As the most artificial and intimate of the Mozart-Da Ponte operas, “Cosi Fan Tutte” accommodates concert performance better than either “Nozze di Figaro” or “Don Giovanni.” Its inherent sexism, which invariably strikes a jarringly old-fashioned note even in the best staged performances, doesn’t seem nearly so offensive when moved from the theater to the concert platform.
The Ravinia Festival has heard Mozart’s touching comedy about the frailty of the heart twice in this form, both times under James Levine. Tuesday, Christoph Eschenbach presided over a concert “Cosi” of his own. With one exception, the vocal ensemble proved strong, well-balanced and state-of-the-art, comparable in quality to the casts Lyric Opera and Daniel Barenboim (in his CSO Mozart-Da Ponte cycle) have fielded in recent years.
The dramatic conceit here was to have Don Alfonso narrate and stage-manage the deception with which Ferrando and Guglielmo test the fidelity of their sweethearts, Fiordiligi and Dorabella. There was just enough semi-staged movement to help the story along: The “Albanians” disguised themselves in Dream Team jerseys and cool shades. The uncredited narration (in which bass William Shimell, the Steans Institute’s David Owen Norris and Eschenbach all had a hand) merged nicely with the conductor’s brisk, dramatically motivated pacing.
Unfazed by having to switch back and forth between spoken English and sung Italian, Shimell’s Alfonso was properly urbane and amused, a youthful change from the old cynical bachelor of “Cosi” tradition.
All three women were in strong, shining voice. Carol Vaness’ Fiordiligi was a true fortress of resolve in the perilous leaps and plunges of “Come scoglio,” even if she slighted the piano passages of “Per pieta.” Her soprano blended beautifully with the sable richness of Susanne Mentzer’s Dorabella, who gave a glorious accounting of her two arias. Marie McLaughlin’s deftly sung and charmingly played Despina was the spark plug of the performance.
Vinson Cole’s lyric tenor has grown considerably in size over the years as he has taken on heavier music, fortunately retaining much of its honeyed quality. What a shame he chose to inflate Ferrando’s often-omitted aria, “Ah! lo veggio,” as if it were by Verdi. Still, the suave musicality of his phrasing in “Un’ aura amorosa” was always to be admired.
Jorma Hynninen is a fine musician but the Finnish baritone was miscast: His thick, heavy, un-Italianate timbre made him sound more like an Alfonso than a Guglielmo, and Mozartean comedy just isn’t his thing.
The brief chorus parts were well-taken by singers from Ravinia’s Steans Institute for Young Artists.
