With an inane and light-hearted storyline, Cosi Fan Tutte is a well-produced opera for people of all ages. Similar to Shakespeare’s Iago from Othello, the character of Don Alfonso, played by William Shimell, makes a bet with two naïve men, Ferrando, played by Pavol Breslik, and Guglielmo, played by Nathan Gunn, about the faithfulness of women. Don Alfonso with the help of Despina, wonderfully portrayed by Danielle de Niese, sinisterly tricks the fiancés of these men, Fiordiligi, portrayed by Miah Persson, and Dorabella, portrayed by Isabel Leonard, into unfaithful acts with their distinguished fiancés to prove his point: all women are unfaithful.
Act I was the highlight of the opera with its comedic introduction and acting. The audience is giving an excellent window into the various characteristics of the players and their relationships with each other. Each actor and actress is successfully able to express himself or herself through body language. Act II was excruciatingly painful with its drawn out storyline and redundant lyrics. It just took too long to get to the very predictable ending.
The cast of this opera includes some very talented singers. Danielle de Niese by far outshines the rest of the cast. She has amazing vocals and acting skills. The audience falls in love with the character of Despina because she is able to cleverly portray this mischievous character. Though the character of Don Alfonso was one of my favorites, the singing of Wolfgang Holzmair was not. His often inaudible and off-key performance was a low point in an overall well vocalized opera.
The most mesmerizing aspect of opera was the scenery. The ship was skillfully crafted, as was the house of the women. It is evident that a great deal of time was put into the making of the various props and infrastructures.
Cosi Fan Tutte was definitely a memorable experience and something I probably would not have experienced on my own. This opera will turn first time opera viewers into lifelong fans.
