Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I didn't have a lot of hope for this 1989 La Scala production, largely because I had assumed, mistakenly apparently, that Italians don't do Mozart very well. Granted, this is a production from La Scala and if anyone could do it one would assume that they could. Further, I had just been charmed by the Glyndebourne DVD of 'Così' from 1975, the one led by John Pritchard. Boy, was I wrong! This is one wonderful production of what many feel is Mozart's most nearly perfect opera. Riccardo Muti is in the pit and his Scala orchestra play like angels for him. The sets are beautiful (and much more so than the somewhat Pop Art-ish Glyndebourne sets). The backdrops overlook the Bay of Naples and the sky and water are blue, blue, blue. The foregrounds are fairly simple - a few columns, some tables, benches, stairs, drapes. When Ferrando and Guglielmo go off to join their military unit they are picked up by a rather nice three-masted ship that sails in from the wings and then carries them off. Costumes are also traditional, typical 17-century trappings with wigs, period-specific military uniforms for the men, lovely gowns for the women. I was amused that the hat worn by Despina when she appears as the magnetic Doctor in Act I looks like a pilgrim hat, but I guess that's not really anachronistic, just a little funny-looking to an American viewer.

Musically, this performance has much to recommend it. All six principal singers are wonderful, including those I'd never heard of before (Jozef Kundlak as Ferrando, Adelina Scarabelli as Despina). Daniela Dessì, who went on to sing the big Verdi roles (a recently released 'Aïda' DVD is a case in point), is superb as Fiordiligi. Her 'Come scoglio' benefits from her ability to sing dramatically. Delores Ziegler is an adorable Dorabella (sorry, I couldn't resist the alliteration). 'Smanie implacabili' and her participation in the numerous ensembles were rock-solid. Kundlak sings a melting 'Un aura amorosa' and wonderful 'Tradito, schernito.' Alessandro Corbelli, as Guglielmo, provides a baritone solidity to his ensembles and really shines in 'In core vi dono.' The two male lovers' voices blend admirably. Claudio Desderi is a reliable but somewhat stolid Don Alfonso who nonetheless drives the plot. The star of this production is Scarabelli's Despina. Without crossing over into slapstick, she is pert and knowing in the scenes as herself and funny without resorting to ugly comic voices as the Doctor and then the Notary in the final scene (well, maybe a little bit of a comic voice for the coughing Notary). When all six principals sing together or in duets or terzetti they blend beautifully. This not always the case in some productions of 'Così.' I've never actually seen or heard a bad production of the opera (and that includes one that was set, get this!, on a spaceship), at least from a musical perspective. There is something about it that brings out the best in singers. In this production the acting may be a bit generic (with the exception of Scarabelli and the two sisters), but it is more than serviceable. The ending is traditional - none of this mucking about with a switcheroo as to who marries whom.

This is, of course, a modern instruments version, and the musical presentation is also rather traditional. The tempi are well-judged, not rushed as they are sometimes these days, and the opera unfolds at a comfortable pace. In fact, 'comfortable' is a word I would use for this production. Nothing is intended to shock or titillate. It's just Mozart's opera meticulously prepared and presented. And the comedy speaks for itself.

English subtitles only. The full Italian libretto is included in the booklet. No extras. Sound: Dolby Stereo, and in contradistinction to criticisms of the VHS version, quite adequate for its time.

Recommended, particularly if a traditional production is wanted.

Scott Morrison

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!

I have nothing bad to say about this DVD, which is saying something in itself. The singing is great, the music is superb, the sets are elegant, the sound quality is great. :) One satisfied customer.

For sheer good-natured pleasure, wonderful singing, supportive scenic design, and, appropriately, slapstick acting, you will find no better example than the La Scala Muti production of Cosi. Let the profound scholars and insightful critics delve into the complexities of the music, the profundity of the libretto, the genius of the composer; you will not be disappointed if you just let the light-hearted spirit and superb musical numbers lead you into the realm of thoughtless enjoyment. Later, if you have the desire to, you can probe, analyze, dissect, but at first hearing you can just allow yourself to be entertained....all in fun. As an added inducement, the price is unbeatable for anything of this quality.

A new Cosi from Zurich is so good that I have rewritten this review on July 2, 2010. Zurich's 2009 production, although quite beautiful to look at, has some regietheater action which will not please people wanting a purely traditional production. La Scala,s production is beautiful and by the book.

Vocally both are superb but there is a better sense of ensemble in the acting with zurich.

As good as Muti is as the conductor, Zurich's Welser-Moest has given us a much more insightful reading that is much more exciting. There is a sense of drama with Welser-Moest that I find unique. I still would put Muti second only to Welser-Moest.


The sound on the Zurich DVD is overall much superior to the La Scala which is 20 years older. However on headphones the Zurich has some stereo image instability on occasion, plus occasional "burbling" sounds affecting the lower strings and bassoons. These intermittent defects probably will not be audible on speakers in average listening rooms.

At this time the price of the Zurich production is very high making the La Scala a genuine bargain.

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.

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.

In several of the scenes in Act Two, the conductor Muti, larger than life, is superimposed upon the stage action, in some cases completely blocking out the singers. I found this disconcerting, particularly distracting as the opera is ending. None of the reviewers have mentioned this; if I had known, I should never have purchased this DVD version of the opera. I have never seen such disrespect for the performers, nor such disregard for viewers like me who want to watch the performance, not the conductor.

I have had this dvd for several years now, and I can say after many other purchases of this opera. Muti's production is the best Cosi I have. (He has a new version from 2008 that I still have not purchased.) This is Mozart's most Italian opera in terms of music style and Muti knows how to bring this Italian component out. Staging, lighting, costumes are all first rate. Singing and presentation are also very, very good.

To say (as one reviewer has) that the opera is dull is just not accurate. This isn't Avatar or Star Wars, it's about people and relationships! What is brought out in this production is the fact that all 6 people come out of this experience learning something. Cosi is usually presented as a story about women being tempted and degraded by a master puppetier (the Don). That is not what this production brings out. Don Alfonso and Despina both have issues with their past love life and failures. The Don feels he can tempt any women to stray, but in the end he fails and must rely on Despina. How ironic. She actually seals the deal. Despina's weakness is gold, money and men who have wealth. If you can't have love, at least find someone who is. In the end she finds out that doesn't work that well also. The Don says you can't trust women, Despina says men aren't worth trusting and loving. Two very bitter people.

In the middle of this are the 4 young lovers who are just that, young lovers! They don't have a clue what love means long term, it's all passion and fire. Chivalry, ethics, morality, honor, all strong virtues. Compassion, understanding, vicarious experience are way down the list at this point in their lives.

This is a great opera. As Bernard Shaw once wrote, Cosi is Mozarts most psychologically sophisticated opera. It does not win you over right away, but when it does it does so in the most complete way. But the production must bring this quality out or the opera is just a shell of what it could have been.

A lovely, lovely production.

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