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Così fan tutte
Sir Neville Marriner, Conductor
Francisco Araiza, Thomas Allen, Karen Matilla, Anne Sofie von Otter, José van Dam, Elzbieta Szymtka
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Librettist: Lorenzo Da Ponte
Sir Neville Marriner always seems to deliver a fantastic recording musically with a stellar cast. His Così fan tutte is no exception. I first heard this CD through interlibrary loan and fell in love with it, then was quite annoyed to find that it was out of print. It isn't too hard to track down used, however, and hopefully it will be re-released in the future because it's really a fantastic recording. Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields draw some really beautiful, emotional music out of this underappreciated opera.
Francisco Araiza is a sensitive, idealistic Ferrando. I love anything this man sings. His "Un'aura amorosa" is particularly beautiful, but my favorite part of his performance is the aria "Ah, lo veggio." It's a truly gorgeous piece of music but no other recordings I've heard seem to include it, possibly because it contributes very little to the plot. It doesn't sound easy to sing, but Araiza handles it with amazing agility.
Thomas Allen puts in a terrific performance as Gugliemo. He combines a playful attitude with a hint of the irresistable charm that made his Don Giovanni so effective, an approach I think only he could pull off so well. He takes the character smoothly through the full range of emotions as the opera progresses - from happy if idealistic self-confidence to the sympathetic cynicism of "Donne mie, la fate a tanti" (which is really fantastic) to genuine rage and pain at Fiordiligi's betrayal.
Karen Matilla's Fiordiligi is exquisitely voiced, and characterized by a reserve that hides a more lively nature. Both her arias are beautifully performed.
Matilla contrasts well both vocally and dramatically with Anne Sofie von Otter's Dorabella. Von Otter takes a fairly intelligent approach to the role yet somehow retains an impish quality. Rather than giving us a shallow, airheaded Dorabella (which can be amusing), she gives us a young woman who can't resist Gugliemo's charm even though she knows better, but is able to rationalize her betrayal. (This works very well opposite somebody like Thomas Allen.) Her "E amore un ladroncello" has an irresistably lively feel to it.
José van Dam is the best-sung Don Alfonso on CD (although Walter Berry gives him a run for his money), and the Alfonso that I like best as a character. He gives off a kindly paternal air and you get the sense that he's going through with this charade for the younger characters' own good. When he finally reveals the moral to the two young men ("Così fan tutte!") he lacks the I-told-you-so attitude of some other Alfonsos and instead seems genuinely sorry that he had to disillusion them so cruelly. Alfonso is a somewhat ambiguous character anyway, and this interpretation works surprisingly well.
The "Best Despina on CD" prize goes to Elzbieta Szymtka, unquestionably - and having seen her as Susanna in Paolo Olmi's Le Nozze di Figaro, I have no doubt she'd be just as hilarious as Teresa Stratas in this role onstage. She has a lovely voice that suits the character - light and bouncy. I was particularly struck by the way she disguised her voice, first as a "doctor" and later as a "notary," while still retaining some of its beauty and all of its musicality. She's the only Despina I've heard that actually manages to sound nasal and sing well at the same time.
Find this recording if you can - there's usually one listed used on Amazon.com or Half.com, and I've seen it on eBay before at a very reasonable price. With such a fantastic cast it deserves to have a place in everybody's collection. (It also deserves to be rereleased, so if you have connections with the Powers That Be, drop them a message! :) )
| Originally Reviewed: | 15-Aug-03 |
