Metropolitan Opera: Così fan tutte

Description

Act One
Naples early in the late 18th century. The two young officers Ferrando and Guglielmo boast about the beauty and virtue of their loved ones, the sisters Dorabella and Fiordiligi ("La mia Dorabella"). Don Alfonso, an older man and friend of the two officers, insists that a woman's chastity is comparable to the Arabic phoenix – everyone claims it exists, but no one has ever seen it ("È la fede delle femmine"). He proposes a bet of one hundred zechinen: if they give him a day and do everything he demands, he will prove to them that the sisters are like all other women – fickle.
The two young men willingly agree to Alfonso's conditions and already imagine how they will spend the winnings ("Una bella serenata").
Fiordiligi and Dorabella are delightedly looking at miniature portraits of Guglielmo and Ferrando ("Ah, guarda sorella") and happily imagining that they will soon be married. Alfonso's plan begins with him bringing terrible news: the young officers have been called back to the regiment. The two men appear, seemingly inconsolable, and a lengthy farewell scene ensues ("Sento, o dio"). As the soldiers leave, the women and Alfonso wish them a good journey ("Soave sia il vento"). Alfonso is delighted with his plan and considers himself a sure winner of the bet.
Despina is complaining about the many chores the house has given her when Fiordiligi and Dorabella burst in. They are still upset about their fiancés' departure, and Dorabella lets her feelings run free ("Smanie implacabili"). Despina's advice is to forget the old lovers with the help of new ones. All men are fickle, she says, and not worth a woman's fidelity ("In uomini, in soldati"). The two ladies are annoyed by Despina's attitude towards love and leave. Alfonso comes to plan the next stage of his bet: he persuades Despina to help him introduce the girls to two exotic visitors, actually disguised Ferrando and Guglielmo, and is relieved that she does not recognize the two men. The sisters are outraged to find strangers in their house. The newcomers express their admiration for the ladies by each vying for the beloved of the other, as planned by Alfonso. However, the girls reject them. Fiordiligi compares her constancy to a rock in the surf ("Come scoglio"). The men are confident they will win the bet, but Alfonso reminds them that the day is still young. Ferrando repeatedly declares his passion for Dorabella ("Un'aura amorosa") and the two disappear to await further instructions from Alfonso. Despina is still unaware of the men's true identities and plans the afternoon with Alfonso.
The sisters are lamenting the absence of their loved ones when the two "strangers" stagger in, pretending to have poisoned themselves out of despair over the girls' rejection. The sisters call Despina, who urges them to take care of the men while she and Alfonso fetch the doctor. Disguised as a doctor, Despina re-enters and pretends to extract the poison with a special magnet. She then demands that the girls care for the patients until they recover. The men regain consciousness ("Dove son?") and ask for kisses. When Fiordiligi and Dorabella are shaken by these renewed declarations of love, the men begin to worry. Act Two
In the afternoon, Despina gives the ladies a stern lecture about their stubbornness and describes how a woman should deal with men ("Una donna a quindici anni"). Dorabella is convinced that a small flirtation cannot do any harm, and Fiordiligi surprisingly agrees. They each decide on a man ("Prenderò quel brunettino"), and both choose the original beloved of the other, just as Alfonso had planned.
Alfonso has arranged a romantic serenade for the sisters in the garden, and after giving a short lesson in courtship with Despina, they leave the four young people alone. Guglielmo, who is courting Dorabella, successfully replaces her portrait of Ferrando with a golden heart ("Il core vi dono"). Ferrando seems to have less luck with Fiordiligi ("Ah, lo veggio"); but when she is left alone, she confesses that he has warmed her heart ("Per pietà").
Later, when the men share their experiences, Ferrando is sure they have won the bet. Guglielmo is pleased that Fiordiligi has remained faithful to him but does not know how to tell Ferrando about Dorabella's infidelity. He shows his friend the portrait he took from Dorabella, and Ferrando becomes angry. Guglielmo attributes it to the nature of women ("Donne mie, la fate a tanti!"); but this does not comfort his friend ("Tradito, schernito"). Guglielmo asks Alfonso to pay him his half of the winnings, but Alfonso reminds him again that the day is not over yet.
Fiordiligi scolds Dorabella for her fickleness but ultimately admits that she herself has fallen for the stranger. Dorabella encourages her to give in to her feelings, telling her that love is a thief that rewards those who obey it and punishes all others ("È amore un ladroncello"). Fiordiligi decides to run away and join Guglielmo in the war, but Ferrando tries to seduce her one last time as part of the bet, and he succeeds.
Guglielmo is angry, but Alfonso advises forgiveness: women are like that, he claims, and a man who has been cheated on can only blame himself ("Tutti accusan le donne"). As night falls, he promises to find a solution to the problem: he plans a double wedding.
Despina appears and announces her own plan for a double wedding: the two sisters have decided to marry the "foreigners," and she must find a notary for the ceremony. Everything is prepared for the wedding, and Alfonso brings the notary – Despina in a new disguise. When Fiordiligi and Dorabella try to sign the contract, military music announces the return of the regiment of the former lovers. The two women panic and hide their almost-husbands, trying to calm themselves before the return of Ferrando and Guglielmo. The two seemingly happy soldiers return but soon show concern over the obvious discomfort of the ladies. When the men discover the notary, the sisters beg them to kill them. Ferrando and Guglielmo reveal the identities of the "foreigners." Despina realizes that she was only partially informed by Alfonso about the whole deception and tries to escape. Alfonso tells the lovers to learn their lesson, and the day ends with an ode to reason and enlightenment. CAST & CREW
Director: David Robertson
Producer: Phelim McDermott
Cast: Amanda Majeski, Serena Malfi, Kelli O'Hara, Ben Bliss, Adam Plachetka, Christopher Maltman
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Production Design: Tom Pye
Costume Design: Laura Hopkins PRODUCTION & RELEASE
RELEASE CH-D: 31.03.2018
RELEASE CH-F: 31.03.2018
RELEASE CH-I: 31.03.2018
Duration: 211
Production: USA, 2017
Distribution: AC Pathé Live Title
Metropolitan Opera: Così fan tutte

Highlights

• Live broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera
• Classical opera by Mozart
• Venue: Verkehrshaus Luzern

General Information

Experience the performance of Mozart's opera "Così fan tutte" in a live broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera. The event takes place at the Verkehrshaus in Luzern and offers a unique opportunity to enjoy the masterpieces of opera culture on the big screen.

Location

Haldenstrasse 44, 6006 Luzern, Switzerland

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