L.A. Opera's silly 'Così fan Tutte' saved by the singing

Absurdly improbable, shockingly cynical, Mozart’s “Così instrumentality Tutte” is populated by downright anserine and manipulative characters. It is besides flooded with Mozartian quality that offers the extent of thought and feeling of the archetypal modern opera.

Critic Edward Said spoke of the opera’s elimination of representation from the past and from loyalties truthful that “only the contiguous is near standing.” James Conlon, the conductor of the accumulation that opened astatine the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion connected Saturday night, proposes connected the Los Angeles Opera podcast that “Così” is not a spiritual Mozart opera but a applicable materialist one.

The accumulation by the precocious manager Michael Cavanagh, which comes courtesy of San Francisco Opera, is so materialistic. Set astatine a posh East Coast state nine successful the precocious 1930s, the staging is not of the infinitesimal oregon adjacent peculiarly of that moment.

L.A.’s past with “Così” includes 2 erstwhile potent productions opening with Nicholas Hytner’s successful 1988, a item of the company’s 3rd season. Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic mounted a stunningly analyzable accumulation successful Walt Disney Concert Hall successful 2014. When it comes to materialism, thing rather beats a 1990 accumulation by Cal State Long Beach fixed successful the Queen’s Salon of the Queen Mary.

Mozart and his librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, meant to marque america squirm arsenic they uncover our insecurities and the faults successful our materialistic facades. Inanely virtuous sisters are engaged to a brace of unrelated, inanely cocky bros. Their infatuations are challenged by a cunning philosopher who persuades the bros to unreal they’ve been abruptly drafted and to instrumentality aboriginal successful disguise to woo each other’s fiancée. The philosopher Don Alfonso wins the stake because, arsenic we are each expected to know, così instrumentality tutte, women are similar that.

But Don Alfonso’s experimentation yet illustrates the much radically disquieting information to a misogynistic 18th period nine for whom the opera was written: We are all similar that. What makes “Così” modern is that it underscores conscionable however rapidly and radically things tin alteration successful a flash. We deliberation we’re much enlightened than the Age of Enlightenment — yet look astir you. Whom oregon what tin you trust?

The situation of immoderate accumulation of “Così” is to find the halfway extent successful the vapid lovers, beyond the unbelievable naivete and disguises. For that, Mozart’s euphony becomes the roadworthy representation for unlocking feelings and for facing the quality of our being. This is not contented but an acceptance of quality quality that tin pb to a transcendence from materialism. The radicalism is that neither composer nor librettist reveals that this really works. Do the lovers alteration partners oregon not? Have they what it takes for a lasting relationship?

The jokey San Francisco production, arsenic staged by Shawna Lucey for L.A. Opera pursuing Cavanagh’s decease a twelvemonth ago, takes an utmost path. The characters are truthful farcical successful their outlandish state nine get-ups that they hardly look agents for a “troubling survey successful powerfulness and agency” that the directors suggest successful their programme note. These are not the magnificent Hollywood of 1930s cinema but silly radical doing silly things for laughs with exaggerated reactions much emblematic of the erstwhile soundless movie decade.

Justin Austin, left, and Anthony Leon successful L.A. Opera’s “Così instrumentality Tutte.”

(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)

The silly people, successful this case, hap to beryllium good singers. Conlon supplies grace and, yes, a glowing spirituality, successful the orchestra. The hapless loves bash awaken immoderate 2 1/2 hours into a 3 1/2-hour performance, becoming much serious, if not that overmuch little superficial.

The acceptable (by Erhard Rom) has conscionable capable elegance to it that erstwhile the opera begins aft the overture, Fiordiligi and Dorabella some person a small occupation settling successful musically. Once they bash and erstwhile we get implicit their intentionally unflattering costumes (by Constance Hoffman), they are terrific. Mozart takes his clip distinguishing the two, who musically reflector each other, but yet soprano Erica Petrocelli finds a searing strength arsenic Fiordiligi, portion the honeyed mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb displays a hint of invited larceny arsenic Dorabella. Both go arsenic existent arsenic costumes and absorption permit.

Once tenor Anthony León’s feisty Ferrando and baritone Justin Austin’ s convivial Guglielmo get past spraying the signifier with adrenaline, taking adjacent longer than their fiancées for the essence of the hoax to get done their heavy skulls, they excessively travel astir to a point. The men trial the women, but it is they who are the ones to beryllium little trusted.

Don Alfonso and Despina are 2 superior “Così” veterans. Rod Gilfry, erstwhile a spirited Guglielmo successful the company’s accumulation much than 30 years agone and a stylishly devilish Don Aflonso successful the L.A. Phil production, is present a creepy edifice manager with small consciousness of purpose. Ana Maria Martínez, an alluring no-nonsense Fiordiligi astatine 2006 Salzburg Festival, hangs connected to immoderate of that allure contempt Despina’s heavy-handed antics.

Rod Gilfry arsenic Don Alfonso and Ana Maria Martinez arsenic Despina successful “Così instrumentality Tutte.”

(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)

The L.A. Opera “Così” is dedicated to a beloved founding committee member, Alice Coulombe, whose hubby founded Trader Joe’s. It mightiness besides beryllium dedicated to Robert Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick, who died successful September, inspired Coulombe and her cohorts to recovered Music Center Opera, which became L.A. Opera. As caput of the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival, Fitzpatrick cruised L.A. successful his BMW with “Così” playing time and night, saying that if helium were killed successful a crash, that was the past euphony helium wanted to hear. “Così” blasted successful the inheritance portion helium was connected an aboriginal portable telephone making arrangements to bring London’s Royal Opera to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, which straight led to the instauration of a section institution astatine last.

“Così” volition everlastingly beryllium successful the DNA of L.A. Opera. You whitethorn request a microscope to spot it successful this maladroit production, but you perceive it wonderfully. In the elimination of memory, the ears are the past to go.