Cosi

Starring:Ben Mendelsohn, Barry Otto, Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Aden Young, Colin Friels, Jacki Weaver, Pamela Rabe, Paul Chubb, Colin Hay, David Wenham, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Kerry Walker, Robin Ramsay, Henry Maas, Raymond Walsh, Lawrence Woodward, Brian Ellison (II), Tamara Kuldin, Dennis Allard
Director: Mark Joffe
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
This is another one of those Cuckoo's Nest mental patient liberation stories, but with a clever "let's put on a show" twist. A group of melancholy Australian patients dares to pull off a theatrical version of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte. This film adaptation of Louis Nowra's play is quite absurd and quite erratic, yet quite affecting in the second half when the patients finally commit to the quixotic project. But how to relate to Mozart's 1790 opera about true love? By identifying with the theme of infidelity as a therapeutic exercise. And how do they pull of this madcap farce? By relying on their ability to pretend, of course. This is most difficult for the unimaginative and uncaring director (Mendelsohn), who finds himself in a life-imitates-art conflict with his curt girlfriend and a damaged yet flirtatious patient. However, it is the passionate patient (Otto) who won't let Cosi die who is the film's emotional center. He's a neurotic perfectionist and a delusional addict--a sad, desperate man with a dream to show the world how to love and be loved. --Bill Desowitz

The La Scala Opera Collection / Adriana Lecouvreur, Lucia di Lammermoor, Cosi fan Tutte, Don Giovanni, Lo Frate 'Nnamorato, La Fanciulla del West, La Donna del Lago, William Tell, Attila, I Due Foscari, I Vespri Siciliani
Average customer rating:

Spectacular Opera From La Scala

Diverse collection!

A treasure at a bargain price

The La Scala Opera Collection / Adriana Lecouvreur, Lucia di Lammermoor, Cosi fan Tutte, Don Giovanni, Lo Frate 'Nnamorato, La Fanciulla del West, La Donna del Lago, William Tell, Attila, I Due Foscari, I Vespri Siciliani
Starring: Edita Gruberova , Mirella Freni Samuel Ramey , and Placido Domingo
Manufacturer: BBC / Opus Arte
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Mozart Opera Glyndebourne Collection: Cosi fan Tutte, Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Entfuhhrung aus dem Serail, Idomeneo, Die Zauberflote (6 DVDs)

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Leoncavallo - I Pagliacci / Mascagni - Cavalleria Rusticana / Domingo, Stratas, Pons, Bruson, Obraztsova, Pretre

ASIN: B000FA577Q
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Customer Reviews:

Spectacular Opera From La Scala.......2007-01-09

Not only are the performances top-notch, but the production values exceed what one has grown to expect from operas on DVD. Each opera in this collection conveys the feeling (almost) of sitting in the audience.

This collection was recommended by a friend who works in opera. He not only is a talented producer, but is very close with his euros. I was about to order an opera DVD which cost most of what I paid for this entire set!

First Class Opera at a bargain basement price.

Diverse collection!.......2007-01-03

It's amazing to see this collection. Not all of the performances are spectacular, but there are many surprises of excellence. My favorites for singing are ADRIANA, LUCIA, COSI, and I VESPRI.

A treasure at a bargain price.......2006-08-09

This is a superlative collection of live opera transmissions from the most important opera house in the world, La Scala. The Lucia and the Due Foscari are among my favorites. Superb voices, gorgeous settings and sumptuous costumes. Verdi's Attila is seldom mounted, and this is a chance to witness this very exciting opera in a monumental production. I count this as a most important section of my operatic video library.

Patrick C. Byrne
CALLAS Corner

Mozart Opera Glyndebourne Collection: Cosi fan Tutte, Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Entfuhhrung aus dem Serail, Idomeneo, Die Zauberflote (6 DVDs)

Average customer rating:

New price a bargain
Great Opera for a Reasonable Price
Mozart Opera Glyndebourne Collection
Six Mozart Operas from Glyndebourne at a Price Break

Mozart Opera Glyndebourne Collection: Cosi fan Tutte, Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Entfuhhrung aus dem Serail, Idomeneo, Die Zauberflote (6 DVDs)
Starring: Kiri te Kanawa , Frederica von Stade , Felicity Lott , Valerie Masterson , and Bernard Haitink
Manufacturer: Arthaus Musik
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The La Scala Opera Collection / Adriana Lecouvreur, Lucia di Lammermoor, Cosi fan Tutte, Don Giovanni, Lo Frate 'Nnamorato, La Fanciulla del West, La Donna del Lago, William Tell, Attila, I Due Foscari, I Vespri Siciliani
Puccini's Greatest Operas (La Boheme / Madama Butterfly / Manon Lescaut / Turandot)
Mozart - Idomeneo / Luciano Pavarotti, Hildegard Behrens, Frederica von Stade, Ileana Cotrubas, John Alexander, James Levine, Metropolitan Opera
Mozart - La Clemenza di Tito / Tatiana Troyanos, Eric Tappy, Carol Neblett, Catherine Malfitano, Kurt Rydl, James Levine
Metropolitan Opera Gala

ASIN: B000BV4LPS
Release Date: 2006-01-17

Customer Reviews:

New price a bargain.......2007-06-10

Without an extensive breakdown (already been done sufficiently), this is simply a good deal. These are good, basic productions from the late 70's-early 80's and feature good singing and conducting. There aren't any "controversial" stagings or alterations(thank goodness). These aren't high budget undertakings filmed with dvd in mind either mind you, they were originally broadcast on public tv in Britain. Some of these might be debatable as a seperate purchase - Idomeneo in particular for reasons already discussed in other reviews. As a box set however, it is hard to beat, and some of the performances are good selections on their own as well.
What you get are 6 great operas at a good price. You also get to see and hear several world class conductors and singers of the time, and some not-so-famous but still great performers.

Great Opera for a Reasonable Price.......2007-05-12

These are six of Mozart's finest operas put on by a very fine opera company. And for around 50 bucks it is totally worth it...these are staples that every opera singer/opera lover should have in their collection

Mozart Opera Glyndebourne Collection.......2007-03-09

This is a splendid collection of Mozart operas. All are good, though some are superlatively good. It is well worth the cost.

Six Mozart Operas from Glyndebourne at a Price Break.......2006-01-28

Each of these 1970s Glyndebourne Opera productions of the six best-known Mozart operas has been issued singly previously. Now they are boxed together (each in its own case and with booklets that are unchanged from the single issues) and marketed at a price break for the Mozart fan. I've reviewed each of them before and will refer in this review to my earlier reviews here at Amazon.

They rank, in my opinion, from simply wonderful to disappointing, but on the whole they are really quite good. They are Così fan tutte (1975), Don Giovanni (1977), Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Abduction from the Seraglio, 1980), Idomeneo (1974), Le Nozze di Figaro (Marriage of Figaro, 1973), and Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute, 1978). I will make a few comments about each but suggest you look up my reviews of the single releases. (For each individual review go to Amazon's search function and plug in 'Glyndebourne' and a keyword from the title of the opera.)

Così fan tutte: 4 stars. With a cast of mostly young unknowns but with a young Thomas Allen as Guglielmo. The young cast move well and sing beautifully. A traditional production (as all of these productions are - and all the better for that!). Highlight: Tenor Anson Austin, an Aussie, as Ferrando -- his 'Un aura amorosa' is honeyed and gorgeous.

Don Giovanni: 3 stars. Benjamin Luxon a bit wooden as the Don, although he sings wonderfully. Bernard Haitink in the pit. Less than wonderful sound. High point: Horiana Branisteanu as Donna Anna.

Die Entführung: 4 stars. A very nice production. Valerie Masterson as Constanze. The wonderful Willard White as Osmin. His singing and acting are fabulous. Ryland Davies, whose tenor voice has always been exceptionally beautiful, is the Belmonte. The orchestral playing under the exceptionally sensitive direction of Gustav Kuhn is sensational. Whatever happened to Kuhn?

Idomeneo: 2 stars. This is the clunker in the group. The opera is given incomplete -- the first scene is cut, for instance. And the sound is glassy. Richard Lewis as the King is past his prime. What a shame his portrayal hadn't been captured ten years earlier. Josephine Barstow's Elettra is the vocal and dramatic standout.

Le Nozze di Figaro: 5 stars. I titled my earlier review 'As Near to Perfection as I'm Ever Likely to See.' A sensational cast (te Kanawa as the Countess, Luxon as the Count, Ileana Cotrubas as Susanna, Frederica von Stade as Cherubino, and the marvelous Norwegian baritone Knut Skram as Figaro). The only fault I can find with this production is that it is of its time and the video and audio reflect that, although they are more than acceptable. Musically this one is extraordinarily satisfying.

Die Zauberflöte: 5 stars. A wonderful production with Felicity Lott as Pamina, tenor Leo Goeke as Tamino, Luxon as an excellent Papageno, Elizabeth Couquet a terrific Papagena (she actually gives the character some depth), and May Sandoz as Queen of the Night. Thomas Thomaschke is a fine Sarastro but he's a bit too young for the part. Bernard Haitink in the pit.

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

A Cosi with recording-studio quality singing
Mozart, da Ponte, Gruberova, Harnoncourt, Ponnelle...what are you waiting for?
Ponnelle's final filmed opera is beautiful, bittersweet Mozart
Just Great
Stratas at her best

Mozart - Cosi fan Tutte
Starring: Edita Gruberova , Delores Ziegler , Teresa Stratas , Ferruccio Furlanetto , and Luis Lima
Director: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle , and Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000E5KOJS
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Customer Reviews:

A Cosi with recording-studio quality singing.......2006-06-07

This is a movie version of Cosi in which the performers lip synch to a pre-recorded sound track. I expected it to detract mightily from the quality of the production, but it doesn't for two reasons. First, the lip synching is just about flawless. I don't recall seeing lips moving without the words matching (although there's a slight change in the tone of the audio as the singing starts and the soundtrack switches to "pre-recorded" mode). Second, the director Jean-Pierre Ponnelle gathered a first-rate group of performers, led by the great Edita Gruberova as Fiordiligi. Gruberova's "Per pieta" is reason alone to see (and hear) this production.

So, it's a trade-off. You lose the spontaneous and intimate feel of a live onstage performance, but you gain a sound track that is recording-studio quality.

Mozart, da Ponte, Gruberova, Harnoncourt, Ponnelle...what are you waiting for?.......2006-05-14

Of all the Mozart operas, I have a special affection for the ones he did in collaboration with Lorenzo da Ponte, a glorious set of non-identical triplets named Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi Fan Tutte. The latter opera is the least celebrated of the three, the black sheep of this sparkling brood if you will, but that is hardly an insult considering the strength of the competition. Cosi is a worthy scion of the Mozart-Da Ponte parentage, a masterpiece in fact, similar to the other operas in its subversive combo of ribald subject matter and music that is spritely and almost innocent. What it lacks is a strong main character(the secondary characters Don Alfonso and Despina are the most interesting of the bunch, that is until late in the second act when the soprano develops a soul) on the order of Figaro or Giovanni(or Leporello, Donna Anna or Susannah), but since Cosi Fan Tutte is about the ephemeral nature of love, isn't it appropriate that the central lovers are more or less identity-less, even to the point of being interchangeable?

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's film plays up this concept of interchangeability. The sisters are practically identical, they even don identical masks in one scene, and the physical attributes of their lovers are sometimes confused, for instance which one is dark and which one is fair. At one point, Dorabella realizes that the Turk romancing her is actually her fiancee's friend Guglielmo but she allows him to seduce her anyway. Not all of this jibes with Mozart's vision, of course, but this is a FILM of an opera, so it is perfectly appropriate for the director to give a freer interpretation, allowing some of his own ideas to filter in. After all, if Mozart and da Ponte had lived in a more permissive time, one gets the feeling that they would have gone for the gusto so to speak and allowed even more sexual farce into their work. At any rate, Ponnelle has created a beautiful film that for the most part adheres to the composer's intentions. Often, when I am watching an opera on DVD, I get distracted by the music and lose track of the story and the visuals. In this case, the visuals occasionally distracted me from the music, no small feat considering that the composer is Mozart and the opera is Cosi Fan Tutte.

As for the singers, has there ever been a more beautifully voiced Mozart soprano than Edita Gruberova in her prime? Here she is a wonderful Fiordiligi, in perfect voice, delivering her two major arias without a glitch or even the slightest indication of strain(well, she does have the advantage of a prerecorded soundtrack). Her physical performance is just as good, she captures the character's frivolousness and later her depth, how conflicted she feels over her growing attraction to Ferrando. She steals the film, although the rest of the cast is exemplary. Luis Lima has a lower register than a lot of Mozart tenors, but that isn't a handicap, his performance of the act one aria, one of the most beautiful ever written for the tenor voice(or any voice for that matter), does supreme justice to the piece. Feruccio Furlanetto, usually cast in non-romantic parts, is a sexy and strong-voiced Ferrando. Teresa Stratas is hilarious as the saucy and conniving sobriquet Despina. Delores Ziegler, our Dorabella, holds her own among the other more-celebrated female voices. Need I say more? Paolo Montarsolo makes a wickedly charming Don Alfonso. Finally, all the singers have the appropriate looks for their roles, which is especially important in an opera film.

I own a lot of opera DVDs. I have to say, this is one of the finest in my collection. Everything clicks. If one were to turn off the picture, they would still experience as beautiful a recording of this opera as is humanly possible(Nikolaus Harnoncourt rules!). The fact that the film matches the music note for note is gravy. Don't hesitate, buy!!!!!

Ponnelle's final filmed opera is beautiful, bittersweet Mozart.......2006-05-11

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle specialized in filming opera: lip synching the singing while recording recitatives live. He intended to film all of Mozart's operas but passed away (in August 1988), scant weeks after the completion of this film. He filmed only 4 Mozart operas: le Nozze di Figaro, la Clemenza di Tito, Mitridate and Cosi. It is a pity we will never see his Don Giovanni or Magic Flute. Ponnelle brought keen insight and subtle beauty to his filmed operas: never more evident than here, in his vision of a contest of mistaken identity and love held in a beautiful seaside Palladian villa.

Mozart composed Cosi fan Tutte in a few weeks in autumn 1789 on commission from Emperor Joseph II of Austria (famous for this critique of Mozart: "Too beautiful for our ears and monstrous many notes, my dear Mozart". Mozart supposedly replied "Exactly as many as necessary, your majesty"). 1789 was a hard year for the composer. He composed few other works that year as he sank into despondency over his financial situation. Despite his emotional turmoil, Cosi is one of his loveliest scores with 12 gorgeous arias balanced by 18 ensembles of heart melting beauty. All this is framed by an indefinable sadness; creating that trademark Mozartian emotional ambiguity, hallmark of his greatness. When done right, Cosi fan Tutte ("They all do it" or "They are all like that". It loses in translation.) just might be the most perfect opera buffa Mozart ever composed. The opera premiered in Vienna on 26 January 1790. It was immediately controversial for its subject matter. Beethoven hated it, considering it immoral and idiotic. That kind of criticism didn't help its commercial prospects in the 19th Century.

Ponnelle manages to get it right, with the proper combination of visual and vocal beauty. Because the singers lip synch their arias, they can concentrate on their acting which is good enough for comic opera. It was filmed in Munich 1-15 June 1988 with the sound recording made 25 February-12 March 1988 in Vienna. Edita Gruberova and Delores Ziegler are the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella. They are very similar in appearance: making the story that much more believable. They even sound somewhat alike. I had some difficulty telling them apart, which made the opera more fun for me. I thought they were fine in the film. Ferruccio Furlanetto is Guglielmo. He is a well known Leporello, so Mozart wears well on him. Luis Lima is Ferrando. They are both energetic, if not especially romantic, lovers. Their singing is fine with Furlanetto the better comedian. Don Alfonso is sung by the distinguished looking Paolo Montarsolo. He looks the part, though his voice does get a little tattered now and again. Teresa Stratas is Despina and she is funny and effervescent when it is called for. Mozart indicates that she is to sing "dryly" in her comic scenes in disguise. Some may find her voice grating when she goes over-the-top. Her normal singing voice is limpid and warm. Quite a contrast. Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Vienna Philharmonic, drawing a good, solid performance from them. I thought they lacked a little of their usual Mozartian sparkle. Perhaps this was an artifact of recording for a film.

The picture format is NTSC with a 4:3 aspect ratio shot full-screen. The picture appears digitally remastered for this apparent DGG DVD re-release. It looks fine and clear with no visual artifacts. If there were any, they have now been removed. Region code is 0 worldwide. Sound formats are PCM stereo and DTS 5.1 Digital Surround. Both formats sound good with the DTS widening the soundfield and providing nice ambiance from the rear speakers. Menus are in English. Subtitles are in Italian, English, German, French, Spanish and Chinese. There is a marvelously revealing 34 minute film of Ponnelle rehearsing Cosi as a bonus. Total time of the 2 discs is 209 minutes.

Ponnelle's final fimed opera is beautiful to look at and lovely to listen to. It is not the finest recorded Cosi but it is quite good nevertheless. Recommended, as long as it is not your only Cosi fan tutte and you are willing to accept lip synching.

Mike Birman

Just Great.......2002-08-01

I was not so much exposed to this opera although I am big fan for classical music especially Mozart's. One of my best friends was so kind to show me this video and I am greatful to that. I totally recommend this work for all those who love art because it does not only make you comforted by the music but even the decorations of the set is lovely and shows an art masterpiece. Own it and do not think twice.

Stratas at her best.......2002-07-01

This delightful Opera combines Mozart's most beautiful music with five outstanding voices, plus the outstanding voice and acting of Teresa Stratas, as the funny Despina. One cannot ask for more. I am sorry that it is not available in DVD, but surely the powers that be will see the obvious need for this soon. Fortunately for me, I was given the chance to see and hear this version of "Cosi Fan Tutte" by a good friend, and felt that I had to have it in my collection at once. You will too.

Average customer rating:

Mad at the opera.
A collector's item for Collette fans.
Cosy Cosi !
Cosi
Louis Nowra does it again!

Cosi
Starring: Ben Mendelsohn , Barry Otto , Toni Collette , Rachel Griffiths , and Aden Young
Director: Mark Joffe
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000089794
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Amazon.com

This is another one of those Cuckoo's Nest mental patient liberation stories, but with a clever "let's put on a show" twist. A group of melancholy Australian patients dares to pull off a theatrical version of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte. This film adaptation of Louis Nowra's play is quite absurd and quite erratic, yet quite affecting in the second half when the patients finally commit to the quixotic project. But how to relate to Mozart's 1790 opera about true love? By identifying with the theme of infidelity as a therapeutic exercise. And how do they pull of this madcap farce? By relying on their ability to pretend, of course. This is most difficult for the unimaginative and uncaring director (Mendelsohn), who finds himself in a life-imitates-art conflict with his curt girlfriend and a damaged yet flirtatious patient. However, it is the passionate patient (Otto) who won't let Cosi die who is the film's emotional center. He's a neurotic perfectionist and a delusional addict--a sad, desperate man with a dream to show the world how to love and be loved. --Bill Desowitz

Description

Fun, fresh, and thoroughly entertaining, COSI is the acclaimed comedy about a colorful circle of friends just crazy enough to follow an impossible dream! A first-time director is thrilled to land a job with a small show ... until he meets the outrageous "performers" he'll be working with! An offbeat group with big-time ambitions that far outweigh their talents, these nutty friends are nonetheless determined to overcome the odds! Featuring stars from the comedy hits MURIEL'S WEDDING (Toni Collette, ABOUT A BOY, Rachel Griffiths -- HBO'S SIX FEET UNDER) and STRICTLY BALLROOM (Barry Otto), COSI proves taking the wildest risk can lead to the greatest reward!

Customer Reviews:

Mad at the opera........2007-01-20

Australia has produced a lot of great movies, large and small, and this ain't one of them. If you're really wanting a good comedy set in a mental institution, check out "The Dream Team" instead. If you want a good film from Down Under, there are plenty others to choose from; just pass this one by.

A collector's item for Collette fans........2006-12-18

I'm a fan of Toni Collette's acting talents ever since watching her play Muriel in 'Muriel's Wedding' (A film I've watched so many times that I'm ashamed to admit the number). I was just as enamored with her brilliant performance in this wonderful film. In fact, the entire cast in 'Cosi' are absolutely brilliant and I laughed so hard I know I sounded like a hen about to lay an egg. Once you've encountered the unique characters in this movie they will become unforgettable. The task of a director attempting to put together a difficult play casting mentally ill patients is a witty concept in itself, but the movie's director, Mark Joffe, molds the story into a revolutionary comedy while also bringing to the surface the underlying struggles of mental illness, relationships, and the all-consuming magic of the theatre. Bravo!!!

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

Cosy Cosi !.......2006-08-30

Still a great movie, raw, funny and worth having in your Aussy collection !

Cosi.......2006-08-24

By the director of Strictly Ballroom, with the same quirky point of view and more than a whiff of satire - this is genuinely funny, human, and ultimately kind. Unlike the ballroom "types," the folks in this movie are recognizable as real people.

Louis Nowra does it again!.......2006-03-05

The screenplay for this movie was written by one of Australia's greatest contemporary playwrights, namely, Louis Nowra. When it comes to putting Australia on the map, Louis Nowra does it every time! This film has it all, love, misery, and madness...an exceptional film!

Average customer rating:

A wonderful Cosi fan tutte.
Glyndebourne Cosi is fun!

Mozart - Cosi fan Tutte
Starring: Miah Persson , Luca Pisaroni , Topi Lehtipuu , Anke Vondung , and Nicolas Rivenq
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Manufacturer: BBC / Opus Arte
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Mozart - Le Nozze di Figaro
Rossini - L'Italiana in Algeri
Bellini - Norma
Rossini - L'Italiana in Algeri
R. Strauss - Die Frau Ohne Schatten

ASIN: B000NIWI9K
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful Cosi fan tutte........2007-06-10

For my taste, Glyndebourne 2006 new production of Cosi fan tutte is the best DVD version for this opera. Ivan Fisher is an excellent Mozartian, and the young and good-looking cast sings and acts with a lot enthusiasm. The best singers are the wonderful Swedish Miah Persson as Fiordiligi, and the Italian baritone Luca Pisaroni as Guglielmo. Highly recommended!!

Glyndebourne Cosi is fun!.......2007-05-06

Glyndebourne's 2006 production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Cosi fan tutte is fun. The DVD from Opus Arte reveals the charm of Cosi - that is, an intimate opera, featuring only six singers, who intertwine their parts to deliver subtle and dynamic events.

Ferrando is a mixed bag. Topi Lehtipuu is a good partner particularly with Fiordiligi. He has a lovely instrument and pulls off some gorgeous phrases. His fellow officer is Luca Pisaroni, who just keeps getting better and better. Strong, perfectly framed for his character, Pisaroni's voice now has a musicality that makes him a super Guglielmo.

Anke Vondung is excellent as Dorabella. Her aria - Smanie implacabili - is terrific. A very clever score from Mozart makes that solo stimulating and Vondung nails it. Mozart uses the sisterly partnership of Dorabella and Fiordiligi by melding their two voices to create a third independent line. Vondung and Persson make that happen. Their duets - Ah, guarda, sorella and Prendero quel brunettino - are parfait. Vondung is a pleasure to listen to.

Miah Persson has a beautiful voice and is wonderful as Fiordiligi. Her performance alone makes Cosi. The woman of the match is Persson. Fiordiligi is one of the most difficult parts to sing and she goes for it, producing splendid Mozart. She puts the pedal to the metal during her solos - Come scoglio and Per pieta. Persson is an intense, sexy, tender Fiordiligi. A fabulous teammate, she takes Cosi to all those fun places music can travel.

Mozart - The Salzburg Festspiele Opera Boxset

Average customer rating:

A tentative review....
Mozart? Mozart!!!

Mozart - The Salzburg Festspiele Opera Boxset
Starring: Don Giovanni , Le Nozze di Figaro , Cosi fan Tutte , Idomeneo , and La Clemenza di Tito
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Rossini - L'Italiana in Algeri

ASIN: B000I8OFKU
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Customer Reviews:

A tentative review...........2007-06-23

...Tentative because I don't own the entire set, but 10 of the DVDs in it.

I was very excited about the M22 project when I heard about it last summer indeed! Salzburg Festival staged all 22 Mozart opera in summer of 2006 and taped 20 of them for posterity ('Cosi fan tutte' and 'La clemenza di Tito' are from 2003), so the performance in some lesser known early opera were suffering because the A-list soloists were spread thin covering the more substantial works. However, there are some younger (and not famous yet) singers who really impress me with their performance in the obscure works.

I haven't seen all the shows. From the 10 DVDs (actually 11 opera since 2 got merged into 1 show) some are very good, but some are really dreadful. 'Ascanio in Alba' is so hatched up both musically and staging-wise I actually feel sorry for Mozart that the thing is the only DVD of the opera preserved for posterity.

Anyhow, I can tell you that at least 11 of the opera in this set (all the ones I do own) are of conceptual/pseudo-modernized staging. Some (like 'Tito', 'Idomeneo', or 'Apollo et Hyacinthus') convey the story better than the others (like 'Ascanio in Alba' or 'Lucio Silla'). And that all the early opera I've seen are heavily cut, and some are so altered that Mozart probably wouldn't recognize them.

'Bastien und Bastienne' and 'Der Schauspieldirektor', for example, were completely reworked and merged together to form one Singspiel (in the 'an opera within an opera' format). And there's this antic of replacing Italian recitativo secco with spoken German dialog ('Ascanio in Alba' and 'La finta semplice', for two). I enjoy hearing the works I hadn't heard before, but note that they aren't presented come scritto and in whole piece (and so do not present good 'historical' reference in term of music).

Unless you are a Mozart/opera collector, it'd probably be a good idea to rent some of the individual DVDs that this set contain before deciding to shell out $300 plus for the entire thing (especially if you are averse to Eurotrash staging...). There are some gems, but there are some mud as well.

Mozart? Mozart!!!.......2007-06-18

It is not every day that one can come across the entire filmed version of a composer's operatic output (Beethoven being one obvious exception), and that in itself makes this collection unique and remarkable. You cant expect the quality control over all twenty two Mozart operas in this set to be the same, but overall there is a sense of excitement at being able to see all these productions in fresh, imaginative stagings and with some outstanding performances along the line. This set is a perfect introduction not only to the genius of Mozart, but also to the genre of Opera. And to those of us who are already hooked, its a fun and enjoyable way to, once again, confirm what a genius that brat from Salzburg was!

Mozart - Cosi Fan Tutte / Gardiner, Roocroft, Gilfry, English Baroque Soloists

Average customer rating:

Better Heard than Seen
An inspired Cosi
The rare thing - a PERFECT video
An absolute delight!
Nitpicking doesnt change the fact...

Mozart - Cosi Fan Tutte / Gardiner, Roocroft, Gilfry, English Baroque Soloists
Starring: Amanda Roocroft , Rosa Mannion , Rodney Gilfry , Rainer Trost , and Eirian James
Director: Peter Mumford
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
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ASIN: B00006J9OU
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Customer Reviews:

Better Heard than Seen.......2007-06-28

This is a wonderfully sung and performed COSI FAN TUTTE. The problem is the video quality it terrible. On your HDTV it is like watching the opera from behind an annoying screen. The picture is blurry and anything but crisp. Details are lost, and the better your TV, the more annoying this is. My recommendation is to skip the dvd and get the cd of this performance.

An inspired Cosi.......2006-06-07

There are several excellent productions of Cosi available on DVD. Because the opera can be interpreted in different ways (that's one of its joys), I don't think there's a "best production" out there. This one, though, is my personal favorite. It's conducted by John Eliot Gardiner who says of Cosi that no other Mozart opera has such an unmistakable sound, one he can only describe as "feminine." It's the opera I put on when I need to nourish the soul. The "Addio" quintet, followed by the "Soave sia il vento" trio is almost too much beauty to bear in so short a time. Heavenly Amadeus music, always with that tinge of indefinable sadness, just like life.

This production has lush sets and costumes, sparkling conducting (on period instruments) and first-rate performances by the six ensemble players. I love how it shifts gears in Act II. Up until then it's all hilarity and fun. Then it stops you in your tracks as you realize Fiordiligi is truly in crisis. Amanda Roocroft communicates this both in her singing and her acting. You feel deeply for her.

As the sisters, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, Roocroft and Rosa Mannion's voices blend perfectly; this is essential because they sing together throughout the opera. Rainer Trost is a perfect Mozart tenor - sweet-voiced and expressive. His moving interpretation of Ferrando's two arias "Un' aura amorosa" and "Tradito, schernito" goes straight to your heart. Rodney Gilfry is wonderfully arrogant as Guglielmo and his rich baritone voice is a treat for the ear.

Finally, there are some great directorial choices - from the sisters fending off the "foreigners" with upended tables in the hilariously-staged "Alla bella Despinetta," to the ensemble dropping out of character as they begin the final chorus (an inspired choice since the audience knows it's false cheerfulness at that point anyway).

The rare thing - a PERFECT video.......2006-05-08

Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte" has never been as ubiquitous in the operatic repertoire as Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, or Magic Flute, despite having perhaps the most beautiful score and the best libretto (by da Ponte). Ostensibly, the story is simple: two sisters (Fiordiligi and Dorabella) are engaged to two young men (Ferrando and Guglielmo). The men, egged on by a sinister Don Alfonso, decide to "test" their sweethearts' love by disguising themselves as soldiers and switching partners. The women do not pass this love-test, and thus the title of the opera: Cosi fan tutte (all women are like that). But this summary of the plot only scratches the tip of the iceburg that is Cosi fan tutte.

In the 19th century the opera was decried as wicked, because it dared put forth the idea of "free love" way before the 1960s. It stubbornly refused to be traditionally romantic. It's a comedy that becomes profoundly uncomfortable to watch, as the sunny frivolous, fake "romances" between the main characters turns into something entirely ambiguous and mysterious, something no one can explain, not even da Ponte or Mozart. The ending has no real sense of resolution, and thus is been the bane of stage directors. How does one end an opera that has no real ending? The moral and emotional ambiguity of Cosi fan tutte, however, makes it perhaps Mozart's richest and deepest work. I think the score is his most beautiful. The da Ponte libretto is by turns biting, funny, romantic, cynical, cruel, and humane. A performance that can express all the complexity of this work is rare, so that's why it's so special when it does happen, as it does here in this wonderful video.

John Eliot Gardiner is a conductor of the HIP movement, meaning he believes in using period-style instruments, tuning, and singing practices. The appogiaturas that mid-20th century German conductors so insistently stamped out are restored, as is vocal embellishments of the arias. The HIP movement was controversial when it first started; now most "unHIP" performances have incorporated some HIP practices, such as a the proper restoration of appogiaturas. (Although if one listens to the 1930s broadcasts and early recordings of Mozart one can hear the appogiaturas -- why they were so ruthlessly erased by mid-20th century conductors has always been a minor mystery to me. It mostly hinged on a few ambiguous letters Mozart wrote, that suggested he wanted his arias sung come scritto. Nowadays people acknowledge that those one or two letters were probably not meant to be taken literally.)

The production of Cosi fan tutte is proof that "traditional" does not equal stodgy. The cute (perhaps too cute) beginning has Don Alfonso (Claudio Nicolai), Guglielmo (Rodney Gilfry), and Ferrando (Rainer Trost) walking down the aisles of the Theatre du Chatalet and onstage. The men are in period-style costumes, and the stage is filled with white curtains. As the men end their discussion about the constancy of women, the curtains part and we are in a sunny, pretty Meditteranean garden, with a terra-cotta floor. Fiordiligi is playing with her clothes, suggesting her youth. The sets remain simple throughout the opera, but they always suggest a happy, sunny place, that contrasts more and more with the emotional complexity of the story as the opera progresses.

The main idea of Act 1 is to emphasize the immaturity of the lovers. The sisters are barely distinguishable from each other, both in costumes, voice, and personality. Gardiner explains in his notes that although it's been traditional to cast Fiordiligi as a soprano and Dorabella as a mezzo to contrast and differentiate the sisters, the original Fiordiligi and Dorabella were singers very similar in range and type. Besides, the main concept in this production is that Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Guglielmo, and Ferrando are all very immature and juvenile, with very little sense of self. (Reminiscent of the lovers in Midsummer's Night Dream.) They rhapsodize about love without any idea of what love actually is. Throughout the performance, things seem light and happy and giggly, and it only gradually creeps up on you that this is no longer funny, that the emotions are real, and that the silly, indistinguishable foursome have become complex individuals, with emotions that can't be erased by Don Alfonso and Despina's almost cruel prattle at the opera's conclusion.

Gardiner assembled a young, good-looking cast, that fit into the concept of the immaturity and inexperience of the lovers. Don Alfonso is an elderly gentleman, and the fact that he's cruelly meddling in the emotional and sexual lives of these young people suggests his need to compensate for his own lack of emotional depth. Amanda Roocroft and Rosa Mannion have voices that are lighter than usual for this opera. Roocroft can't quite negotiate the fiendishly difficult "Come scoglio" and "Per pieta" as well as some Fiordiligis I've heard (most recently Dorothea Roschmann in the excellent, if very different video from Berlin), but I love her light, bright, youthful sounding voice, as well as Rosa Mannion's. If you have an allergy to fast vibratos than you might take issue with Roocroft and Mannion, but I don't. The men (Rodney Gilfry and Rainer Trost) are more well-known than the women, and they sing marvellously. "Il core vi dono" and "Fra gli amplessi" (the two sublime duets between the "switched" lovers in the second act) have the requisite beauty and poignancy. The many ensemble pieces demonstrate how well all the performers are able to blend their voices into a harmonious, beautiful whole. Despina (Eirian James) is an energetic and spunky Despina, and she suggests that her cruel shenanigans are borne out of a servant's resentment. Like Don Alfonso, she always remains slightly detatched from the lovers, as if she's watching a baseball game.

At the end of the opera, Mozart's happy C-major chord plays, and the characters are all smiling, except Fiordiligi is still holding onto Ferrando's hand, and Dorabella and Guglielmo are holding hands as well. Finally Fiordiligi holds hands with Guglielmo, and the lovers are all lined up, holding hands. They're supposed to go back to their original lovers, but they can't break the bonds that they formed with their "fake" lovers either. All of them are smiling. What are they smiling about? Their newfound love? Or relief that the game is over? A perfectly ambiguous ending to this opera.

An absolute delight!.......2006-04-07

Loved every minute of this performance! I will only add that the voices were all stellar - incredible range required for Mozart - and the blending of Manion's (Dorabella) and Roocroft's (Fiordiligi) sopranos skilled and delightful. I was fascinated with Dorabella and Fiordiligi: difficult to distinguish in the beginning and gradually allowing their different natures to emerge along with differences in costuming. This production, like all of Gardiner's, is excellent; anyone wanting scan and pan with lots of closeups is missing a genuine treat!

Nitpicking doesnt change the fact..........2005-08-17

that this is the best overall COSI on the market. Cosi is very much ensemble and this dvd is filmed that way. Those who want alot of closeups and editing may find this disappointing. I liked the filming scheme of this dvd because it was written and composed specifically as an opera of relationships, and viewing the reactions of those characters not necessarily singing at the moment is important. The denouement of this version of the opera is peerless in dvd format.The quality and matching of voices is also unmatched on any other current dvds of this opera. Trost & Roocroft are consistently excellent and the orchestra is dead on. I have viewed every COSI dvd offered online, and it is my sincere opinion that this version is the best overall. Try it!

Mozart - Cosi fan Tutte / Dessi, Ziegler, Corbelli, Scarabelli, Kundlak, Desderi; Muti, La Scala Opera

Average customer rating:

BEAUTIFULLY SUNG, BEAUTIFULLY STAGED TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION
a bargain of enjoyment
Beautiful but old-fashioned and a little dull
Precise, fast moving, a gift to the senses
Disappointing

Mozart - Cosi fan Tutte / Dessi, Ziegler, Corbelli, Scarabelli, Kundlak, Desderi; Muti, La Scala Opera
Starring: Daniela Dessi , Jozef Kundlak , Delores Ziegler , Alessandro Corbelli , and Riccardo Muti
Director: Adelina Scarabelli
Manufacturer: BBC / Opus Arte
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ASIN: B0002ISGRY
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Description

Daniella Dessì and Delores Ziegler lead the cast in Mozart's brilliant and witty opera as the two women whose faithfulness in the face of romantic love is ruthlessly tested in Da Ponte's comic tale. Mozart lavishes some of the finest music ever written on the unfolding story of the two sisters' chaotic and fickle love affairs with their two Italian army officers.

Customer Reviews:

BEAUTIFULLY SUNG, BEAUTIFULLY STAGED TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION.......2006-12-02

Modern "Regietheater" productions can be fun, but I find they are never as satisfying in the long run as a well done traditional production. Salzburg's 2006 M22 complete Mozart opera set is available in Europe, and about to arrive here. Salzburg is a hot bed of radical productions that will confuse anyone not familiar with the opera as written. If you are not familiar with Mozart opera, and you want a production that goes by the book, a production that will not confuse you, this La Scala DVD is a great place to start.

First, It would be hard to find a better Fiordiligi than Dessi. She equals Sena Jurinac's 1950 recording of excerpts. Jurinac's Mozart singing was my gold standard until hearing Dessi and for the smaller roles, Hartelius.

Second, It is hard to imagine a better Despina than Scarabelli.

Everyone else is very good, which brings me to the conductor, Muti.
Cosi, more than other Mozart operas has a tendency to "stall out" due to extended legato phrasing. Even John Eliot Gardiner falls into the trap, turning in a performance that loses steam. Harnoncourt and Barenboim don't avoid the trap either in my opinion. Muti keeps the pulse of the music alive without any disruptive punchy accented notes.

The sound is not quite as dynamic as I would like in act one, but it is very good for it's time. It is far more dynamic than some much newer DVD. Any compression is subtle, but be sure to select wide range if your player has DRC (dynamic range control). There is no distortion audible on my studio monitor headphones. Vocal balance is excellent and consistant.

a bargain of enjoyment.......2006-09-25

I have 3 of the current Cosi's but not on DVD. The previous negative reviews made me hesitate but the strong positives convinced me to gamble. I strongly agree with the positive reviews. Not only is it a very good production but it is at bargain cost!

Beautiful but old-fashioned and a little dull.......2006-08-21

This is a good but rather old-fashioned performance. The singers are all excellent, both individually and as an ensemble, and Riccardo Muti's conducting is, as usual, well paced and exciting. The sets and costumes are simple but gorgeous. Overall the impression is of beauty, refinement, and dignity: the libretto's farcical aspects are certainly not ignored (how could they be?), but the characters are played as real people with (mostly) believeable thoughts and feelings, not as the cardboard cutouts one so often encounters in broader interpretations of the piece.

With all these strengths, it's unfortunate that the staging is so dull. I'm not a fan of overly busy staging, or of movement for movement's sake, but in this case a bit more liveliness would have been welcome. The singers also sometimes go a little catatonic during their arias, in particular Daniela Dessi, who is otherwise a very fine Fiordiligi.

It is also worth bearing in mind that this production is from the 1980s. Muti's direction is admirably lean and free of excess romanticism, but in other respects the musical approach is pretty old-fashioned (for example, there places in the arias where Mozart clearly indicates a cadenza of some kind by placing a fermata over the entire bar instead of over just one note, but in this performance, as far as I could tell, all such spots are sung exactly as printed). Of course, depending on your attitude toward what we rather dubiously call "historical authenticity," you may find this a strength rather than a weakness. Personally I prefer a more historically informed approach, but the performance here is good enough on its own terms that I didn't mind too much.

All in all, this is solid but not exceptional: very well sung, expertly conducted, beautifully designed -- and unfortunately also a little dull. But if you're looking for a traditional, gimmick-free performance, you could do a lot worse.

Precise, fast moving, a gift to the senses.......2005-09-07

Excellent audio recording, one of the best I've heard. Video also first quality. Unbeatable orchestra too.

Disappointing.......2005-08-17

I found the acting stilted. All four main singers seem to be singing to the audience and the camera instead of to each other, which creates a constant feeling that the singers are not involved with one another as characters. I dont agree that the voices match well with one another, finding that even the 'gentle breeze' trio seems out of sync--- a difficult thing to do! The staging is generally very good, especially for those who prefer their Mozart without modern accessories. Overall, not bad, but nothing to rave about.

Mozart - Cosi fan Tutte / Susan Larson, James Maddalena, Sanford Sylvan, Peter Sellars, Craig Smith, Wiener Symphoniker, Peter Sellars

Average customer rating:

you always pay some price
At last, Peter Sellars's Mozart on DVD
A 20th century Cosi
More about the humor than the music....

Mozart - Cosi fan Tutte / Susan Larson, James Maddalena, Sanford Sylvan, Peter Sellars, Craig Smith, Wiener Symphoniker, Peter Sellars
Starring: Sanford Sylvan , Susan Larson , Sue Ellen Kuzma , Frank Kelley , and James Maddalena
Director: Janice Felty
Manufacturer: Decca
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ASIN: B00092ZANQ
Release Date: 2005-06-14

Customer Reviews:

you always pay some price.......2006-02-01

you always pay some price for imagination and innovation,revisiting Opera's encrusted dust-laden ways of putting something and humans on the stage; here Sellars and his on-going cadre of regulars, Sylvan, Larson, Maddalena rise to interesting heights, you cannot say great heights for in the cloistered world of opera, (Oh sorry Opera! )you still have pretentions about Greatness Gr-Greatness (Two "G'S) greatness about what? singing!, we need to have interesting voices to sustain an entire evening sitting as Sellars & Cadre do not sacrifice too much in any direction,but service up full-tilt dramatic situations. Here the singing is perhaps not as great or voluptuous as other tried and tested predictable "Cosis" but then interesting minimalist choreography; hand/arm movements,flailing in ther air and gentle unassuming personas of Susan Larson and Janice Felty really carry the emotive dimensions to Yes!, greatness farther than the prestine relatively sterile productions I've seen as with Barenboim.
Of course only on a TV screen through DVD can you actually see all of Sellars production/direction details,there is a bit of utopia in his conceptualizations, for if you cannot see it, it doesn't exist, except in his Notes. Sellars locates wonderful body and hand gestures which take you right into the complexity of young women obsessed with their bodies and their lack-luster boyfriends,like it is an extension of what their voices are doing, much deeper and interesting than the TV "Sex in the City" but you can see Mozart's and Sellar's imagination were hovering around something similar although not actually knowing/experiencing the vocabulary of either Sarah Jessica Parker or Kim Cattrall.Wolfgang loved good parties with woman falling out of their dresses;still Mozart can take incredible liberties in beleivibility as in the famous Six-Eighth :Trio: saying goodbye "Soave sia il vento" sailing away(fictiously) of the two lovers from Dorabella, Fiordiligi, helped by Don Alfonso, here played by baritone Sanford Sylvan, a Vietnam Vet who is wrapped perhaps too tight,bottled up with something dangerous, ready to explode.Well it is his plot anyway to dupe/test the fidelity as you know of the two adorable woman here.Sylvan is indeed very beleivable more so than the powdered-wig George Washington-like Don Alfonsos you will usuually encounter.But if a parentetical form exists in music as in literature,suspending the flow of the drama,like an escape as this Trio, that is a innovation for Wolfgang; certainly is it The Fifties Diner? which helps loosen things up, the informality of it,as contrasted to a standard production with Southern Belles-like Prom dresses in solid colours, Yuckee and boring to me,you may like it; The Diner and the unassuming costumes provides wonderful backdrops/materials for all the intense emotions without being a distraction;Felty and Larson wear kick-around slacks; the original does take place at a Coffee Shop, so I fail to see how this production alters/ rearranges the sensibilities of hardcore Opera Buffs. The action stays fairly intense here with the Men returning as dressed Turks falling for the opposite lovers of the original pairing,"swapping" it was called in the Seventies before all this sexual sophistication rose to the American living room.

At last, Peter Sellars's Mozart on DVD.......2005-08-03

Cosi was the first of the Mozart DaPonte operas that Peter Sellars did for the Pepsico Summerfest at SUNY-Purchase back in the second half of the 1980s. I was sceptical when I attended a performance having heard that it was set in a diner run by a suffering Vietnam vet. It took me about 20 minutes to become fully convinced of Sellars's approach. I saw it again a few seasons later and still loved it. Now, many years later and on DVD rather than in the house, it took me longer to get fully involved. However, by the second act I was completely won over again.

Yes, this is a reasonably contemporary setting. But Sellars thinks and works everything out beautifully. One thing you might miss on the DVD is how carefully he choreographs almost every movement of each character. Little or nothing is left to chance.

How to handle the matter of the men's disguises is a problem in any production of Cosi. Here they come in dressed as hippies with tie-dyed tee shirts and their skin covered with paint. Surely the ladies can see through this. (Well, they should be able to see through any disguise I've ever seen in any production.) And in the second act when the paint disappears, surely they can see what's going on. And then on to the wedding scene where the men drop the tie-dyed shirts and show up in big white suits looking like fugitives from a Talking Heads concert, surely the ladies know. Well, of course they do. That's part of the conceit of the production and why the conclusion is so painful for them.

The subtitles are updated a bit to reflect the concept. The singing is not the best Cosi around; the two deeper voiced men are the best of the lot.

This production is the one that made Cosi my favorite Mozart opera. I strongly recommend this to anyone who cares for opera as theater.

A 20th century Cosi.......2005-07-17

There are lots of little things wrong with this production. But the main thing is that it works - and it works powerfully. This is not a happy Cosi - at the end the principles are still falling apart. And when you think of it well they should be. Their lives have been terribly shaken by love which is in truth the most powerful force there is.
By updating the time to present day America the sexuality implicit in the story is brought to the fore. Sellars also plays with the story - not just at the end when who goes with whom is still up in the air - but in Act 1 when the turks attempt to pair with their former loves. Then in Act 2 when the women pick their men - the opposite of their loves - the men are taken off guard and wounded. Thus starts the downward plunge of this Cosi into pain. The singing-acting is great. This is not the ideal Mozart singing. But if you want a Cosi that makes you think and feel this is it.

More about the humor than the music...........2005-06-20

This is my favorite among the Peter Sellars productions of Mozart's comedic masterpieces. In fact, it's the only one I remotely like at all.

Cosi Fan Tutte is the last of the three magnificent collaborations between Mozart and his librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, artistic soul mates if ever there were any. It was written during a dismal time towards the end of Mozart's short life. Family health issues and the usual financial stressors were taking their toll on Mozart's strength, but never on his relentlessly exquisite musical output.

Cosi has the most cynical underpinnings of any of Mozart's operas, which are usually imbued with his characteristic warmth and optimistic humanism. Yet, despite Cosi's bleak perspective on love and loyalty, the music is ecstatically gorgeous, and in its sheer beauty perhaps exceeds any of Mozart's other operatic works. It requires perfect singing and flawless vocal technique, as do all of Mozart's operas. This dvd is far from meeting any of the requirements of great singing called for by Mozart's work, but it does have other marginal entertainment values for either those who are not interested in great singing and would just like to be able to make it through an entire performance of the lengthy Cosi, or for those who are so familiar with this master work that they can take time for parody, which is more what this production is about.

Cosi has a rather checkered past. Unfortunately for Mozart, Emperor Joseph II died shortly after the opera's opening. The theatres in Vienna closed down in mourning, and that was the end of Cosi for Mozart's generation. During the 19th century, when Mozart worship was in full swing, the sexually conservative critics and audiences were horrified that Mozart would have applied his divine gifts to such a tawdry libretto about two slutty sisters and their instantaneous infidelity during their lovers' absence. In order to justify performances of this gorgeous but racy opera during that era, more chaste and respectable librettos were inserted to replace the morally shocking original.

You certainly won't find the kind of glorious Mozartean singing on this Sellars dvd that you can find on some of the more spectacular recorded performances of Cosi. On dvd, Daniel Barenboim's Cosi is graced by the wondrous Dorothea Rauschmann as Fiordiligi. This Cosi attempts a satirical point of view, too, but it comes off more as lowbrow slapstick, and is not as funny, original or as true to Mozart's intentions as is the Sellars.

On cd, Barenboim's Cosi on the Erato label has fabulous singing and his brilliant conducting of the Berlin Philharmonic moves along at exactly the right pace to enhance the wit and eroticism of this multilayered, climax-oriented ensemble work. And of course, there's the great classic version on EMI, conducted by Karl Bohm, with Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and Christa Ludwig. Recently, Guild released a treasure of a Cosi from the early 1950's, conducted by Fritz Busch with Sena Jurinac as Fiordiligi, lovingly restored by Richard Caniell, the patron saint of historic opera lovers everywhere.

While the Sellars production lacks superior vocal talent and skilled conducting (granted, two of the most important components of great opera) it somewhat compensates with a production concept fairly close, I believe, to some of Mozart's ideas about his characters and their interpersonal dynamics.

The setting is "Despina's" - a tacky diner in the late 1980's - located in Florida or someplace like that. The girls are bored, boring and shallow. The emphasis here is on male emotions and male suffering, and the women are portrayed as pure idiots, as opposed to the more vulnerable and sensitive men. Unlike the women, the men (including Don Alfonso), are not opera buffa caricatures, but are authentically wounded by their lovers' triviality and betrayal.

The most charismatic figure in the cast is the Despina, Sue Ellen Kuzma. She shows her stuff in the finale to Act One - one of Mozart's greatest, among his many marvelous, complex finales. Here, in order to heal the alleged suicides of the allegedly desperate lovers, Despina disguises herself as 'il medico', Mozart's hilarious parody of Franz Mesmer, the high profile and controversial Viennese doctor who invented hypnosis (then called 'animal magnetism' - hence the typical magnet jokes in this scene). Kuzma plays the doctor as a very New Age, very California Shirley MacLaine type, testing and adjusting the men's auras, chakras, and other body parts, resulting, of course, in their miraculous healing.

All in all, musically this production is on a pretty low level considering the heights to which Mozartean singing can rise. By no means is it bad singing - it's just not great singing. It's more driven by its theatrical concepts than by any particular musicality or outstanding artistry. The humor is genuine, though, and I admit to having watched it several times and having laughed quite a bit. Somehow, Sellars' insights into Cosi work well as theatre. They're not, by any means, the only way of looking at this opera. But his perspectve did bring a fresh and contemporary accessibility to an eighteenth century work. It's more fun to watch it with a friend who is Mozart savvy - you can share the jokes together.

Mozart - Cosi fan Tutte (Salzburg Marionette Theater)

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Mozart - Cosi fan Tutte (Salzburg Marionette Theater)
Starring: Peter Ustinov , Pilar Lorengar , Teresa Berganza , Gabriel Bacquier , and Tom Krause
Director: Georg Solti
Manufacturer: Amado
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000RIWANU
Release Date: 2007-06-26

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