Così fan tutte @ The Dallas Opera
Photos by Scott Suchman
—Gregory Sullivan Isaacs
Mozart’s comic opera, Così fan tutte, gets a mixed production by The Dallas Opera. The opera features some excellent singing and convincing acting. The stars of the show are, well, the stars of the show—in fact, an ideal cast of some of the leading singers of our era, performing roles that sound like they were written just for them.
“Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti”—to give the work its full name—is one of Mozart’s last operas. The title translates as “So do they all, or, the school for lovers.” (The feminine plural tutte indicates Mozart means all women are like that.) The libretto, by Mozart’s frequent collaborator Lorenzo Da Ponte, uses a plot that pre-dates both of them, going back to the Italian commedia dell’arte, a farcical stage presentation developed in the 1500s. It may even date back to the Roman Empire. Commedia relied on stock (stereotyped) characters in stock situations. While the plays were usually rehearsed, in performances things were very improvisational. The stock characters fell into three groups: masters, lovers, and servants. The masters set up comic situations, usually aimed at tricking the lovers, with the assistance of the wily servants.
This production, imported from the San Franciso Opera, changes everything except the words and the music. While effectively realized by the set and costumes, the opera’s time frame has been moved to the 1930so—for no obvious reason, though it does no harm. In Dallas some time ago, another Così was set at a modern-day college, where romantic relationships were very changeable. And a production of the Metropolitan Opera was set in the 1950s at the Coney Island amusement park.
Enter the “lovers”—Guglielmo, sung by the excellent baritone Lucas Meachem, and Ferrando (sung by tenor David Portillo, whose otherwise outstanding, and sensitive performance was marred by his reedy high larynx sound). The two studs are in love with Fiordiligi, splendidly sung by Caitlin Gotimer, and her sister Dorabella, superbly sung by Kayleigh Decker. Though Mozart wrote these roles for two soprani, Dorabella is often sung by a mezzo-soprano to offer vocal contrast. Here it is Gotimer’s Fiordiligi who has the darker voice. By the way, word has it that they both are last-minute replacements, although you would never know it.
Don Alfonso, is the “master” (cleverly sung by two-time Grammy nominee and Bari-hunk Rod Gilfry (whose wide experience covers opera, musicals, recitals, and cabaret). He tells the men that women can’t be faithful. They laugh at him, so he offers a wager. He’s quite sure he can make the foursome change partners if they go along with his plot. The deal is made. Alfonso enlists the help of “the servant”—clever, street-smart maid Despina (sung with aplomb by soprano Diana Newman). All six principals are consummate artists, and different enough in appearance and vocal sound to never be mixed up, even in big ensembles.
And so, “the game is afoot.” Will the girls be faithful and prove Alfonso wrong, or fall for some exotic male visitors and prove him right? The title doesn’t leave us with much confidence: remember, Così fan tutte routinely translates as “Women are like that” (which excuses the deceptive men).
Alfonso tells the ladies the tragic news that their guys have been suddenly called to war. After a tearful farewell, the men return disguised as mysterious (and hot) Albanians, mostly by the addition of mustaches and oversized overcoats. They proceed to woo each other’s ladies (with great success), and all are about to be married when the drums sound—and the original fellas are back, as themselves. The ladies are humiliated, but once all is explained, somehow everything is fine again.
The action is set in Erhard Rom’s realization of a 1930s exclusive country club, complete with badminton court, cloth-napkin dining room, and even poolside service. Scrims display architectural drawings of the premises. Constance Hoffman’s costumes brilliantly capture the era, and Justin Partier recreates Jane Cox’s original lighting design.
Director Michael Cavanagh walks a fine line between comedy and slapstick, occasionally weaving between the two styles. And though there isn’t much for the chorus to do, Alexander Rom did his usual splendid job with their preparation.
The only problem with the show has to be laid at the feet of conductor Elizabeth Askren. Mozart’s operas are a fearful tempo challenge for even the most experienced conductors. Mozart layers his tempi in a master plan. Start a section too fast and as it gradually gets faster, you can easily have a pileup. Only rarely was Askren on top of the text—being either a millisecond behind or ahead of the singers. Further, by not breathing with the singers she made the starts of some phrases feel imprecise. The experienced orchestra did a terrific job helping where they could.
WHEN: Repeats on Sunday (3/26), Wednesday (3/29), and Saturday, April 1. A live-stream of the final performance will be available for $9.99 at TheDallasOpera.TV
WHERE: Winspear Opera House, Dallas
WEB: dallasopera.org or by phone 214-443-1000
