30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly opera as living theatre, July 20, 2001
Mozart's <Cosi fan tutte> has had a spotted career on video, but I believe that the ArtHaus edition (100 013) is the best of the lot if considered in the light of Opera as Theatre. For once, the dry recites are done with imagination, using something never heard in opera houses: silence. The scene in which the two sisters and their disguised wooers are seated awkwardly at a table and one of them breaks the ice with "Nice day, isn't it?" gets a bigger laugh than all the silliness in other productions.
We have here the moralistic tale of two young men, Ferrando (Roberto Sacca) and Guilelmo (Oliver Widmer), betting the older and cynical Don Alfonso (Carlos Chausson) that their lovers, Fiordiligi (Cecilia Bartoli) and Dorabella (Liliana Nikiteanu), are constant. With the aid of the clever maid Despina (Agnes Baltsa), each woos the other's beloved--and both succeed! All around, some unpleasant truths are learned about themselves and only Don Alfonso emerges unscathed.
Since the subtitle of this work is "The School for Lovers," we have in this production Don Alfonso actually running a classroom for young men; and several scenes take place in front of the blackboard, which is a prop put to very good use throughout. Never mind that the disguises on the men would fool no one and that at least two pieces on the stage are anachronistically modern. The acting is good, with Bartoli overdoing the facial expressions a little as usual, and the singing of some of the six participants perhaps less than spectacular but always within character. I am recommending this highly as an excellent piece of Theatre and a very good introduction to an opera that lives in the shadow of "Figaro" and "Don Giovanni."
The work is on two DVDs in the 16:9 screen ratio. The jacket lists a running time of 275 minutes, which includes a 22-minute "Behind the Scenes" featurette. No libretto but a good synopsis.
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Così is a winner!, August 23, 2001
Mozart's Così fan tutte contains some of his sweetest and most beautiful melodies. Such gorgeous music combined with an excellent libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte make it hard to believe that this opera was largely neglected by the public until the twentieth century. Viewing this DVD is a true delight from beginning to end, as Harnoncourt conducts Mozart's gem just right. The cast is outstanding, made up of a mixture of world-famous singers like Bartoli and Baltsa and others that, while not as well known, bring their characters to life. Even the recitatives are expertly done, thus adding to the humor and the drama of the opera. This production brilliantly conveys the humor on the surface, while at the same time illustrating that just below is a darker world with real tears and pathos as the four lovers discover that true love isn't necessarily forever. The sound and picture quality are excellent, and no fan of Mozart will want to be without this superb DVD. I know this opera well, and this production was enlightening to me on a musical, intellectual, and emotional level that stayed with me long after viewing it.
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23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good, despite Bartoli's distorted singing faces, March 9, 2002
By A Customer
This has to be one of the best Cosi stagings I have seen by far.
The two soldiers are accurately represented by Roberto Sacca as Ferrando and Oliver Widmer as Guglielmo. Both men were animated and completely in character for the entire production, which, given the length of Cosi, could be quite hard for singers who find the dramatic aspect of opera a difficulty.
Carlos Chausson is a PERFECT Don Alfonso; calm, collected and cemented in his belief that the two women will, in fact, betray their beloveds just as he has predicted. I especially love the way he non-chalantly strolls about the stage, often puffing on a huge stogie.
As Despina, we have the lovely and very talented Greek Mezzo, Agnes Baltsa. Not only does she give a good theatrical performance, but she has a beautiful voice.
Liliana Nikiteanu does a wonderful job as Dorabella, the younger sister, acting just as a young girl would: curious and playful. I'm anxious to see more of Ms. Nikiteanu in future productions, for this is truly the development of a fine performer.
Cecilia Bartoli's Fiordiligi is a joy to listen to, although not always a joy to watch. While I can always, always believe that Bartoli's emotions are correct within her work, I cannot always believe that she has to make those God-awful faces every time she sings. I have seen several productions from the Barber of Seville to Cenerentola that feature Bartoli, and it seems that her distorted faces only seem to get worse with the older and more experienced she gets.
Certainly, she is a very talented artist and performer, but it makes me wonder if those faces are not a way to manufacture a bigger sound on her part. If one were to compare this performance with the 1988 Barber of Seville performance, notes would be made that while the saucy spirit of the world's most loved Italian Diva is still there, the ugly and horrid faces and jaw positions are not.
But..she sells the songs, and that's what matters. I'm just curious to see if those wretched face positions cause any vocal tension a few years down the road...
Bottom line: Get a copy of this while you can; it certainly is worth it.
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