Mozart - Cosi fan Tutte / Wall, Garanca, Bonney, Degout, Mathey, Raimondi, Harding (Aix-en-Provence 2005)

On the whole, it is a tight production except the senseless setting. What do ropes, construction materials have to do with the opera? Where did they get the radiators at that time? Ridiculous.

This is not your usual opera buffa production of Cosi Fan Tutte. The director explains his vision of the production in the DVD notes: "Why shouldn't Cosi be something other than bubbly and light-hearted? And why shouldn't one take seriously everything that Mozart and Da Ponte wrote? For Cosi deals with complex issues, speaking to us of the all-pervasiveness of desire, showing us that one can have love for more than one person at a time and that there is infinite sorrow in discovering this, and some little sweetness in accepting it, and furthermore that Alfonso knew all this, and that he had a natural vocation to torture those unhappy souls who did not know it..." I've seen other productions that focus on the dark side of this opera (e.g. the Zurich Opera production from 2000 with Cecilia Bartoli), but this is the first one that works for me because, although the production is serious in tone, it's not cynical. The final scene will touch your heart, as the disillusioned and bewildered players wander aimlessly around the stage during the final chorus, only to take refuge in each others' arms.The highlight of the production is Elina Garanca as Dorabella. She possesses a rich mezzo voice of great flexibility and deep beauty. In a word, it's luscious. Because Dorabella is a true mezzo here (so often not the case in casting Cosi), her duets with Fiordiligi make for the most sublime harmonies. Their mezzo and soprano voices contrast and blend beautifully. Even the recitative between them is more musical than "dry." As Fiordiligi, Erin Wall has a expressive and smooth soprano voice, but she suffers in comparison to Garanca both in singing and in acting. I found myself wishing that Mozart had composed two arias for Dorabella that were as challenging and stunning as those he gave to Fiordiligi (but such is still the reward in the opera world for being a soprano). Whether it was due to the strength of Elina Garanca's performance or whether it was part of the director's vision, this Dorabella is not Fiordiligi's usual silly sister. In this production, Dorabella is the more sophisticated and assured of the two sisters; she's just also more driven by desire, so she "falls" first. It's a different take on the sisters' relationship, but it works.I greatly enjoyed Ruggero Raimondi as Don Alfonso. Like many who find themselves cast in this role, he's past his prime as a lead (he was once a fine Don Giovanni) but, unlike many others in this role, Raimondi's voice is still robust and expressive. The other performers are very good; they just can't compete with Garanca's Dorabella. (You can hear her voice above the others in the ensemble pieces, not because it's too loud, but because it's of such high quality.)Unfortunately, there are times when the pace is off in the ensemble pieces. (Perhaps it's because the production takes place outdoors and the performers can't always hear the orchestra well enough.) The result is that some of the ensemble pieces (so vital to this opera) sound a bit ragged and don't build in intensity the way they should.All in all, this DVD is definitely worth owning, although my favorite Cosi remains the 1992 Theatre du Chatelet production conducted by John Eliot Gardiner. That production succeeds in finding the right balance between the serious and the comic side of Cosi, while never forgetting that the focus should be on its heavenly music.

Not everything here deserves five stars (more on that later), but the amazing vocal offerings here keep me from rating it any lower. The best elements are Erin Wall and Elina Garanca who sound absolutely marvelous together; also, their respective arias are definite highlights. Erin Wall's soprano is silvery and shimmering--powerful at the top and surprisingly audible below the staff; the middle voice is smooth yet textured. Also, every syllable is colored with emotion. As did most of the cast, she got better dramatically and vocally as the night proceeded, but "Come scoglio" is by no means a disappointment, though her "Per pietà" is better. I wish I could make it down to the Lyric Opera of Chicago this season to see her Fiordiligi there. Elina Garanca is never any less than fabulous as Dorabella. The voice is large and opulent but high-reaching and agile; she is dramatically captivating at every moment and never drains the tension. Barbara Bonney sounds kind of odd to me below her thrilling high register, but she continuously acts as saucy as Despina should, borrowing (never stealing) the show when necessary. Of all the cast, she ornamented the most, but Mozart is supposed to be ornamented. She made it work. Tenor Shawn Mathey wasn't intensely engaging as Ferrando, but he was no less enjoyable, making "Un aura amorosa" a high point. Stéphane Degout inhabited Guglielmo and managed to make "Donne mie, la fate a tanti" more exciting than boring, though I suspect conductor Daniel Harding had a literal hand in this--he kept Mozart's score vibrant and dynamic as it should be (however, the cast occasionally fought him for tempi, though it can be tough to coordinate orchestra and singers in an outdoor theater; also, some delicious cadences are glossed over). Some people seemed to like him, but I couldn't stand Raimondi's Alfonso here. His physical mannerisms--hands flailing at the sides, wide eyes, spread mouth--grated and too much flatness pitchwise proved obnoxious, though, fortunately, he managed not to mar the transcendent "Soave sia il vento." Plus, most of his music isn't that beautifully written, so no huge loss if his voice isn't as fresh as it used to be--he plays an old character, after all. As for the direction, some of it really worked and allowed for opera to be sexy (and not crude, either), while some of it was hopelessly abstract and / or anachronistic if not saliently so. Also, I get the impression that not all his demands were not the most vocally compatible, yet the cast, as a whole, coped and sounded beautifully. The relatively young age of the four lovers probably helped in this department. One more item: The recorded sound seems pretty true to the voices and orchestra, but the instruments are more closely miked (due to the theatre layout) and occasionally overwhelm the singers. All in all, I highly recommend this DVD for its musical and textual accomplishments.

All of the participants in this endeavor are excellent on their own terms, but the total effect, while a treasure trove of parts, remains an indifferent whole. The chief problem is the lack of balance between singer and orchestral volume. Muti, despite his profound respect for this miraculous score, carries on as if he's the early James Levine conducting Wagner at the Met, seemingly intent on drowning out the singers whenever the opportunity presents itself, and thereby pushing the orchestra into excessively high relief. Too many soft, reflective, and strikingly beautiful parts of the vocal line accordingly disappear from due prominence, and this despite presentation in a small theater ideal for Mozart. I am of course assuming the problems manifested themselves in performance and are not just a matter of engineering fault in the transfer to DVD. But in any event they do interfere with the excellence of the performance on disc.

This is a live recording of a production in Salzburg in 1983. This delectable comic opera is superbly performed by first-rate singers and orchestra under the experienced baton of Riccardo Muti. One feels that this is a performance in which all the people involved selflessly serve the intention of the composer and the librettist. The stage sets and costumes are traditional and pleasing to the eye.This production is ideally cast. Vocal matching is excellent, while acting is never overdone. The singers - all non-Italian speakers except Bruscantini - are at home in recitatives as well as in singing. Margaret Marshall (Fiordiligi) is excellent in some taxing arias. Ann Murray (Dorabella) is very good in duets with James Morris (Guglielmo).Francisco Araiza (Ferrando) sings his arias most beautifully: "Un'aura amorosa del nostro tesoro ..." (An amorous breath of our beloved ...) in Act 1 is one of the highlights in his singing. The trio: "E nel tuo, nel mio bicchiero si sommerga ogni pensiero" (And in your, my glass let every care be drowned) in the mock wedding in Act 2 - a solemn and sublime piece as if it is a religious service - is beautifully done.Sesto Bruscantini, late in his long career when the recording was made, is a sympathetic Don Alfonso. Kathleen Battle is ideally cast as Despina: she sings the comic role beautifully without artifice. Her acting is never overdone as can happen too easily in this role.The orchestral contributions from the Vienna Philharmonic are first-rate, while the tempi are superbly judged by Muti. The stereo sound is clear, while the picture quality is good, considering the age of the recording. To this reviewer, this is the best DVD currently available of this comic masterpiece.

Just watched this lastnight and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. Good points are; fabulous singing and acting, sound is first class and the camera work is superb as it moves around the actors and the stage giving you a more personal experience rather than sitting static. Harding's conducting is fast paced but slows down at the right moments. This is a very energetic performance and for me perfectly suits Mozarts comic masterpiece.If you are after a traditional version this is probably not for you as the set has been originaly designed to look like an old turkish backyard for some reason..? The cast are traditionaly dressed however and you soon get lossed in the performances rather than the stage as the use of lighting and the energy of the performances are enough to keep you entertained.I'm unable to compare other dvd recordings, but have seen this opera live and own 4 recordings including Bohm's classic and I would highly recommend it.

Excellent directing and singers performance!

To borrow from Mr. Morrison here, a couple of years ago, I raved about Muti's Vienna 'Cosi fan tutte' (1995) with Frittoli, Kirchschlager, Schade, Corbelli, Bacelli and Skovhus.Having watched this 1983 Salzburg Cosi, supposed to be Muti's debut of this work, I must say that this one is even better than the 1995 Vienna production, if only by a margin.The edge is principally in the drama, as the two casts are pretty even. In an one-on-one comparison, I find Frittoli in 1995 to be a slightly better Fiordiligi than Margaret Marshall in this 1983. However, Anne Murray's Dorabella here beats Kirchschlager's quite clearly by her more effective singing. As Ferrando, Araiza beats Schade marginally for a more refined style and more vivacious acting. Morris and Skovhus almost had a tie in the role of Gugliemo, but I would vie for Morris in terms of singing if not totally on acting.As Despina, Battle has a definite edge over Bacelli in 1995's Vienna performance, while the 1995 Corbelli beats Bruscantini here as Don Alfonso. So, on the whole, a slighly more effective vocal team of soloists.As far as sets go, the 1995 Vienna production is ultra-fine indeed! But the 1983 Salzburg sets are also strong - it definitely reigns over the modern settings now available widely on modern DVD productions.What I treasure most in both Muti outputs is their respective casts.In this 1983 performance, the singers are ALL of about the same age and all in their vocal prime.Anne Murray stands out clearly as a mercury-witted Dorabella, not letting Battle's pert Despina stealing the show for one single moment.Singing wise, both Araiza and Morris are in their top form. Morris's acting was a bit wooden at the earlier Act, but once he had the chance to react with Murray's Dorabella, he was virtually transformed.Francisco Araiza's Ferrando is simply definitive - if only the cut aria of Ferrando could have been there as well (as he has sung it to perfection in the Marriner recording).In Despina, we see why Kathleen Battle became James Levine's pet soprano at the MET at that time. She could act, and could sing in a multi-hued mood. Her scene as the 'doctor' totally upstaged the other soprano Margaret Marshall's singing. It is a pity that her wild temperament destroyaed her otherwise illustrious vocal career.

Diese Produktion müsste an alle Opern-Regisseure (oder solche, die sich dafür halten) geschickt werden mit dem ausdrücklichen Zwang, sie täglich anzusehen. Wie wunderbar, auch einmal zu sehen, wie da ein Regisseur ist, der Mozarts und herrliche Musik, und Lorenzo Da Pontes köstliches Libretto verstanden hat. Und wenn er dann noch ein Ensemble an Solisten zur Verfügung hat, sowie das Mahler Chamber Orchestra und den Arnold Schönberg Chor und einen Dirigenten wie Daniel Harding - Opernfreund, was willst du mehr? Phantastisch.