Jan Philipp Gloger’s 2016 staging of Mozart’s opera at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden begins at the end, with an overture accompanied by curtain calls by performers from a "traditional" staging of the piece. Then the real singers mount the stage from the audience in modern dress, and the classic story begins, telling the tale of two men prompted by an older friend to test their fiancées’ fidelity by donning disguises to romance each other’s betrothed. Gloger’s purpose is to emphasize the comedy’s relevance across the centuries, but the gimmick comes across as ham-fisted. Fortunately, the overall excellence of what follows makes up for that initial stumble, although the deliberate artificiality of the settings (including the Garden of Eden!) continues to wink at the absurdity of the plot. While a few of the best-known arias are taken quite slowly, conductor Semyon Bychkov’s account of the delicious score mostly zips along, and the orchestra plays beautifully. The vocalism is also first-rate, with tenor Daniel Behle (Ferrando) and soprano Corinne Winters (Fiordiligi) doing especially ravishing work, while mezzo Angela Brower (Dorabella) and baritone Alessio Arduini (Guglielmo) are not far behind. Bass Johannes Martin Kränzle as Don Alfonso, the manipulative arranger of the deception (who anachronistically keeps his 18th-century garb), and soprano Sabina Puértolas as Despina, the maid (here a cynical girl-about-town) Alfonso enlists as his confederate, are also fine. This is a defiantly unconventional Così, and sometimes too clever by half, but ultimately one of the better versions of the opera available on disc. Presented in DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include a brief introduction to the opera, a behind-the-scenes featurette with set designer Ben Baur, and a cast gallery. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)
Così Fan Tutte
(2016) 184 min. In Italian w/English subtitles. DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99. Opus Arte (dist. by Naxos of America). Volume 33, Issue 5
Così Fan Tutte
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: