Wolfgang Mozart wrote some 20 operas, four of them extremely famous: Così fan tutte, Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Don Giovanni, and Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute).
Così fan tutte is a comic opera (buffa) with an unusual title. Così means "in this way" or "like this," fan means "do," and tutte means the Italian feminine version for "all." So the title can be translated as "In this way do all (women)" or "Like this do all (women)." Or it can even be "Women are all Alike." It's a farce, a fun opera, nevertheless, the genius Mozart wrote some of his great music.
This opera was commissioned to Mozart by Emperor Josef II subtitled The School for Lovers.
- Composed: 1790
- Libretto By Lorenzo da Ponte
- Language: Italian
- First performance: Burgtheater, Vienna, January 26 (or 28), 1790, conducted by Mozart himself.
- Setting: Naples during the 18th century
- Opera Buffa (Comic) in in two Acts
Così fan tutte is said composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the height of his fame. Here's a favourite quote taken from The Harrap Opera Guide by Sir Alexander Morley, London, 1970:
"The artifical comedy, verging at times on the farcical, is set to apt and witty music, with a strong element of parody but also of a sentimentality which is constantly spilling over into genuine and touching sentiment."
Main Characters of Cosi fan tutte
- Fiordiligi and Dorabella, Two sisters from Ferrara (Both sopranos)
- Despina, The sisters' maid (Soprano)
- Ferrando, An officer in love with Dorabella (Tenor)
- Guglielmo, An officer in love with Fiordiligi (Baritone)
- Don Alfonso, An elderly philosopher (Baritone)
Basic Plot / Synopsis of Cosi
Don Alfonso, an old philosopher and cynic, is determined to prove to his two young friends, Guglielmo and Ferrando, that their fiancées, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, are not to be trusted like any other woman.
With the help of Despina, the ladies' maid, Alfonso lays his plot.
First, Alfonso tells the women that as officers, their lovers have been called up on duty; and as a part of the old man's plan, he introduces the sisters to two Albanians, who are, of course, Guglielmo and Ferrando disguised.
After inner conflicts the two women succumb to the advances of the "Albanians" forcing Guglielmo and Ferrando to concede defeat. However, Don Alfonso reveals the plot to the two deceived ladies and they are reconciled with their original lovers.
Some Operas Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Aside from his most popular Die Zauberflöte, Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Mozart's other operas include Der Schauspieldirektor, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Idomeneo, Il rè pastore, Ascanio in Alba, La finta semplice, Lucio Silla, Il sogno di Scipione, La clemenza di Tito, Mitridate rè di Ponto, and Bastien und Bastienne.
Sources:
Mozart and His Operas Edited by Stanley Sadie (2000)
Opera, Editor-in-Chief, András Batta (2000 English Edition)
The Da Capo Opera Manual by Nicholas Ivor Martin (1997)
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