Ever since I was a small child, I had always known that my family has its origins in the country of Italy. I knew that my father’s family had come from Napoli, and my mother’s side from Naples. However, the closest I ever came to experiencing the rich Italian culture was my family’s weekly pasta dinner. That all changed on November 9th, 2010 at the Metropolitan Opera, where I was whisked away to 18th century Naples by one of history’s greatest composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. With its language, costumes, and scenery, Mozart’s opera Cosi Fan Tutte offered me a lens into the life my distant ancestors once lived.
The libretto of Cosi Fan Tutte, written by Lorenzo Da Ponte, tells of two young Italians- Guglielmo (played by baritone Nathan Gunn) and Ferrando (tenor Pavol Breslik) that are madly in love with their fiancés Fiordiligi (soprano Miah Persson) and Dorabella (mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard), respectively. So sure are the two young men in their lovers’ fidelity, that they are willing to bet the wise Don Alfonso (baritone William Shimell) 100 sequins the sisters will remain loyal no matter what. Alfonso devises a plot to fool the sisters, and enlists the help of the maid Despina (soprano Danielle de Niese). Under the pretense that they have been called to war, Guglielmo and Ferrando dress as foreigners and try to woo the other’s partner. At first the sister’s flatly rebuff their advances, but Despina’s frivolity and Alfonso’s duplicity eventually sway the sister’s to sympathize with the “foreigners”. The sisters soon agree to marry the foreigners in a great ceremony, when their fiancés “return” and discover their betrayal. The opera concludes with Fiordiligi and Dorabella begging for forgiveness from their enraged partners and Alfonso vindicated.
As Cosi Fan Tutte was the first opera I have ever attended, I was unaware that it is customary to skim the libretto before the performance. This turned out to work highly in my favor. Unaware as I was to the plot, my interest was engaged for the entirety of the opera. I thoroughly enjoyed following the story to its conclusion. Obviously, if subtitles had not been provided, it is likely I would have become frustrated or bored. Luckily the Metropolitan Opera’s translations conveyed the meaning of the words so that I could understand every song.
Because operas focus on the singing aspect of the performance, I held a preconceived notion that most opera narratives lack substance. Cosi Fan Tutte shattered that assumption, as I truly did not expect the two sisters to be successfully tempted by Alfonso, Despina, and the “foreigners”. The plot of the opera was indeed complex, illustrated by Fiordiligi’s initial rebuttal of Guglielmo’s advances, which contrasted with the actions of her sister Dorabella. Mixed into the rather cynical theme of “all women are like that” (from which the opera gets its name) were several comedic scenes, such as when Despina walks on stage dragging the entire set behind her and when Ferrando and Guglielmo appear in the foreigner’s clothing. These small additions into the opera helped it move along and made it a pleasure to watch.
One of the aspects of the performance I found truly remarkable was the skill and stamina of the singers. The performers in Cosi Fan Tutte were the masters of multi-tasking: they sang, took cues, danced, and kept time with the orchestra simultaneously. Besides the obvious finesse required to manage so many feats, the singers also displayed a striking amount of endurance. To juggle so many responsibilities, project to the audience, and appear on stage for extended periods of time, the singers needed the strength of an athlete. Indeed, Cosi fan tutte made me realize that there are many similarities between an opera singer and a sportsman. Both must be dexterous, resilient, and perform for an audience. If opera were an Olympic event, then the cast members of Cosi Fan Tutte would earn a gold medal in each category. Not once during the opera did I detect an error, whether vocal or kinetic. The performers never lost their energy; the sound waves of their voices permeated the theater until the very last scene. And finally, the actors made their characters come to life, whether they played the fickle Dorabella, the mischievous Despina, the pompous Ferrando, or the reserved Don Alfonso. Cosi Fan Tutte instilled in me an appreciation for all the hard work the performers put into an opera; indeed, they were the backbone of the entire show.
The setting and costumes of any theater production are crucial in setting the mood of a performance. It was obvious that the designers of Cosi Fan Tutte’s sets where highly aware of this fact. As the curtains separated at the beginning of the performance, the audience was shown a beautiful recreation of an ancient Naples harbor with a ship in port. Initially, I had perceived the ship to be a part of the backdrop. So I was pleasantly surprised when I watched it “sail away” backstage with the soldiers in tow. Another example of the masterful work of the stage crew was the garden scene, complete with rustic-looking architecture and lush foliage:
Source: New York Times
It would be remiss not to also commend the costume designers. Their work- from the long, flowing dresses of Dorabella and Fiordiligi to Despina’s comical notary disguise provided a beautiful showcase of 18th century Italian fashion.
At almost 4 hours long, Cosi Fan Tutte asks a great deal of its audience in terms of time. The length of the opera is one of only two features I found worthy of criticism. At first, I found myself annoyed that the singers would repeat a verse five, six, sometimes seven times. But then I realized that this repetition is beneficial, especially for those that read the subtitles. The redundancy of the singing ensures that no audience member will miss out on the action onstage, even if they glance down momentarily to read the translation. However, I still believe that the number of repetitions could have been decreased. This would have shortened the play, and in my opinion, make it more enjoyable. The only other complaint I had about Cosi Fan Tutte was the overpowering of the music by the opera singers. While I realize that singing is arguably the most important part of an opera, I do not think that it should drown out the music of Mozart-one of history’s greatest composers. As a student of music, I was disappointed with the lack of emphasis on Mozart’s compositions.
Before I had settled into my seat in the Metropolitan Opera, I did not think that Cosi Fan Tutte would leave a lasting impression on me. I had figured that after a long day at school, the sights and sounds of the opera would simply add to my headache. However this could not have been further from the truth. The singing, acting, and beautiful sets served as a rare treat during a rather humdrum week. I am very fortunate to have had Cosi Fan Tutte as my first impression of the opera world. My experience at the Metropolitan Opera will no doubt serve as a springboard to the wider world of opera and theater.
Well done.