U of T Opera: Così fan tutte

MacMillan Theatre is temporarily closed. This performance is now taking place at Harbourfront Centre Theatre.

A deceit practiced by two soldiers upon their unwitting fiancés is reimagined in the new version of Mozart’s masterpiece where love’s lessons are learned from a fresh perspective.
Conductor: Sandra Horst
Director: Anna Theodosakis 

Così fan tutte  

Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte 

Conductor: Sandra Horst 
Director: Anna Theodosakis * 
Set Design: Scott Penner 
Lighting Design:  Siobhan Sleath 
Costume Design: Andrew Nasturzio 
Chorus Master: Sandra Horst 
Stage Manager: Susan Monis* 
Assistant Director: Mario Pacheco* 
Assistant Stage Manager: Meghan Specht 
Répétiteurs: Christine Bae, Helen Becqué 

SURTITLES^TM John Sharpe  SURTITLESTM invented at the Canadian Opera Company in 1983 and introduced worldwide with their production of Elektra by R. Strauss

*The participation of these Artists is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors' Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance Opera Theatre Policy. 

CAST

March 13/15:

Fiordiligi: Jordana Goddard 
Dorabella: Kcenia Koutorjevski 
Despina: Teresa Tucci 
Guglielmo: George Theodorakopoulos 
Ferrando: Cameron Mazzei  
Don Alfonso: Dante Mullin-Santone 

March 14/16:

Fiordiligi: Camille Labonté   
Dorabella: Grace Ronan 
Despina: Aemilia Moser 
Guglielmo: Benjamin Wallace 
Ferrando: Carlo Cormier  
Don Alfonso: Onur Hilaloğlu

UNDERSTUDIES

Dorabella: Taline Yeremian 
Despina: Chihiro Yasufuku, Katherine Kirkpatrick
Ferrando: Enquan (Frank) Yu, Christian Matta  

CHORUS

Matthew Black, Joshua Gibson, Ian Gillis, Katherine Kirkpatrick, Christian Matta, Julia Renda, Chihiro Yasufuku, Taline Yeremian, Enquan (Frank) Yu 

SYNOPSIS 

Act I

At a café, Don Alfonso, a cynical bachelor, argues with young officers Guglielmo and Ferrando about women’s faithfulness. The men insist their girlfriends, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, are loyal. Don Alfonso bets them that he can prove women are fickle, if they follow his plan. The men will pretend to leave for war, then disguise themselves to try to seduce the sisters. 

At home, Fiordiligi and Dorabella are upset when they hear that the men are being sent away and Don Alfonso consoles them. Despina, the maid, suggests the sisters replace their boyfriends with new ones. Don Alfonso bribes Despina to help him introduce disguised Guglielmo and Ferrando as suitors.  

The sisters are shocked to find these strangers, but Don Alfonso convinces them they are his long-lost friends. The sisters resist the men’s advances, but Don Alfonso assures the men that the day is still young. In the garden, the men fake drinking poison and fall into a “coma.” The sisters panic and call for Despina, who, disguised as a doctor, revives them with a giant magnet. Don Alfonso and Despina urge Dorabella and Fiordiligi to accept the suitors but the women staunchly refuse. 

Act II

Despina advises the sisters on how to handle men. After the sisters consider the fact that having a little fun wouldn't do any harm, they decide on which foreigner they’ll entertain. Guglielmo succeeds in replacing Dorabella's portrait of Ferrando with a heart-shaped locket, but with Fiordiligi, the matter is much more challenging. Ferrando makes a last-ditch attempt to disarm Fiordiligi and succeeds. Guglielmo, who has been eavesdropping, is furious, but Don Alfonso advises forgiveness. 

Preparations for a double wedding begin, with Despina disguised as a notary. Just as the sisters are about to sign the marriage contract, they hear a military march and panic. Don Alfonso reveals that the sisters' true boyfriends have returned. Ferrando and Guglielmo quickly shed their disguises and re-enter dressed as soldiers. Confessions are made and forgiveness is begged.  

DIRECTOR’S NOTES

Così fan tutte translates to “So do they all,” a direct quote from Don Alfonso near the end of the opera. However, in Italian, the feminine plural tutte refers specifically to “women,” so the title is often interpreted as “Women are like that.” Composer W.A. Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte also gave the opera an alternative title: La scuola degli amanti, or “The School for Lovers.” This subtitle is more egalitarian, suggesting that both sexes have something to learn. But what is the lesson, and does the end justify the means? I’m grateful for the opportunity to stage Michael Albano’s empowering adaptations to the libretto, which offer fresh perspectives on timeless teachings.

In this production, I aimed to explore the different types of love between the characters, extending beyond romantic love. We see sisterly love between Dorabella and Fiordiligi—one of the strongest bonds in the opera. With seemingly no parents around, Fiordiligi, the older sister, assumes the role of protector and caretaker, while Dorabella adds a sense of fun and daring, reminding Fiordiligi that they are still young. Fiordiligi consistently puts Dorabella's happiness before her own, even joining the ruse with the men despite her better judgment. 

Then there is the platonic love between Guglielmo and Ferrando, who balance each other perfectly. Ferrando is more sensitive and nurturing, guiding the more impulsive Guglielmo, who, in turn, offers Ferrando defense and courage. Given the time period and the youth of the characters, we can infer that their romantic relationships have been relatively brief and perhaps superficial. Thus, it is the betrayal of each other’s trust that proves more devastating for the men than the betrayal by their girlfriends. 

We also explore the theme of temptation versus restraint through the metaphor of dessert as a symbol of desire. Inspired by Despina’s hot chocolate rant, characters indulging in sweet treats reflect their tendencies to either give in to sensual pleasures or maintain control over their urges. In the opera, Guglielmo asks Ferrando, “When will we eat?” to which Ferrando responds in his aria, “A heart satiated with love does not need to eat.” While Despina and Guglielmo enjoy desserts freely, the repressed Don Alfonso abstains entirely, and Ferrando resists temptation until the very end. 

This theme of indulgence is mirrored in the Rococo-inspired costume design, incorporating elements of Italian baking, fruits, and delicate buttercream piping. The men in the opera view the sisters as little treats to be consumed at their whim. The set is designed to resemble both a box for baked goods and a doll house, with Fiordiligi and Dorabella metaphorically trapped inside, like decorated cupcakes on display.

REIMAGINING MOZART’S COSÌ FAN TUTTE 

by Michael Patrick Albano 

Così fan tutte is my favourite of the three towering Mozart/Da Ponte collaborations. Its magnificent score is beyond reproach, but I have often bristled at the dramaturgical short comings which have caused so many opera lovers to dismiss it. 

The fragility of the piece is the element of disguise which is never completely convincing. Deception by disguise is a commedia hold-over which was already becoming shopworn by the time of the opera’s premiere in 1790, but the actual weakness of the opera is a repercussion of this. In order to make the disguise element work, the two sisters, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, must be extremely gullible and in a comic piece, this is almost impossible to accomplish with any subtlety, so the sisters often just come across as unintelligent. This produces misogynistic overtones leading to a lack of resonance with contemporary audiences and for that reason Così fan tutte often leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Some directors insist that the sisters could be aware of the duplicity, but such a bold concept must be revealed on stage and not in a program note. 

After much contemplation, I could find only one solution; insert a new scene in which we learn that the sisters are cognizant of the deception. Before torches and pitchforks are raised, let me assure you that no original music was composed for this production. Using music from the rarely performed Despina/Alfonso recitativo secco of the first act, I invented new text of which one of the most telling lines alters the dramatic thrust of the piece: 

Dorabella 
Nemmeno un idiota crederebbe a quei travestimenti. 
(Not even an idiot would believe those disguises.) 

There are other adjustments throughout the piece which I choose not to reveal but suffice to say that a reassignment of lines in the finale brings things full circle. In Da Ponte’s original libretto, the women beg forgiveness for… for what? For contemplating infidelity, a trespass for which the men are exonerated? These young officers are the instigators of this runaway deceit so in a tidy reallocation of musical lines, it is they who must ask for absolution. From that moment on, no further adjustment is needed. Mozart’s musical eloquence reveals emotion laid bare as both pairs of lovers are found guilty of no more than human frailty, and thus they compassionately illuminate the literal translation of Così fan tutte - They are all like this.

MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Violin 1
Kai Schulz Rousseau concert master
Siri Ducharme-Leblanc
Mizuki Yaesawa 
Samantha Cardwell 
Kasey Scoboria 
Natalia Morozova 
Katherine Chen 
Lauren Da-Hyun Lee 

Violin 2 
Christine Yanfei Wang 
Sophie Reimer-Epp 
Xinhui Li 
Bridget Alexander 
Deborah Alexander White 
Qiqi Zhang 

Viola 
Bingluen Yang 
Yinren Li 
Dai Hao Chen 

Cello 
Tuuli Olo 
Maren Helyar 
Chloe Liang 
Maria Cambre 

Double Bass 
Benjamin Kemppainen 
Jude Littlefield Buschlen 

Flute 
Eleanor Song 
Rowan Froh 

Oboe 
Jason Fan 
Nicholas Pomares 

Clarinet 
Ya-Tsun Tang 
Farimah Khorrami 

Basson 
Jaclyn Yee 
Taran Massey-Singh 

Horn 
Julia Fowell 
Finn Parks 

Trumpet 
Justin Ko 
Grace Locker 

Timpani 
Elyssa Arde 

Harpsichord 
Helen Becqué 
Christine Bae

U OF T OPERA AT THE FACULTY OF MUSIC

Head of Opera Sandra Horst 

Resident Operatic Specialist Russell Braun 

Azrieli Foundation Opera Visiting Artists Rachel Andrist, Tim Albery, Siobhan Sleath, Michelle Tracey 

Riki Turofsky Visitor Ambur Braid 

John R. Stratton Visitors Edith Wiens, Karen Slack 

Artistic and Teaching Staff Rachel Andrist, Kate Carver, Gregory Dahl, Wendy Nielsen, Steven Philcox, Anna Theodosakis 

Diction Jason Nedecky 

Movement Anna Theodosakis 

Opera Administrator Christina Bell 

Production Assistant Joy Castro

U OF T OPERA PRODUCTION 

Director, Facilities and Performance Spaces Jamie Rodriguez 

Theatre Technical Coordinator Colin Harris 

Head Carpenter Peter Velocci 

Scenic Painter Alysson Bernabe 

Head of Wardrobe Andrew Nasturzio 

Wig Stylist and Setter Richard Miller 

Hair and Makeup Artist Ana Isabella Castro 

Wardrobe Assistants Angela Cabrera, Chris Faris 

Paint Assistants Joy Castro, Adam Jules 

Wardrobe Stitcher Kathleen Preston 

Dresser Mairead Canning 

Properties Master David Hoekstra 

Prop Supply Wulf Higgins (COC Props), George Moore

HARBOURFRONT CENTRE

Chief Executive Officer Cathy Loblaw 

Head of Operations Massimo DeMaria 

Head of Visitor Experience & Event Production Allan Gillespie 

Director, Planning & Special Projects Heather Waddell 

HARBOURFRONT CENTRE THEATRE

Manager, Visitor Services Christopher Hackett 

Production Manager Andrei Mamaliga 

Head Electrician** Kurt Nicholson 

Audio Engineer** Patty Saad 

Stage Carpenter** Jade Wilson 

**Stage Technicians at Harbourfront Centre are represented by Local 58 of the Internation Alliance of Theatrical Stage Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its territories, and Canada.

CONTINUO 

The Opera Division is grateful to the many donors who support us. We are pleased to acknowledge those donors who have made annual gifts of $750 or more between January 1, 2023 and February 1, 2025:

Anonymous (3) 
Michael Patrick Albano 
Pamela Austin 
Balfour Bowen Family Foundation 
Kimberly Barber 
E. R. and Elizabeth Barnsley 
William R. Bowen and Sandra J. Gavinchuk 
Melissa Campbell 
The estate of Ivan Alexandor Chorney 
Earlaine Collins 
Denny Creighton and Kris Vikmanis 
Miranda Davies 
Marija Dolenc 
Vreni and Marc Ducommun 
Gladys and Lloyd Fogler 
Wayne A. Gooding 
Rachel Gottesman 
Paul F. Hawkshaw 
Dianne W. Henderson 
Donna Holbrook 
Jo-Anne Hunt 
Michael and Linda Hutcheon 
Heather Jackson 
Marcia Kavanagh 
Peg and Jonathan Kay 
The estate of Hiroko Keith 
Arthur Kennedy 
H. Rachel King 
Sheila Larmer 
Janet and Charles Lin 
Laurie and Jim MacKay 
Hugh McLean 
Don Melady and Rowley Mossop
Marc Michell 
Susan Middleton & Christopher Palin 
Sue Mortimer 
Nancy Nickle 
Annie Odom 
Louis Pauly and Caryl Clark 
Adrianne Pieczonka and Laura Tucker 
Brett A. Polegato 
Stephen Ralls and Bruce Ubukata 
Diane Relyea 
Cornelia Schuh and Michiel Horn 
Iain and Barbara Scott 
John Sharpe 
June Shaw 
Robert Sherrin 
Stephen and Jane Smith 
David Smukler 
Laetitia Snethen 
Joseph K. So 
Michael Stainton 
Janet Stubbs 
Françoise Sutton 
Susanne Tabur 
James and Barbara Thomson 
Riki Turofsky and Charles Petersen 
Catherine Ukas 
Sandra K. Upjohn 
Melanie Whitehead 
Marina Yoshida

For information on giving opportunities for U of T Opera, please contact us at 416-946-3464 or donate.music@utoronto.ca.