Michael Todd Simpson, Elza van den Heever, Jennifer Holloway and Brian Anderson. Photo by Daylon Walton.

Photo by Daylon Walton of Random Photography (www.daylon.us).

Photo by Daylon Walton of Random Photography (www.daylon.us).

Photo by Daylon Walton of Random Photography (www.daylon.us).

  

Cosė fan tutte

by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Presented by Dallas Opera

February 12 - 28

at Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
AT&T Performing Arts Center
2100 Ross Ave.
Dallas, TX 75201
214-443-1000

$15-$275

7:30pm Feb. 18, 20 & 26; 2pm Feb 14 & 28

Even though the Dallas Opera production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte is set 16 years before Noel Coward wrote his play, Private Lives, it is hard not to make the comparison while watching this production. While the Coward comedy of manners is set in Deauville, France, and this version of Così fan tutte is set in Monte Carlo, both are hoity-toity seaside resorts with casinos and an overabundance of the idle rich. The slim plot in Coward’s partner-switching comedy has much in common with that of Mozart and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte’s opera. So why not?

After all, Così has been set everywhere from a greasy spoon to a college dorm.

A Time article from 1969 calls Coward "the last, slightly ridiculous vestige of the frivolous '20s. Country houses, stiff upper lips, cocktails-and-laughter-but-oh-what-comes-after and all that." And this is a good description of what stage director John Cox and production designer Robert Perdziola deliver. Dallas Opera borrowed this production from the San Francisco Opera, but originally it was presented where it is set, by Opera Monte Carlo. Other than the inexplicably odd intrusion of gas-masked soldiers at the end, the combination of Coward and Così worked just peachy for this viewer. Nothing that goes on seemed shoe-horned into the concept.

The plot revolves around two pairs of fiancées. An older but wiser friend bets the two starry-eyed grooms-to-be that the ladies cannot remain faithful for even a day. Taking up the bet, they leave (soldiers sent to the front) and then return disguised as bearded Albanian sailors. They then proceed to woo each other’s intended with predicable results. In this deception, they are assisted by the brides-to-be’s wily and world-wise chamber maid. They return as themselves in time to express mock outrage, but all ends happily as the men generously decide to forgive and forget the fickleness. After all, Così fan tutte, or "all women are like that,” so you might as well be satisfied with the bird in the hand, so to speak.

The set consists of two roofs, each supported by four large columns, which move around to create various indoor and outdoor spaces. Curtains are used to create inside rooms and opened to present an impressionistic view of a beach: Umbrellas for day and twinkling lights on boats for night. Other set pieces are carried in and out by bellboys. Perhaps the set was designed for a stage larger than the glorious new Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, which resulted in placing the columns of the two spaces closer together than intended. Some complaints were overheard during intermission that they blocked some of the upstage action, but this reviewer didn’t notice that. (It must depend on where you sit.) The costumes were flawless: Both elegant and whimsical at the same time. They created the era perfectly.

There are lots of ensembles in this score, requiring a set of carefully matched singers, and Dallas Opera has assembled an excellent cast to sing them. As the ladies who bare the brunt of the shenanigans, South African soprano Elza van den Heever (Fiordiligi) and the American mezzo-soprano Jennifer Holloway (Dorabella) managed to maintain their dignity while being played for fools by everyone around them. Both are fine singers, with even sounding voices from top to bottom. Ms. Heever posses a gleaming soprano voice that easily out-sized everyone else on the stage but she did her best to balance. Così requires two female singers that sound different, and they did. However, Ms. Heever sounded more like a mezzo and Ms. Holloway more like a soprano. Both sounded terrific so, once the ear got used to the timbre switch from what was expected, it mattered little.

The two equally clueless men are portrayed by baritone Michael Todd Simpson (Guglielmo) and tenor Brian Anderson (Ferrando). Both singers have the requisite lyric voices and the smarts not to push them into realms that they might one day visit. Anderson was especially impressive with his naturalness of vocal production. Simpson occasionally lets the voice fall out of line and raises his chin. When this happened, there was a noticeable falling-off in quality and even in pitch. But his tenor is a lovely instrument and some of the soft singing was stunning. Both were believable in these unbelievable roles.

Italian soprano Nuccia Focile is a devilish Despina, the chamber maid who helps the men win their bet. In a role that is frequently overplayed, she was all the funnier for her restraint and impeccable timing. Her characterization is that of an eminently practical female who was not "to the manor born" and must make her way all by herself. She is the comic highlight when she arrives in various disguises to further the scheme, again thanks to the wonderful costumes (enough said so as not to spoil the joke for those who have never seen the opera).

The star of the production, however, is Sir Thomas Allen as the curmudgeon Don Alfonso, who sets the entire ploy in motion. Sir Allen is the epitome of the established opera star, who recently (2006) celebrated his 35th anniversary at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the 25th anniversary of his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, New York. This is his long-overdue debut in Dallas and his return will be eagerly anticipated. He sang and acted the role impeccably. And anyone who wants to know how recitatives should be sung should carefully study his performance in Così. All of the unaccented endings of the Italian words, often landed on with too much force (even at the Metropolitan Opera), are delivered as though he were a native Italian speaking the lines. This also describes his vocal delivery of the recitatives; the perfect mix of singing and speaking that conveyed the meaning and characterization of every word.

Musical director Graeme Jenkins had a rough night. Right from the start, the tempi were either too fast or too slow. When it was too fast, neither the stage nor orchestra could not keep up with him and fell behind while he plowed on, which is inexcusable. When it was too slow, the forward momentum became mired down and the show almost came to a standstill. Boring. Jenkins is a fine conductor and things will surely tighten up at subsequent performances. He was at his best at the harpsichord accompanying the recitatives. Here, he was right on; consistently on top of the text. While it was enjoyable for the cognoscenti to hear some of the usually cut materials, such as two second act arias, the inclusion of all of this made the show run longer than usual (three-and-a-half hours). That reservation aside, Mozart is, after all, Mozart, and he lavished some of his most sublime music on the score of Così.

All of the singers physically resemble the characters they are playing and all can effortlessly sing Mozart’s fiendishly difficult music. The production is an original take on a masterpiece, and works from beginning to end. Jeri Shaffer’s English supertitles convey the essence of the text, with an occasional naughty wink.

Best of all, the new opera house is as good as any and Dallas should be very grateful to have it. Anyone used to trekking to the wildly inappropriate Music Hall at Fair Park to hear opera are in for a pleasant surprise.