ singing.

Although 21^st century sensibilities differ from 18^th century ones, the opera is able to be understood remarkably well, perhaps due to the fact that love and fear of infidelity are timeless themes, going back to classical Greek tragedies. One thing that concerned me, however, was that Ferrando and Guglielmo are more than thoroughly amused by their ruse, at least at first, but they don’t feel guilty for the suffering they are causing their lovers. This, in addition to the title of the opera, indicates a change of sensibility, but one that allows us to learn more about 18^th century Western European culture.

One problem with the opera, however, is its length, especially considering the simplicity and predictability of the plot. Some scenes tend to drag on and on, and they seem that they could be entirely cut from the opera with minimal effect on the plot. Perhaps this is simply a result of Mozart showcasing his incredible composing ability. This may cause members of the audience to elicit more than a few yawns, however.

The opera is funny, and the singing is grand, dramatic, and memorable. The backing music is excellent as well. As I could only see the conductor, and not the actual performers, it looked as if he was brilliantly extracting the music from the pit below, adding a remarkable effect. The opera is certainly worth seeing, especially if it’s the first time in recent memory that you’re attending one.