William Shimell (Don Alfonso), Paulo Szot (Guglielmo), Karine Deshayes (Dorabella), Elza Van Den Heever (Fiordiligi), Matthew Polenzani (Ferrando) et Anne-Catherine Gillet (Despina)

. Foto: Agathe Poupeney

PARIS: Ezio Toffolutti has made beautiful sceneries in Mozarts opera Cosi van Tutte at Palais Garnier in Paris, which was premiered Thursday 16th June, 2011. It encludes good costumes, atmosphaere build on a good regi, taking care of the style, and also letting all the wonderful soli, ensembles, duettes coming out from the actual situations, and not giving the feeling that it dont have anything to do with the actual history, very well done. – 10 performances between 16 june to 16 july 2011 at Palais Garnier

Furthermore Ezio Toffolutti have received a very good cast to work with,well sounding voices, beautiful players, whi not were afraid of playing the comedy as it should be done
. As Fiordiligi we enjoyed Elza van den Heever, while Karine Deshayes was Dorabella and Anne-Catherine Gillet Despina. On the male side Matthew Polenzani was singing Ferrando, Paulo Szot Guglielmo and William Shimell Don Alfonso
. André iot made a good atmosphaeric light, but unfortunately it was too little light to enjoy the mimic from the singers. In Cosi van Tutte a lot of the details is being underlined by the mimic, as in many other operas and ballets too. At the Opera de Paris it happens often that the light is good, but too weak to enjoy the mimic

. This is a remarkable miss.

Paulo Szot (Guglielmo), Karine Deshayes (Dorabella), Elza Van Den Heever (Fiordiligi) and Matthew Polenzani (Ferrando). Agathe Poupeney.jpg

Cosi van Tutte was commissioned from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the beginning 1789 by the emperor Joseph II who, according to legend, chose the subject himself; a news story which was then the talk of the town. The librettist Lorenzo da Ponte, with whom Mozart has written his two previous operas. La Nozze di Figaro  in 1786 and Don Giovanni, 1787, thereby creating modern opera, – which at that time means – opera where the orchestra no longer simply aaccompanies the singers, but brings out their deeper psychology of the characters, and in this case it is importent that the light is so good that it is possible to see the mimic!. Lorenzo da Ponte was once more entrusted with the libretto. For many years Cosi van Tutte was merely considered as a romantic comedy, for which the composer had written charming but superficial music. While the true is that da Pontes libretto is clever, well constructed and theatrical. With his sensual, spirited and passionate music, Mozart poses fundamental questions about love and brings to the libretto surprising psycological depth and an underlying seriousness not present in the original farce. In fact it is the production from 1990 by Ezio Toffolutti which is being performed again this season at Palais Garnier. And for me this is a good choice, as this production still is up to date, and are havning so many beautiful and delicious details.

Scenografi og costumes Ezio Toffolutti. photo: Ch. Leiber

However, the cast is brilliantly singing, all of them with wonderful voices and playing their characters very well. But for me, I would have appreciated that the Paris opera, at least for the roles as Ferrando and Guglielmo have been giving chanches to two even younger gentlemen to have their debut in this opera, which is perfect for a debut at the Paris Opera. This is due to that in my oppinnion, these two roles are created for even younger singers, as well as the two of Fiordiligi and Dorabella.

In this present casting i had the feeling that Don Alfonso, who shall be the vice older gentleman, joking with the younger once, was younger than Ferrando and Guglielmo, even spite in that Don Alfonso was more formal dressed. And then it dont help that we get so little light that we cant see the faces of the singers. – But musically it sounded wonderful, and they all played the story brilliantly.

The Paris Opera Orchestra was this time conducted by their new music chief Philippe Jordan, who did it very well, but i would have liked it with even more light crispy “Mozart” sound.