Thoughts During a Pledge Break

Saying mean things about Andrea Boccelli is probably passé at this point. However, being out of style or behind the times has never stopped me before. So, I found myself in front of the TV the other night, and with over 200 channels to choose from, the least offensive program was Boccelli’s 2011 “Gift to New York” concert, which my local PBS station was showing during their monthly pledge drive. The PBS website notes that this 

“historic event…saw the tenor following in the distinguished footsteps of opera superstars Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, both of whom have given memorable Central Park performances.”

Sunday Brunch – Cosi Fan Tutte: Ah Guarda Sorella

Dorabella already knows about the boys' plot to try to fool them. During the introduction, she thinks about it, hesitates, and then decides. She walks Fiordiligi over to show her the disguise the boys are going to wear when they pretend to seduce their girls. We're not sure Fiordiligi gets it yet.

Cosi Fan Tutte – Salzburg M22 (Part 3: Marry Me A Little)

The ending of Cosi is ambiguous and ripe for interpretation—especially once the men have seduced both sisters. Alfonso says the best revenge is to marry the sisters. But he doesn't say which one each should marry. 

In the original, it’s assumed they should marry their original partners; but many have argued convincingly that the new pairs are better matched.

Cosi Fan Tutte – Salzburg M22 (Part 2: Fencing, the Feather, the Apple, and the Egg)

The Fencing:  In the opening scene Don Alfonso (Sir Thomas Allen) is coaching  Ferrando (Shawn Mathey) and Guglielmo (Stéphane Degout) in fencing skills. The swordplay is a clear image to associate with the conflicts in the opera. In the opening of Act 2, the sisters mirror the boys by pretending to fence with their fans.

Cosi Fan Tutte – Salzburg M22 (Part 1: Who is what, and which is who?)

I noted the other day the customer reviewer on Amazon.com who complained that this Cosi was confusing because he couldn’t tell which sister was which and which lover was which, and I thought Aha! That’s the point, isn’t it? Maybe it really doesn’t matter who ends up with whom.

In many (if not most) modern productions of Cosi, there seems to be a conscious directorial decision to create this confusion. Mozart and da Ponte have certainly set us up for this. The four young people are in love with love. They like the idea of being with someone. But it’s not clear if they are really meant to be with each other. In some cases, it’s not clear that they actually exist, other than in Alfonso’s imagination.