Mozart - Così fan tutte (Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Arthaus Musik)

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Cosi fan tutte was one of the lesser-played great Mozart operas well into the 20th Century. In the festivals of South-English Glyndebourne, however, this work – which was initially criticised because of its “amorality” – has a long tradition. It was played when the festival had its debut in 1934 and was the first opera staged after the Second World War.

This engaging and witty production from 1975 is conducted by John Pritchard and has been singled out by many Mozart connoisseurs for its colourful set, fabulous costumes, and abundance of humour in its character portrayals. The problems, the protagonists have to deal with, seem to be so up-to-date, that it’s hard to believe, that Cosi fan tutte is not a contemporary work.

The moral of Mozart’s dramma giocoso is clear: fidelity in women is like an Arabian phoenix; everybody says it exists, nobody knows where. Leaving this defamatory statement aside, Così fan tutte is Mozart’s most beautiful ensemble opera ever written and a magnificent example of his wit at work.

With sterling performances from Helena Doese, Sylvia Lindenstrand, Anson Austin and Thomas Allen, and careful remastering, this production is a real highlight.

01. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Cosi fan tutte, K588