On October 31st and November 2nd, Opera York presented Mozart’s Così fan tutte at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts.
After collaborating with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte for the blockbusters The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, Mozart and Da Ponte joined forces once again for this comedic work about love, deception and human nature. The story is simple: two soldiers, at the urging of a cynical old philosopher, test their fiancées’ loyalties by disguising themselves and attempting to seduce each other’s lovers. Who will win the bet? What ensues is three hours of gorgeous melodies packed into a plot which is truly ridiculous and, at times, mind-numbingly stupid. But anything created by the dream team of Da Ponte and Mozart is worth listening to, and the music is startlingly beautiful.
Henri Irwin portrayed the wily puppet master of love, Don Alfonso. As he roamed the stage wreaking chaos, Irwin was a subtle and effective actor. The small orchestra and venue suited his bass tone, and his recitatives were easily understood. (Throughout the performances, the recitatives were sung in English, seamlessly turning into Italian when arias and ensembles resumed.) Irwin was particularly effective in ensembles, and the blending of his mellow voice with the sopranos in “Soave sia il vento” made for a beautifully balanced and flowing trio.
Ferrando, the tenor soldier who is a romantic dreamer, was sung by Cameron Mazzei. This challenging role requires an agile and light touch, a sound that Mazzei produced particularly well in his heart-felt rendition of “Un’aura amorosa.” Mazzei’s voice was more audible in ensemble work, and it will be rewarding to watch his young voice grow in strength and resonance.
The grittier baritone soldier, Guglielmo, was confidently sung by Mikhail Shemet whose “Donne mie, la fate a tanti” was lively and well-projected. Shemet is a fine actor and was an effective foil to the dreamy Ferrando. His “Non siate ritrosi” was well-acted and sung with clarity and comic phrasing. The audience couldn’t help but smile along with his antics, since Shemet appeared to be having such a good time himself.
As the younger and flightier sister, Dorabella, Grace Quinsey performed an emotional “Smanie implacabili,” making the most of some lovely mezzo tones. At times, the vibrato in her upper register is quite intense, but Quinsey is an accomplished actress, and she moves elegantly across the stage.
Photo Credit: Robert Kisin
Grace Quinsey, Henri Irwin and Holly Chaplin perform a beautiful “Soave sia il vento”
As the older and more dramatic sister, Fiordiligi, Holly Chaplin delivered a show-stopping “Come scoglio,” complete with rapid ornamentations and soaring high notes which elicited prolonged applause. Together, Chaplin and Quinsey were a comic force, and their “Ah guarda, sorella” showed that as a singing duo they were equally powerful and beguiling.
As Despina, the witty and experienced maid, Veronika Muggeridge was an elegant presence. Mozart and Da Ponte would have enjoyed her performance, since she contrasted so sharply with the silly sisters who were, despite their childish antics, her social superiors. Muggeridge’s aria, “Una donna a quindici anni,” highlighted her succinct and agile vocal style and her character’s worldly views. Her portrayal of the notary took nasal singing to a whole new level and was comic gold.
Così fan tutte is considered the ultimate ensemble opera, with a sprinkling of duets, trios, quartets and quintets and, yes, even a sextet thrown in for good measure. Mozart and Da Ponte enjoyed a wonderful romp through all these vocal combinations and the leads in this production performed them well. From the Act I “Alla bella Despinetta” to the final notes in the second act Grand Finale, the leads carried the audience along on this joyful journey.
Geoff Butler effectively led the 19-piece Opera York Orchestra; their rendition of the overture was delightful. The pit and stage were well situated and enabled Butler to navigate the singers through the complex ensembles and recurring musical themes. Butler drew the emotional colour out of Mozart’s score and carried the artists and musicians through the variations of mood and emotional depth. There were some lovely harmonies in the 17-voice chorus, but there was a certain timidity in their delivery.
Stage director Penelope Cookson did a good job of keeping the action lively yet straightforward, while her blocking maximized the leads’ voices. Amanda Easton’s bright and colour-coordinated costumes were elegantly simple, while the fabric back drops, props, sets, projections and lighting were equally evocative of the late 18th century. The look was unified and effective.
Beethoven considered Così immoral, Wagner hated the music, and Strauss and Mahler were united in their distaste for it. But conductor Sir Thomas Beecham and productions at Glyndenbourne in 1934 revived the opera’s reputation in the 20th century. On the surface, Cosi is a misogynistic piece of fluff, but a deeper dive reveals a closer look at the universal themes of class systems, societal norms and sexual stereotypes. Such is the multi-layered nature of an opera by Mozart. Maybe the trick to enjoying Così fan tutte is to not probe too deeply, but rather to enjoy the humour of DaPonte and Mozart who were men of their time. Just bask in the glory of its amazing music, music made all that more tangible by companies like Opera York.
Photo Credit: Robert Kisin
The full company in the first act finale, from left to right Holly Chaplin, Cameron Mazzei, Veronika Muggeridge (Despina in disguise as a doctor of magnetics), Mikhail Shemet, Henri Irwin and Grace Quinsey
Opera Canada depends on the generous contributions of its supporters to bring readers outstanding, in-depth coverage of opera in Canada and beyond. Please consider subscribing or donating today.
