Così fan tutte (tour – Norwich, Theatre Royal)

Designer
Samal Blak puts all this in the correct historical context with the
simplest of settings and attractive costuming, though Despina does
seem to have the same access to silk-weavers a her mistresses. Both
acts begin and end behind a gauze, as though defying the audience to
take the characters to its hearts. Mozart, of course, makes sure that
that’s precisely what we do. And conductor James Burton allows the
score its proper scope, with the pared-down orchestra letting the
pat-ball passages of the overture flip prettily from one section to
another.

At
the performance I saw, Lorna Bridge took over the role of
Fiodiligi. “Come scoglio” with its chest-note to high-note
range proved taxing, though the second act “Per pietà”
deserved its applause. Dorabella fares less well in the aria stakes,
but Kitty Whately makes the most of her moments and suggests that
this sister is less to be bossed around by her older sibling than
usual. Paula Sides is the buffa soubrette to perfection with real
bite for “In uomini’ and she’s especially effective in “Una donna a
quindici anni”.

In
this production it’s not just a matter of vocal registers which
distinguishes Ferrando from Guglielmo. Anthony Gregory masters both
the lyricism of “un’ aura amorosa” and the pain of “tradito,
schernito” as Ferrando and Toby Girling provides a
mirror-image with distortion as Guglielmo. Richard Mosley-Evans is
a dominating Don Alfonso, with better articulation of Martin
Fitzpatrick‘s serviceable if not sparkling translation than some of
the other cast members can manage.