Opera Australia has had a daring season so far with productions that subvert form and conventions, most often to great success. With Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, the company moves back to a more conventional, traditional production with a farcical story that speaks of a wager in a nightclub (with some problematic undertones). 

Like many Mozart works, the focus in this opera is almost solely on the music, with the story a mere periphery to the lyricism of Mozart’s score. This does not quite allow the reader to side-step the misogynistic elements of the story but rather, means they are not as much of a focus when viewing the production.

Instead, the Opera Australia Orchestra, led by Zoe Zeniodi, allows the music of Mozart to come to life, with a vibrant and vivacious performance bringing out the richness of the music. This is a fine score and the Orchestra touches upon all its intricacies to fill the Joan Sutherland Theatre with a wave of sound.

This is a notoriously challenging score to sing due to its pacing and due to the ornamental decoration of the melodies. However, this cast does a stellar job, ensuring the vocal lines are covered with grandeur and passion. Nardus Williams is a revelatory highlight, bringing a powerful and full-bodied voice as well as superb dramatics to the role of Fiordiligi. Her upper register is extraordinary as is her vocal control as she methodically works through Mozart’s difficult score with ease. There is no doubt that she is already one of the best performers in recent memory to step on the Joan Sutherland Theatre stage and one can only hope that we will continue to see her in Opera Australia productions.

The rest of the cast is also very strong, with Richard Anderson as Don Alfonso displaying a rich tone with all the sliminess and grit that one would expect from the character. Filipe Manu and Nathan Lay also give great performances, displaying strong comedic instinct in a production that necessarily demands it.

However, by far the best combination on the stage is Williams and Helen Sherman as Dorabella, which gives sweeping vocals and effortless power to mesmerise the audience. It is when these two are on stage that this production is truly at its finest. Alexandra Oomens also does a fine job as the greedy Despina.

The sets and lighting under the helm of Moritz Junge and David Finn respectively are commanding but perhaps lack the same level of grandeur as the action on stage at times. The production is also quite lengthy (spanning well over three hours) but there is not really a sense of movement throughout the production, leading to things feeling a little static at times, especially in a work that does not possess the same dramatic depth as others in this season.

Overall, this is a strong production of a classic work, with an exceptional cast and orchestra to give life to the gorgeous score. While some reinvigoration of some of the more ancillary aspects of the work could have certainly enhanced the production, the production still more than carries its weight from the talent of its performers alone. Williams’ performance in particular is absolutely superlative so for those wanting to see a star of the form coming into her own, there would be no better opportunity than this production.

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Cosi Fan Tutte plays at the Joan Sutherland Theatre until 17^th August. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Keith Saunders