Così - Re-imagined
In this touring version of Mozart's comic opera Così fan tutte, with a new English script by Director Bronwen Stephens-Harding, Rogue Opera presents a compact production re-imagined in a modern setting. The basic premise of the opera - that all women are fickle - is not taken as a given as we explore the assumptions and values of the characters and their approach to love and fidelity. Rogue Opera’s Così fan tutte is set in a modern-day New York City of bankers and socialites, where wealth and excesses – a flamboyant fusion of The Wolf of Wall Street, Clueless and Gossip Girl – spawn extravagant lifestyles, cynical manipulations and ridiculous bets. Appearances and the pursuit of status overshadow genuine connection, creating the perfect setting for this humorous dramatic exploration of trust, attraction, desire, temptation and human fallibility.
The original plot is zany and convoluted and the happy ending (Mozart's and ours!) are very contrived, but the beauty of Mozart's music conveys deeper passions and truths about the complicated world of human relationships.
The show has two acts, with an interval between them.
The opera is sung in the original Italian, with English dialogue. The online program guides the audience through the story, with translations of the libretto.
Così fan tutte – Libretto Translation
Note on the Translation
Rogue Opera performances are sung in the original language, so the audience can experience the compelling combination of word and music created by the librettist and the composer. Our translation helps you follow the intricacies of the plot and the subtleties of the interchange between characters.
The challenge of translation is keeping as close as possible to the original while achieving a fluent rendering in English. Choosing to set Così fan tutte in the present has meant striking a balance between the original text and modern usage which reflects this new setting. Some of the more dramatic – to our ears perhaps melodramatic passages – have been reworked, although the essential intention of the words and the underlying emotions have been retained. There is also a wealth of both adoring and insulting terms to describe and address the characters. Many of these, and the classical references which are often used, are now archaic, so finding modern equivalents has meant taking some liberties with the original text, while remaining true to its tone and meaning.
Da Ponte cleverly uses rhyming in much of the libretto; it is hard to do the same in English without distorting the meaning, so this is one aspect not reflected in this translation. The flow, playfulness and drama of the Italian can still be heard, beautifully captured in Mozart’s score, so the impact of Da Ponte’s creative genius is not lost.
Follow the story below and click on the V icon for translations of the lyrics.
Scene 1
A Friday afternoon in NYC, Don Alfonso, a multi-millionaire trader is at a liquid lunch with his juniors, brothers Ferrando and Guglielmo. They are celebrating a big trade by Don A, but he soon gets bored and decides to liven up his weekend by a bet with the brothers that he can prove in 24 hours that their girlfriends, Fashionista sisters, Dorabella and Fiordiligi, who have their own brand FioraBella Lifestyle, are like all women and will cheat on them at the first opportunity.
– The brothers are convinced of their girlfriends' fidelity –
– Don Alfonso maintains female fidelity is as rare as the phoenix; Ferrando and Guglielmo claim that's exactly what the sisters are –
– The brothers celebrate the power of love –
– Dorabella and Fiordiligi praise their boyfriends' good looks –
– Don Alfonso arrives with unwelcome news for the sisters –
– Dorabella and Fiordiligi lament the imminent departure of the brothers, who say they have no choice but to leave –
– The lovers bid a heart-broken farewell; Don Alfonso finds their protestations of devotion amusing –
– Don Alfonso, Dorabella and Fiordiligi farewell the brothers, wishing them a safe journey –
– Dorabella leaves no one in any doubt as to her anger and upset at the disastrous news about Tasmania –
– Despina has a cynical view of men and believes women should look out for themselves in love –
– Having let Despina in on his plan, Don Alfonso secures her assistance with a bribe. He then introduces her to the "Canadians" –
– Guglielmo paints a lavish picture of how smitten the "Canadians" are with the two sisters –
– Indignant at Don Alfonso's introduction of the "Canadians", Fiordiligi sings of the sisters' steadfast love, claiming any attempt to seduce them is pointless –
–The brothers are convinced of their girlfriends' fidelity and Ferrando sings of the sustaining power of love –
– Fiordiligi and Dorabella bemoan being left on their own by Ferrando and Guglielmo –
– When Don Alfonso turns up again with the two drunken "Canadians", Dorabella and Fiordiligi are somewhat concerned by their sorry state but more so, by the trouble it might cause them –
– With someone arriving to discuss the Met ball, the sisters are in a predicament but still need to tend to their drunken guests –
– Despina (in disguise) persuades the four young people into a series of amorous poses; the brothers join in with gusto; the sisters have to play along, reluctantly –
– Emboldened by the previous antics, Ferrando and Guglielmo ask for a kiss. The sisters are incensed; Don Alfonso and Despina encourage them to play along –
– Dorabella and Fiordiligi leave, fired up with righteous indignation. This display convinces Ferrando and Guglielmo that they have won their bet –
INTERVAL
