'Cosi Fan Tutte' is one of my favourite Mozart operas, with some of his most sublime music (especially "Soave Sia Il Vento"), a perfect mix of comedy and drama and some very interesting complex themes in the entertaining story. It has a healthy DVD competition, and a pretty good one as well.
So, along with that the previous 2017/2018 productions ranged from good to brilliant, there were high hopes for this 2018 production from the Met. There are some talented singers here, Christopher Maltman and Kelli O'Hara being the most familiar names, and it is always interesting when a non-traditional 'Cosi Fan Tutte' comes along. Am more a traditionalist myself and prefer traditional productions of 'Cosi Fan Tutte' and of opera in general, but am open to unconventional ideas and it has been shown that 'Cosi Fan Tutte' can work performed in an updated production.
Generally, this was a pretty good performance. Albeit not a great one. It is not a production for traditionalists, who will not be happy at how little Mozart/Da Ponte there is and how the complex themes and musings of the opera is shafted to one side largely.
It is let down by some of the stage business from the sideshows and background characters being very distracting and far too gimmicky and irrelevant. It made it impossible for the Act 2 serenade to make much impact because the distasteful stage business held too much attention, a waste of such amazing music beautifully performed. The ending is difficult to stage in the first place, made obvious in how clumsily handled it is with brief not particularly tasteful moments that added nothing whatsoever.
The applause at the end of every show-piece aria did disrupt the flow and became excessive, no matter how brilliantly they were performed it took away from the arias' impact somewhat. "Un Aura Amorosa" for example works better when there is a small gap to take in the intimate and sensitive nature of the aria, hurt by the applause interrupting the heart-melting close.
However, there is a lot to enjoy. The production does look great. The vivid vibrant colours are gorgeous to the eye and give off an authentic carnival feel, while the costumes are tasteful and the 1950s period is done so evocatively that it feels like we are transported and can practically feel and smell the atmosphere of the period and setting.
Regarding the staging, there are misfires but generally the comedy sparkles and is very funny and the dramatic bits are adorable and heartfelt. The character relationships are handled beautifully.
Musically, it is more than competent. Very good actually. The music is some of the most beautiful Mozart ever wrote and the orchestra, through a sensitive, lushly played, assertive and stylish reading, give the feeling that they think so. Everything feels together, the phrasing is beautifully weaved together and the dynamic range throughout is varied and often mesmerising. Any production of Cosi that brings freshness and vitality to the recitatives and nuances to individual arias for example musically should be applauded. The conducting is lively and accommodating.
A lot to praise for the performances, with the only reservation for me being Adam Platchetka's slightly bland and too blustery Guglielmo, when he finally tones it down in the wedding scene it is quite moving though. Serena Malfi on the other hand acts with a lot of energy and expression and provides a creamy and sultry tone to her voice. Amanda Majeski copes with Fiordiligi's truly challenging tessitura with brio and the complexity of the interpretation is made easy, she copes very well with the rather "eh?" staging of "Per Pieta", an aria that just needs the music and voice to do all the talking really.
Kelli O'Hara gives the standout performance here, she is very funny and scheming and sings with a radiantly bright tone. Christopher Maltman, the puppeteer of the action and this was something that thankfully the production did not ignore, is jovial without being a buffoon and snide without being too wicked, his singing is very hearty. Ben Bliss sings effortlessly and appeals greatly as Ferrando.
Overall, pretty entertaining but with some caveats. 7/10 Bethany Cox
