A Night at the Opera

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to go see BYU's presentation of Mozart's opera Cosi fan tutte. They did such an amazing job! The title, translated, means "women are alike". This opera is about two soldiers: Guglielmo (baritone) and Ferrando (tenor), who make a bet with Don Alfonso (bass) that their women will remain faithful to them at all times. To prove this, the men decide to participate in a little "test"; they agree to pretend to go off to battle for a little while (it ends up being a day) and then dressing up as Albanian men and each seducing the other man's fiancée.

Via

The women: Dorabella (mezzo-soprano and lover of Ferrnado) and Fioriligi (soprano, lover of Guglielmo) are vexed that the men leave. Due to this reaction, the men leave with full confidence that their fiancée's will be completely faithful. As they begin to seduce the women as Albanian's the women refuse to give in . . . that is, until the end of Act I! Don Alfonso asks for the help of Dorabella's and Fioriligi's maid, Despina (soprano). With Despina's encouragement, the women do end up falling in love with the "Albanians" and agree to marry them. In the end, the truth comes out. Don Alfonso sings: "Yes, I deceived you, but it was to teach your sweethearts a lesson. They will be much wiser now, Come now, embrace and don't argue, Someday all four of you will laugh, as we have laughed."

It was so well done, and such a fantastic cast! My favorite scene was actually one that my school (BYU-Idaho) has done before. It was Act I Scene 4. The men decide to "take some poison" to show their feelings on the unreciprocated love from these beautiful women! Despina dresses up as a doctor and uses "magnetism" to heal them! It is, truly, one of the funniest scenes in all of opera that I've ever seen! I feel that, even if you aren't a fan of opera, that you would enjoy this! It is so enjoyable and absolutely hilarious! The moral of the story--according to Mozart--is: 

"Happy is the man who can always look on the bright side of life and lets himself be guided by reason. What makes others week, will make him laugh.

In the whirlwinds of the world he can find a lovely calm."