Subtitles often hint at subtexts. Lorenzo Da Ponte’s for Così fan tutte – La scuola degli amanti (The School for Lovers) – tempers the misogyny of the main title, encompassing both the men and the women. Despite the complete blindness of the male characters to the nature or the consequences of their actions, Da Ponte is saying, along with Despina, “Così fan tutti”. After all, without complicit men, there would be no question of a woman’s fidelity.
There is a corrosive bite to this irony which director James Darrah was able to highlight most tellingly through Patrick Carfizzi’s Don Alfonso, who spits out his denunciations of women with such venom and vehemence that he leaves no doubt he once put his hopes in the heart of a woman and was deeply wounded. There is a sadistic edge to the play within a play he directs in order to disabuse Ferrando and Guglielmo. Often onstage, silently observing or directing the action (for example, he discretely pays off each chorister as they file off after “Bella vita militar”), this Don Alfonso is much more than the traditional avuncular “philosopher” of past productions. He is determined to win the wager at all costs, no matter what wounds it inflicts on the four lovers. To that end, he orchestrates the opera’s action with the suave cunning of an Iago. When Alfonso acted a part, Carfizzi’s voice warmed and lightened as he cajoled and commiserated; when plotting or expressing his innermost thoughts, the voice often darkened, hardened and took on a cutting edge.
Vocally and histrionically, the rest of the cast was at Carfizzi’s high level, each character riding its roller coaster of emotions in distinctive fashion. The silken sheen of Nicole Cabell’s soprano gave Fiordiligi an instant allure, which didn’t dim amidst the supple physical comedy once she was anticly all-in with Despina’s philosophy. Some lapses in pitch aside, her voice was pliant and responsive to the moment. The same adjectives would apply to Kate Lindsey’s voice as well. Dorabella is the more conflicted of the two sisters and that conflict was written as vividly on Lindsey’s face as it was in her music. She was so convincing she had you rooting for her not to give in.
Amitai Pati cemented his success as Don Ottavio last summer with another performance notable for its lyrical liquidity, an expressive command of legato and dynamics, and his ability to add more weight to the voice in more dramatic moments. Elliot Madore, whose appearance often brings Colin Farrell to mind, has an oaky quality to his voice which beguiles or smolders when called upon. Both men managed their disguise as “Albanians” without any change of clothing and only an outrageous curlicue of a moustache painted above their lip. Body language spoke loudest here as they adopted a dumb and dumber demeanor with Madore channeling comedian Jim Carrey’s spastic doofus energy and expressions.
I have always thought Così’s plot would have benefited from Despina out Alfonso-ing Alfonso by letting the sisters in on the game, turning the tables on the men. Meigui Zhang’s Despina would definitely have been capable of such a gambit. Her quiet self-assurance, her sparkling voice full of light and life, gave her character a poise and verve which were irresistible. Though the singers were body miked, the amplification was unobtrusive and free of distortion. Nor did it interfere with the appealing blend the singers achieved in the many ensembles threaded throughout this opera.
Similar to last summer’s Don Giovanni, Andris Nelsons led a nimble performance using a reduced orchestra playing modern instruments with the leaner textures and performance practices of a period ensemble. Though it was unusually warm and humid, orchestra, chorus and soloists never flagged and the performance never dragged.
With text and subtext given similar weight, this performance succeeded in dramatizing many of the libretto’s conflicting undercurrents in persuasive and thought-provoking fashion. If that were all, it would have been a notable achievement. Thanks to all involved, it was much more than that – a memorable night at the opera.
