By Reviewed by Peter McCallum
COSI FAN TUTTE
Opera House, March 8
FOR many ages and historical periods, Mozart and Da Ponte's mixture in Cosi fan tutte of a slightly shocking, not to say disrespectful, irreverence towards women's fidelity (and it is only women who are targeted) with a score of such peerless beauty has created some discomfort when it comes to mounting a meaningful production.
Considerable potential ... Sharon Prero was one of the brighter notes of the night.Credit: Ben Rushton
There is a natural reluctance to accept that music of such perfection should be placed alongside a trite dramatic message, yet looking for a deeper meaning in this tale of fatuous flirtation risks sending the pretension meter into the red territory.
In this respect, Jim Sharman's production has tapped a promising way into this work of formal and sensual perfection signifying nothing.
Ralph Myers's and Gabriela Tylesova's wedding-white design frames all these stormy seduction rituals within the structure of modern nuptial rites where photos, confetti and videos obliterate anything sweaty, hormonal or untidy.
This revival, though blessed with promising young talent, does not achieve enough onstage chemistry to actualise Sharman's conception, and the overall musical standards, as with The Magic Flute earlier this year, are a notch below what we might hope our national opera company could deliver in a canonic Mozart work, difficult as that composer is to sing.
Musically the production started well, with a focused, well-judged performance of the overture under conductor Benjamin Northey (after The Magic Flute it was a delight to have an overture). The male voices have potential but the casting was misjudged and they are not quite good enough to bring to life the three glorious trios that open the opera, nor sustain the beautiful arias and ensembles later.
Of the two lovers, Stephen Smith had many fine qualities but struggled with the upper tenor range of Ferrando, while Samuel Dundas may one day make a fine Guglielmo when his tone has greater richness and focus. Richard Anderson, as the cynical Don Alfonso, who wagers the two starry-eyed lovers into his own sense of reality, had proficient projection.
As is fitting in a work that threatens to lapse into misogyny, the women were better. Sian Pendry affectionately characterised the twittish aspects of Dorabella and sang with colour and energy. Sharon Prero managed the notorious shifts between upper and low register in Fiordiligi's arias with even control, demonstrating a flexible voice of considerable potential.
The onstage interaction between these two did not quite engage as well as in the previous staging of this production.
Lorina Gore, as the maid Despina, had a natural musical fluency and dramatic vitality, singing with well-articulated liveliness if a slightly small sound in the second act.
After a good start, conductor Northey maintained broad cohesion although the stage antics posed challenges for balance and taughtness of ensemble, so that, for example, the brilliant finale of Act I was underwhelming. Some left at interval and unfortunately one couldn't say they were unwise.