One of the three collaborations between Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte which have all received many makeovers and contemporisations, Pablo Mielgo and Tomas Muñoz’s version of Cosi Fan Tutte remains true to the 18th century original.



Baluarte continues to draw some big names from the international scene to Pamplona, as Cosi Fan Tutte manages to merge the international and the local with the inclusion of the soprano María Bayo, who learnt her trade in Pamplona but is now firmly recognised on the international stage, and the Argentinian soprano Soledad Cardosa.  The six principal performers are supported by the Symphonic Orchestra of Navarra and the Pamplona Orphan’s Choir, with the latter also appearing onstage in supporting roles during two scenes.



The story follows the romantic lives of two officers in the Italian army, Ferrando and Guglielmo, who are engaged to marry the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, and opens with the two men bragging about how loving and faithful their brides-to-be are to their older friend Don Alfonso.  Alfonso doubts the fidelity of women in general and portrays them as fickle, betting the pair that within the space of a day he can persuade the two women to leave their partners.  As part of the bet the officers pretend to be called away to war and return disguised as lovestruck Albanians, with each one charged with wooing the fiancé of the other within the space of 24 hours.



The story is easy enough to understand, sung in the original Italian with Spanish surtitles (subtitles but projected above rather than below) helping out with the intricacies.  However, with a story as simple as is at the heart of Cosi Fan Tutte you can concentrate on the music without losing track of the plot.



The simple nature of the two female protagonists is something that probably should be left in the 18th century, yet the openly promiscuous character of Despina, the sixth and final main part in the performance, is the unlikely source that makes the story not entirely unwatchable for a forward thinking audience.  Whereas the sisters are portrayed as easily manipulated and unaware of how shallow they actually are when it comes to love, Despina’s assurances that being adventurous is not such a sin are a relief – her beliefs may be morally questionable but at least she has a strong enough conviction to be sure of herself and remain unmanipulated.



The piece was supported by a well-designed set, with the theme of infidelity nicely represented by beds covering the stage and even being held in midair by wires.  Despite this the audience may have appreciated a change of scenery beyond the use of a curtain which was raised within the first five minutes, and only reused to later signal the end of the first act.



Of the vocal performances, the three that most made an impression were those of Soledad Cardoso, in the role of the multi-faceted Despina (a part which includes pretending to be a male registrar during a wedding scene); David Menéndez, who on top of having a great voice also acted the part of Guglielmo well; and the stand-out performance of Carlos Chausson, who gave a superb execution of his bass part and managed to fill the stage with his presence alone.

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The last words will go to the Orfeón Pamplonés local choir, who despite not having a huge involvement in the two acts of the Mozart opera, carried out an outstanding performance.  After years working under the orders of director Igor Ijurra they are now reaching the point where they can reap the rewards that are quite clearly deserved.