Stream: Scottish Opera - Cosi Fan Tutte
‘Cosi fan Tutte’ is Scottish Opera’s most ambitious online offering so far. It’s a full-length performance by cast, chorus and 47-piece orchestra, performed in the Theatre Royal. Billed as a “concert performance with a twist”, it goes further than recent simpler concert stagings by the Royal Opera and Opera North. With the orchestra distanced on the main stage behind them, the action takes place on an extended platform, built over the stalls area, with space for acting and choreographed movement. The chorus are in place round the circle and the boxes – some dressed-up as audience members, their faces registering amazement, empathy, sometimes boredom, wiping their tears away – and even eating popcorn. “At the opera!” the viewer might exclaim – but in this staging we are not “at the opera” but at the filming of a reality TV show.
In the online programme, director Roxana Haines says, “There are Don Alfonso characters in our living rooms all the time, setting ridiculous challenges, pulling pranks, deceiving contestants – and we love watching them doing it.” She imagines a game show where the men sign up for a challenge to see if their lovers are faithful – watched by a live studio audience, our popcorn-eating and over-emotional chorus.
Scottish Opera’s performance gives its Emerging Artists, who showed their promise in Opera Highlights a couple of months ago, the chance to shine in this tuneful, but tricky work. Soprano Catriona Hewitson is a cynical Despina, more worldly-wise than her employers. “They are men and they are soldiers” she tells the sisters impatiently, astonished that they believe in the possibility of male fidelity. After the arrival of the Albanians, she tells the women “Act like soldiers – go recruiting!” Hewitson is younger than most Despinas – her harsh take on life springs from the reality of the life of a servant, rather than the world-weariness of age. It’s a characterful, and beautifully sung performance.
Baritone Arthur Bruce and tenor Shengzhi Ren are the lovers. Cosi is very much an opera of ensembles, and both shine in these, in duets with each other, and later with their new partners. Their Act II serenade to the women, ‘Friendly breezes’ is affecting, and Guglielmo (Bruce’s) ‘Batti batti’ duet with Dorabella is nicely paced with some simple and effective chorography as the two circle each other. A good example of the possibilities of socially distanced performance! Ren, who has a sweet voice, didn’t seem entirely comfortable in ‘Un Aura Amorosa’ – the pace was a bit brisk, and his ‘Albanian’ moustache might have hindered most singers! But he recovered in Act II in the duets with Fiordiligi where both singers revelled in some of the loveliest music in the opera.
The last of the Emerging Artists, mezzo Margo Arsane, was a delightfully flirtatious Dorabella. She carries off her aria with aplomb – Stuart Stratford’s conducting is sympathetic to these young singers, giving them space in their big moments. In contrast the recitative is sparky and energetic. The forte piano is set separately from the orchestra, next to the sofa and coffee-table. So the singers can interact both with the keyboard and each other in a naturalistic over-lapping way. It sounds so easy, but Arsane, and the others have clearly worked hard on this effect. They’re helped in this by Repititeur, Fiona MacSherry on fortepiano, whose playing is both attentive to the singers and entertainingly creative.
Fiordiligi is played by Charlie Drummond, one of last year’s Emerging Artists. She is the quiet sister, who remains true to Guglielmo till near the end. The range of her pure soprano is displayed in both her arias, with her Act 11 ‘Per Pieta’, with horn obbligato, a showstopper. She’s completely in command here taking the low sections and the difficult jumps in her stride, with time for the odd trill, but she’s fascinating to watch too, staying in character throughout, and her varying emotions, as she softens toward Ferrando, are clearly shown on her face.
Glasgow-born bass-baritone, Michael Mofidian, was a Royal Opera house Jette-Parker Young artist from 2018-2020. He is young for the role of the arch-manipulator, Don Alfonso, often played by singers in the later stages of their career – it’s been a favourite role for Thomas Allen, and I’ve seen it sung (not awfully well, but with lots of comic brio!) by a singer in his 70s. In this production Mofidian is the enigmatic game show host, who sets the challenge and pulls the strings. He interacts particularly well with Morrison as Despina, exploiting her by giving her bribes, then finding himself getting the rough edge of her tongue when she realises his deceptions. Although I think in the end, the reality TV idea doesn’t entirely convince, he acts and sings well as the showman, lacking in feelings, but happy to play with other people’s emotions.
‘Cosi fan Tutte’ joins Scottish Opera’s already impressive array of filmed material made since March. Sensibly they’ve kept all of it online. With more miserable weather on the way, take time to catch up on anything you’ve previously missed. A particular treat is ‘The Gondoliers’. With the planned performances last spring cancelled, Head of Music Derek Clark put together an introduction to the opera in his front room, playing highlights of the score with film of some of the singers spliced in. It’s witty, informative and well-performed.
Available to stream for free at www.scottishopera.org.uk. Please consider making a donation.
