In a week in which further revelations depicting abominable misogyny have horrified the West, the English National Opera revival of Così fan tutte, Mozart’s least savoury opera, seems somewhat apt. Pub banter spawns into what is little more than a malicious game in which two men are the hunters and two women – whom they nominally love – the prey. It’s a work redeemed solely, and only partly, by Mozart’s perversely beautiful music, and ENO’s revival of its 2014 production does its utmost to assist in this redemption.
Director Phelim McDermott’s staging – updated to mid-20th century Coney Island, New York, complete with teacup rides and a performing troupe – remains as compelling and sharp as when it first debuted. There’s no deep psychological examination of the characters, which may be for the best, and instead the nastiness is diluted with circus tricks, courtesy of a 12-strong ensemble. Sword-swallowers, contortionists and figures both short and tall are a regular presence, all at the beck and call of a Don Alfonso who blends Iago’s motiveless malignity with Count Olaf’s theatrical scheming. It’s tightly choreographed and provides plenty to attract the eye, even if the overture was largely broken by regular bouts of applause as the troupe introduced themselves.
Indeed, there was plenty of applause for the singers too throughout the evening, justified by the quality to be heard across the principals. How pleasant to be able to report that diction was largely excellent; if Mozart must be sung in English, then it should be sung like this, with clarity and expression. Lucy Crowe must take the honours for her magnificently sung Fiordiligi. Crowe’s bright upper register was entirely solid, with no difficulty in making the vocal leaps. She deployed her pure instrument with confidence and without artifice, and of all the performers she seemed to imbue the most meaning to the text; Mozartian singing at its finest. As Dorabella, mezzo Taylor Raven showed a warmer tone; her instrument is less incisive and sometimes a little thin at the end of a line, but with a burnished quality that paired well with Crowe.
Singing Ferrando, tenor Joshua Blue seemed far more comfortable in Mozart than he has been in the past in Puccini. His instrument is more of a tenore di grazia, with a lightness that captured the plangency of “Un'aura amorosa” with elegance and feeling. One still sensed his technique is evolving, but the performance was undoubtedly easy on the ear. Darwin Prakash sang Guglielmo with a smooth baritone, delivering an energetic “Donne mie, la fate a tanti” with ease. Ailish Tynan’s creamy soprano isn’t a large voice, but her projection was on point and she easily held her own despite the size of the Coliseum. Her Despina was as jaded and cynical as Don Alfonso, and her pointed words were matched by easy forays into the higher register. Bass-baritone Andrew Foster-Williams sang Don Alfonso with a hale suavity that belied the fundamental grubbiness of the character’s morality.
In the pit, Dinis Sousa led ENO’s orchestra in a reading of the score that was refreshingly retro; well-paced, plush and uncomplicated. For a fundamentally unpleasant opera disguised as fun, this was an enjoyable performance, worth catching both for the eyes and for the ears.
