Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, European Opera Centre & Laurent Pillot - Mozart: Cosi fan tutte (2018) [24/96]

A Cosi with a difference: studies of the composer’s manuscript by Ian Woodfield reveal that Mozart was undecided whether to ‘cross’ the lovers or keep them uncrossed. Key passages are altered often to startling effect – Ferrando opens the opera singing ‘La mia Fiordiligi’ and not the usual ‘la mia Dorabella’. Phrases such as ‘Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo’ (Turn your gaze upon him) appear in Mozart’s own catalogue as ‘Rivolgete a me’ (Turn you gaze to me) , and although ‘lui’ is in another hand, Mozart had left blank spaces to be filled in later – an indication of his indecision about the pairings. This brilliant aria, cut from the final version is restored in this performance. With the reinstatement of the brilliant ‘Rivolgete’, Guglielmo is in a position to cede his large Act II aria ‘Donne mie’ to Don Alfonso who, unusually for a major character in an opera buffa, has no true aria, his tiny arioso in Act I (‘Vorrei dir’) being little more than a comic caricature. With no opportunity to reveal himself in an extended musical statement, he remains an aloof figure, a philosopher, a puppet master controlling the experiment. Although ‘Donne mie’ presents a misogynist ‘overview’ of the behaviour of women, its performer at least claims to like them. In that sense, ‘my ladies’ receive a slightly ironical and patronising defence in the manner adopted by this character in his summation of the outcome of the experiment in ‘Tutti accusan le donne’. As sung by Guglielmo, however, ‘Donne mie’ can only be taken as a generic aside, since it expresses a view of women diametrically opposed to the one he is advocating so robustly in the main drama.

In the climactic duet between Ferrando and Fiordiligi, indecision is again to be seen precisely in the use of pronouns. It makes a big difference to Ferrando whether he is attempting to seduce his own lover or Guglielmo’s. As he sees Fiordiligi about to waver, he is suddenly unsure as to how he should react; Fiordiligi recognises that her constancy is under threat, but in the balancing phrase, Mozart could not decide whether Ferrando should refer to her constancy (‘la sua costanza’) my constancy (‘la mia costanza’) or even your constancy (‘la tua costanza’). There are multiple crossings out. At the end of ‘Come scoglio’ when everyone on-stage is reeling from the ferocity of Fiordiligi’s dismissal of the men, one of them has to take the lead in attempting to detain her. As the two men are still working as a pair, it was perhaps thought not to matter much, but if it did, then clearly the man setting himself up as Fiordiligi’s future partner should be the one to address her. Mozart had a double change of mind at the start of the ensuing recitative ‘Ah non partite!’ (Ah, do not leave!), setting these words first for Ferrando, then for Guglielmo and then for Ferrando again. Obviously the choice did have some significance.

Tracklist:

CD1
01. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Overture
02. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Terzetto "La mia Fiordiligi" (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso)
03. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Recit "Fuor la spada" (Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Ferrando)
04. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Terzetto "È la fede delle femmine" (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo)-Recit "Scioccherie di poeti!" (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso)
05. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Terzetto "Una bella serenata" (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso)
06. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Duetto "Ah, guarda, sorella" (Fiordiligi, Dorabella)
07. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Recit "Mi par, che stamattina volentieri farei la pazzarella" (Fiordiligi, Dorabella)-Aria "Vorrei dir, e cor non ho" (Don Alfonso)-Recit "Stelle! Per carità" (Fiordiligi, Don Alfonso, Dorabella)
08. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Quintetto "Sento, o Dio" (Guglielmo, Ferrando, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)
09. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Recit "Quintetto Non v'è più tempo, amici…Di scrivermi ogni giorno" (Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo)
10. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Recit "Son partiti" (Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)
11. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Terzettino "Soave sia il vento" (Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Don Alfonso)
12. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Recit "Non son cattivo comico…Nel mare solca" (Don Alfonso)
13. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Recit "Che vita maledetta" (Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)
14. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Aria "Smanie implacabili" (Dorabella)
15. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Recit "Signora Dorabella" (Despina, Dorabella, Fiordiligi)
16. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Aria "In uomini, in soldati"(Despina)
17. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Recit "Despinetta!" (Don Alfonso, Despina)
18. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Sestetto "Alla bella Despinetta" (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)
19. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Recit "Che sussurro! Che strepito!" (Don Alfonso, Dorabella, Fiordiligi, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina)
20. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Aria "Come scoglio" (Fiordiligi)
21. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Recit "Ah, non partite!" (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Dorabella, Fiordiligi)
22. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Aria "Rivolgete a me lo sguardo" (Guglielmo)
23. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Terzetto "E voi ridete?" (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo)
24. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Recit "Si può sapere un poco la cagion di quel riso?" (Don Alfonso, Guglielmo, Ferrando)
25. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act, 1: Aria "Un'aura amorosa" (Ferrando)

CD2
01. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 1,: Finale "Ah, che tutta in un momento" (Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso)
02. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 1: Finale "Eccovi il medico" (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)
03. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 1: Finale "Dove son?" (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)
04. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 1: Finale "Dammi un bacio" (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)
05. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Recit "Andate là" (Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)
06. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Duetto "Prenderò quel brunettino" (Dorabella, Fiordiligi)
07. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Recit "Cos'è tal mascherata?"- Quartetto "La mano a me date" (Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Despina, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso)-Recit "Quello che è stato" (Despina, Don Alfonso)
08. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Recit "Oh che bella giornata!" (Fiordiligi, Ferrando, Dorabella, Guglielmo)
09. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Duetto "Il core vi dono" (Guglielmo, Dorabella)
10. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Recit "Ah poveretto me!" (Guglielmo, Don Alfonso)
11. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Aria "Donne mie, la fate a tanti" (Don Alfonso)
12. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Recit "Barbara! Perchè fuggi?" (Ferrando, Fiordiligi)
13. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Recit "Ei parte… senti…" (Fiordiligi)
14. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Rondo "Per pietà, ben mio, perdona" (Fiordiligi)
15. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Recit "Ma ecco Fiordiligi" (Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella)
16. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Duetto "Fra gli amplessi" (Fiordiligi, Ferrando)
17. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Recit "Ah, cessa, cessa di tormentarmi" (Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Ferrando)
18. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Andante "Tutti accusan le donne" (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo)
19. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Recit "Vittoria padroncini!" (Despina, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso)
20. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Finale "Fate presto, o cari amici" (Despina, Don Alfonso)
21. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Finale "Come par che qui prometta tutto gioia e tutto amore" (Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Despina)
22. Cosi fan tutte, K. 588, Act 2: Finale "Sani e salvi, agli amplessi amorosi" (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Despina)

Personnel:
Héloise Mas, mezzo (Dorabella)
Alexander Sprague, tenor (Ferrando)
Biagio Pizzuti, baritone (Guglielmo)
Hamida Kristoffersen, soprano (Despina)
Francesco Vultaggio, baritone (Don Alfonso)
European Opera Centre
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Laurent Pillot, conductor