Così fan tutte

Two young couples head over heels in love and a bet about fidelity! Director Barbara-David Brüesch brings one of Mozart’s most famous operas into the present day, questioning its relevance. Dinis Sousa is in charge of musical direction, who took over conducting of Berlioz’ Les Troyens at the Salzburg Festival 2023 on short notice and caused a true sensation.

Don Alfonso proposes a bold thesis: according to him, no woman can be faithful. Guglielmo and Ferrando are outraged, as they are absolutely certain that their partners Fiordiligi and Dorabella will remain faithful. Without hesitation, they embark on an experiment; a fictitious test of fidelity with all kinds of madness, disguises and confusion. Light-hearted and humorous at first, the game comes to a head and, despite a superficially happy ending, leads to profound emotional wounds and an irreversible gain in knowledge for the couples.
Così fan tutte, Mozart’s third congenial collaboration with the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, was commissioned by Emperor Joseph II of Austria. The subject of this dramma giocoso is enveloped in a story that belongs to the realm of legend, while simultaneously holding up a mirror to society at the time. It was said that the story of the exchange of partners had actually taken place shortly beforehand at a Viennese carnival ball. Moral smoothing and misinterpretations determined the opera’s reception in the 19th and 20th centuries. Once Così fan tutte was finally recognised in its true grandeur and significance, it subsequently became one of the most frequently performed operas of all time. Mozart subverts the questionable test of fidelity with musical mastery, painting a magnificent portrait of the soul that reveals its depth of real emotions.

Age recommendation: 14+

• Trailer: Così fan tutte