Cosi fan Tutte: W.A. Mozart at:
English National Opera
London Coliseum, St Martins Lane, London WC2N 4ES
Full of flirtatious passion and with a real sense of revelation and surprise from the very first moments as the front of curtain antics of the circus performers delight over the sprightly overture, designer Tom Pye’s evocative and surreal British travelling circus interpretation of a Coney Island fairground was a feast for the eyes. It also allowed this most silly of operas to detach itself from reality enough to relax and have fun with itself.
The set looked fantastic, really cool and atmospheric with endlessly colourful and engaging bits and bobs going on, the fairground signs looked amazing and had been commissioned by the ENO from a world famous Carnival sign painter Joby Carter, who’s done the opera house proud. With rooms that revolve, love boat rides in the shape of swans, a Ferris wheel and bunny girl bars this is jokey, sexy opera at its most flirty and although some of the more unpleasant aspects of this opera were dropped off the end of the pier, the frothy concentrations of visual fun kept the narrative pace alongside the sprightly and energetic music from conductor Ryan Wigglesworth. There was loads of visual jokes, physical puns and some super energetic choreography too, all very tongue in cheek but also superbly timed from a comedic perspective.
The ENO orchestra were crisp, sharp and wove the required delicacy of shade and harmonic precision that Mozart demands while still allowing a sense of fun and good humour into the music and this is both the joy and the flaw in this opera. By keeping it all ha ha ha and tra la la we lose sight of the mean heart of this opera, the greasy sexist thug that lurks behind the side shows to rob us of our dignity, hopes and dreams and show us that the intoxication of Mozart is all candyfloss. I’ve always been creeped out by Cosi Fan Tutte with its misogynistic reach but this smoother, all together more modern version leaves the wolf at the door and the only real chills it gives us are from the acrobats and carny folk in front of the curtain and the good chills down the spine as the superb singing gets into gear.
Roderick Williams as Don Alfonso was a convincing wide boy with the wiles and smarmy charm to lead everyone astray, his voice was less substantial than his acting but he still kept the audience’s attention each and every time he was on stage.
Mary Bevan’s Despina shone with a brilliant luster and made my evening and was simply perfect (and also very, very funny indeed as her bewigged Dr giving out electro shock treatments) Bevan is always good, tonight she was utterly perfect, worth going just to see her sing Despina with such grace.
Kate Valentine’s Fiordiligi seemed strangely off form and lack luster, although this might have been to do with the fact that she spent most of the second half in a balloon.
Marcus Farnsworth’s Guglielmo felt right vocally and his voice has great reach and speed but he didn’t convince from a sexy seductive perspective, pretty essential for this role but he developed as the night went on.
The sheer electric perfection of Christine Rice’s Dorabella was great. Rice seems to live and breathe Mozart in a way some other performers only grasp at and her presence lit up the stage as much as her voice thrilled the Coliseum. She was exquisite.
Overall this production was fun, frivolous and silly and perhaps this is the best way to enjoy the frothy confectionary of this classic Mozart and not peer too closely into its workings. I doubt it would have held up to much scrutiny on its original opening night and the modern eye must cast aside post-feminist ideas of integrity and just let the music wash over.
Improbable’s inspirational Director Phelim McDermott has woven his usual magic on this stunning successful reimagining which although not wholly original in its setting is inventive in its re-visioning, and by giving everyone an equal amount of blame at the end, removes some of the murkiness of the original.
With a fun twist and a colourful engaging set this seriously silly ENO production gives us an exciting evening out with some colourful visual distractions that feel modern, thrilling and over all FUN. Afterall this opera is all about fun, it’s thrill, it’s brevity and the consequences of indulgence. With some great singing from the ladies and such care and consideration of this fantastic set Cosi Fan Tutte burst into new life on the ENO and I would recommend dragging yourself out to see this most familiar of opera one more time and enjoying this frothy fun production.
Until July 6, 2014
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