Sir Thomas Beecham regarded this romp of sexual manipulation as “a long summer day spent in a cloudless land by the southern sea”. Hampshire’s neoclassical mansion which plays host to The Grange Festival may not be near the sea, but Martin Lloyd-Evans’ new production of Così fan tutte situates Mozart’s 18th-century comedy close to the Bay of Naples. Tourist posters advertising Herculaneum and Vesuvius are pinned to a wall next to a brothel where we first encounter Guglielmo with a recently purchased locket for his fiancée, thereby pointing directly to the duplicity and sexual mores lying at the heart of Lorenzo da Ponte’s libretto.
And then there’s Eros looking down from a lintel at those professing fidelity to their loved ones, yet who are simultaneously unencumbered by duty. If the critique of prevailing social values is no less comfortable today, its awkward truths are tempered and attractively packaged in Dick Bird’s sumptuous designs and stylish period costumes.
All very conventional so far, but the attraction of this Così arose from mostly well-defined performances and superb playing from the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Kirill Karabits drew crisp, characterful playing that illuminated Mozart’s felicitous woodwind writing, and the whole was aided and abetted by some wonderful continuo playing. Karabits’ undoubted flair for Mozart generated much suppleness with well-judged tempi and an ear for balance, allowing details to be heard without ever drawing attention to itself or undermining the comic antics on stage. These variously occur on a revolve that enables the plot to play out by a busy market, the home of Fiordiligi and Dorabella (elegant balcony, lavishly appointed salon and a fuchsia-pink bedroom), finally morphing into an open-air terrace that allows plenty of room for the closing showdown.
The casting was generally convincing with just enough chemistry for humour, although its quality is largely dependent on the rapport between characters. I was not convinced by the bedroom capers closing Act 2 nor the tipsy duet between Fiordiligi and Dorabella that opened Act 3. That said, there was much to enjoy elsewhere. Christian Senn was thoroughly diverting as Don Alfonso, with a natural stage presence and comic timing that consistently drew the eye. His opportunism set everything in motion with a proposal for Ferrando and Guglielmo to test the fidelity of their respective fiancées before entering a bogus marriage contract. As Despina, Carolina Lippo made for an increasingly drink-sodden good-time girl and raised a few laughs as Dr Mesmer and the notary.
Among the four young lovers, Samantha Clarke was an impressively steadfast Fiordiligi, and while her smiles often suggested a roving eye, her “Come scoglio” really sounded as if “this lady's not for turning”. She confidently dispatched the aria’s leaps and later rose admirably to the challenge of “Per pietà”, its anguish creating the evening’s emotional high water mark. Clarke was well matched by Kitty Whately’s capricious Dorabella, her “Smanie implacabile” well-projected; she clearly enjoyed her role. Alessandro Fisher’s poetic Ferrando brought suitable ardour to his heart-easing “Un’ aura amorosa” and he formed a persuasive partnership with Nicolas Lester whose Guglielmo rang out compellingly in his chauvinistic ditty that is “Donne mie, la fate a tanti”. Ensemble numbers were well executed, most rewardingly in Act 1’s farewell quartet.
Overall, this is a stylish production that foregrounds charm and some descent performances which improved as the evening progressed, the best coming in the second half when emotional tensions developed. But its the orchestra that caught the ear and provided insight to the relationships between the lovers.
