Così fan tutte
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1790)

One of Mozart’s most famous operas and ranking 15th in the world’s top operas, this charming comedy of errors is a universal tale of tangled love, jealousy and desire.

Set firmly in the ‘Age of Reason,’ this period piece is brought to life by a young, talented ensemble of six singers, many of whom return to the Opera North stage; Victoria Simmonds (The Adventures of Pinocchio, 2007) as Dorabella, Elizabeth Atherton (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2008) as Fiordiligi and BBC New Generation artist and Royal Philharmonic Society Award nominee, Allan Clayton as Ferrando.

The title roughly translates as “women are like that” and therein lies the story. Ferrando and Guglielmo, two army officers, are convinced of the fidelity of their sweethearts, sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella. Manipulative philosopher Don Alfonso, on the other hand, claims all women are fickle and bets the officers that the sisters will prove unfaithful if put to the test... disguises, deception and drama ensue….

Director Tim Albery returns to Opera North to re-explore the production, which Opera North first presented to great acclaim in 2004.

Sung in English
Lasts approximately 3 hours

"This production is an invigorating, life-enhancing evening which showcases all that Opera North excel at: it is visually imaginative, crisply sung and underpinned by marvellous orchestral playing" The Arts Desk

"Tim Albery leaves me stunned at the thoughtfulness of his production, and at the completeness with which he has got his cast to realise it. And musically it is just as fine. The pairs of voices blend in a way that makes you hug yourself…" Michael Tanner - Spectator

In Italian:
Véronique Gens – Fiordiligi
Bernarda Fink – Dorabella
Graciela Oddone - Despina
Werner Gura - Ferrando
Marcel Boone - Guglielmo
Don Alfonso – Pietro Spagnoli
Kölner Kammerchor/Concerto Köln
René Jacobs – conductor
Harmonia Mundi HMX2961663.65, 3 CDs, full price, Italian libretto with English translation

In English:
Janice Watson – Fiordiligi
Diana Montague – Dorabella
Lesley Garrett – Despina
Toby Spence – Ferrando
Christopher Maltman – Guglielmo
Thomas Allen – Don Alfonso
Geoffrey Mitchell Choir/Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment
Charles Mackerras – conductor
Chandos CHAN 3152(3), 3 CDs, mid-price, English libretto

Victoria Simmonds reveals the practicalities of juggling singing and two young children and why she is looking forward to singing Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte.

The last time you worked with Opera North you were singing the title role in the World Premiere of The Adventures of Pinocchio (Winter 07/08). It’s a very energetic production, for Pinocchio in particular, often with two performances of nearly three hours each in one day, which is quite unusual for an opera singer.

Tell us a bit about your life since. You were a new Mum then and are in a similar situation now – what challenges does this bring in relation to your work as an opera singer?
I think any mum knows that going to work is all about logistics, and finding excellent childcare.  That’s especially true when your work takes you away from home, and when I came up to Leeds to rehearse for Pinocchio my eldest daughter was nearly 2.  The dilemma was either to take her with me and juggle work and childcare in an unfamiliar environment, or leave her at home with a childminder she knows and loves and come back home every weekend.  In the end I decided that as the show was so physically demanding, plan B was probably the obvious choice, and it worked out well right up until the day before the opening night when my family came up to join me.  My little girl was so excited about being in a new place that she woke up at 1am and kept me up for the rest of the night!  Not an excellent way to prepare for a World Premiere, but in the end the excitement and adrenaline helped me get through not only that night, but the next two shows the following day. 
 
This time round Emily is 3 and a half, and Olivia just 3 and a half months, so I decided to bring them both up here with me.  A logistical challenge, but as I’m breastfeeding, kind of essential!  Working so soon after having a baby also means you have to be organised about preparing for the role too – for a few weeks I had to drop both kids round at my childminders for a couple of precious hours a day or I never would have got it learnt.  I’m very lucky to have such an amenable childminder, and to have such generous family members who will be coming up here for a week each to look after my brood whilst I’m rehearsing.  It means that I spend a lot of time on the phone organising, and usually dash back after work to get home for bath time, but I’m hoping I’ll get the odd evening out with my colleagues too as I’ll have the luxury of live-in babysitters.

Now you are back with Opera North to sing Dorabella, one of the two sisters who become part of a human experiment in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Are you as excited about this role and its music in an established, well known opera or is it ‘business as usual’?
Being involved in contemporary music is always exciting, especially when the part has been written with you in mind, but I think the excitement also comes from the experience of working with people you respect and admire, as well as enjoying the music you’re singing.  Luckily for me both productions have ticked every box so far, and I’ve only been rehearsing Cosi for one week!  I’ve sung Dorabella twice before, and each has been so different.  I’m intrigued to see how she’ll turn out in this interpretation.

How do you feel about Dorabella – do you enter into the spirit of the period or approach the role with a modern view?
I feel like I’m discovering her all over again at the moment, and I’m trying to keep an open mind.  One can’t ignore the conventions of the period, but when it comes to human emotions, I don’t think they change much over the centuries.
 
Do you have a highlight in the show, something you’re really looking forward to?
I actually really enjoy singing the ensembles, especially the ones when the boys are leaving in the first act.  The harmonies are so magical, and it’s great to make music with other people like that.  The duet with Guglielmo is also great fun, and lovely to sing, but most of all I’m looking forward to wearing a gorgeous long corseted dress!

Why do the sisters forgive their fiancées? Have they learned anything or is it really a case of ‘Women are like that’?
They’re caught in rather a compromising situation at the end, and I’m not sure what else they can say.   If word got out about what had happened their reputations would be in tatters, and as they would probably do anything to avoid that, I’m not surprised by what they come out with.  I think they have learnt something, because the girls of Act 1 would probably just have burst into tears and collapsed on the floor, whereas by the end of the opera they stand up to what they have done and know that whatever happens, life will go on.

Act 1

Ferrando and Guglielmo are convinced of the fidelity of Fiordiligi and Dorabella, the two sisters to whom they are betrothed. Don Alfonso, on the other hand, claims all women are fickle and wagers that he can prove it. The young men agree to take Alfonso’s test, and he tells the sisters that their husbands-to-be have been enlisted in the army. Once the men have departed, the sisters’ maid Despina is persuaded by Alfonso to introduce two young Albanian friends (Ferrando and Guglielmo in disguise) to Fiordiligi and Dorabella. Each “stranger” then begins to court the other’s fiancée, and they begin to make progress after pretending to take poison. Despina disguises herself as a doctor and successfully cures the Albanians.

Act 2

When Ferrando learns that Dorabella has yielded to Guglielmo, he becomes yet more determined to win Fiordiligi’s heart. Eventually, she too succumbs and a double wedding is planned – with Despina, again in disguise, as the notary. Just as the army is heard returning, the Albanian newlyweds disappear and Ferrando and Guglielmo appear in their place. Producing a marriage contract, they remonstrate with the sisters who soon confess their deceit. After paying Alfonso his wager, Ferrando and Guglielmo forgive Fiordiligi and Dorabella.
 

• Listen to an excerpt from Così fan tutte, Chandos Records

  (Lasts approximately 30 secs)

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