Dating from 1790, any opera would be full of anachronisms judged by today’s standards. Mozart’s Così fan tutte is no exception. Still, Mozart’s music, when given glorious voice, can gloss over a multitude of sins—whether real or imaginary—and this is very true in the current production of Lyric Opera Cleveland. This final presentation of the season is a mostly traditional rendition with a few non-traditional flourishes to keep us all on our toes.

Stage Director Jonathon Field doubled as set designer and pulled off a real coup. The floor of the stage was covered with a mirror-like surface that reflected the lighting against the background scrim in a rippling and constantly-moving effect, much like a kaleidoscope. It was fascinating, but not especially distracting. A smallish sort of strangely-shaped platform was placed at the center of the stage floor, hiding the trap door behind it. Seen from the balcony, it proved to be trapezoidal with the front edge about six feet wide, and two feet high. The sides tapered to a width of approximately ten feet at the rear, which was at floor height—a raked stage in reverse. The balance of the set consisted of chairs and the occasional small table, deftly moved from here to there by the chorus.

The costumes designed by Susan Allred for the Utah Opera Company were scrumptious and sumptuous, especially those for the Albanians. Lighting design by Jeremy Benjamin provided all the warmth and sunniness one would expect from Naples. Important as these details are to the overall effect of an opera, it is still the singing that is most important, and for this Lyric Opera Cleveland deserves a solid A+.

The two young couples were visually handsome and well-suited to each other, and their voices were sublime. They were light and agile as required for Mozart, yet with the necessary heft to float over the standard-sized chamber orchestra, just behind them.

Lori Lind invested Fiordiligi with dignity and warmth, and just the right amount of hesitation when her virtue came under attack from seemingly everyone else on the stage. On the other hand, her sister Dorabella, sung by the perky Sarah Mattox, was only too amenable to the persuasion of Fiordiligi’s former suitor. The two suitors, Ferrando of Steven Mello and Scott Guinn’s Guglielmo were handsome and dashing in whatever guise. In a neat bit of stage business, they became ‘mirror twins’ (one right-handed, the other left-) when brandishing either swords or lutes.

Left to themselves, these four having already paired off, would no doubt have married, and lived happily ever after. But no, this was not to be. Don Alfonso, in a wonderful spirited performance by Michael P. Schmidt had to tinker a bit with the status quo. Ah, well. Lucky for him, the existence of Despina, the maid-of-all-work to the sisters, as brought to vivid life by Kristen Plumley. By turns comic, feisty and inventive, she was only too willing to enter into the conspiracy with Alfonso, thus setting the disguises and plans into motion. Her paean to the wonders of chocolate was mouth-watering!

Conductor Henry Mollicone set a fairly brisk pace, and the libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, with English translation by Ruth & Thomas Martin was mostly comprehensible, even without surtitles.

In a contemporaneous touch, and a nod to the fact that this is a major election year in the US, LOC conducted an election of its own. Attendees were given a slip of paper on which were described three possible endings of the opera: as written; the way they were at the beginning, or a new twist—Dorabella running off with Despina, leaving Guglielmo alone or with Don Alfonso. With tongues firmly in cheeks, the Artistic and Managing Directors beseeched the attendees to either ‘Vote early, vote often!’ or to ‘Buy additional votes! Only one dollar each’ (proceeds to benefit LOC.)

Ballots were counted during intermission, and early returns indicated a tie between the first and third options. However, on opening night, democracy ruled, and the opera finished as written. Information for next season is now available; call Lyric Opera Cleveland at 685-5976 or visit http://www.lyricoperacleveland.org

from Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz mailto: artswriter@core.com (:divend:)