This live performance of Mozart’s great Cosi fan tutte adds little to our love and/or understanding of the opera. The l949 sound is mediocre, and conductor Karl Böhm, who shone elsewhere and at other times with the score, is not having a good day. The overture is leaden, and although the whole show eventually picks up steam, some of the ensembles are pretty sloppy and the set lacks a point of view. Then why release it? Well, Suzanne Danco’s Fiordiligi is terrific–full of spirit, warmth, and irony, and she sings it to a fare-thee-well; and Mariano Stabile’s Don Alfonso is a real gem–you can almost see his wry smile whenever he sings and he balances the character’s lack of sympathy with his over-riding wisdom as few others have. Fans of Giulietta Simionato will be disappointed by her heavy-handed Dorabella (she sounds like Fiordiligi’s aunt, not sister) and the remainder of the cast, even at their best, can’t keep up with the competition. The opera is somewhat cut, by the way. Stick with Böhm or Karajan on Angel.
