Cheap Mozart - Cosi Fan Tutte / Harnoncourt, Bartoli, Nikiteanu, Zurich Opera (DVD) (Brian Large) Price

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Customer Reviews of Mozart - Cosi Fan Tutte / Harnoncourt, Bartoli, Nikiteanu, Zurich Opera

Beautiful music while enjoying a comedy
This opera although less popular than Le Nozze de Figaro or Don Giovanni is not less beautiful, melodiuos and charming than the two others.
The performance by excellent singers in this DVD add to the splendor and magnificence of the melodious music, which is so enjoyable to listen. We also become interested in watching how the story ends, as it proceeds. Agnes Baltsa, in her indifferent act and her clear soprano voice is incomparable as the matter-of-fact and mischievous maid who assist Don Alfonso to proof his stance to the end. Cecilia Bartoli and Liliana Nikiteanu, has their own nuance of soprano voices, however their duets are so harmonious together. We also adored the light tenor voice of singe Roberto Sacca who sings beautiful duets with baritone singer Oliver Widmore. Furthermore their acting are so charmingly funny that we really enjoy the fresh comedy of Mozart.It is only felt that the background scene was too simple and rather unattractive. It only stays in one or other place without much changes.
Nevertheless this performance is never boring and is so enjoyable and relaxing to listen as well as to watch all the comical situation to the end.

Disappoiment
I must admit that haven't bought this DVD, but this performance was some time back broadcasted twice on Norwegian TV. I thought it would be interesting to watch Bartoli sing one of the sisters. What I found out was that it was a disappointment.

First of all was the conducting tediously slow. And when I saw the first scene with the three men, I started to wonder if it was just me or did the one that played Guglielmo looked and sounded extremely bored. The Ferrando too wasn't too good. He could produce very beautiful tones, but could just hold them for a second and then a hideous vibrator would kick in. I normally love a vibrator under control, but he was truly awful to listen to. The only male performer that was very good, was the Don Alfonso. He acted and sounded the part very well.

But something I just don't understand, was why on earth would the producer or conductor cast two mezzo sopranos as the sisters. As much as I love Cecila Bartoli's Rosina and Cenerentola, she is no Fiordiligi. She was much too low range for her, although her coloratura is gorgous. The one that played Dorabella sang well, but she seemed to have an even lower range than Baroli. It just didn't seem right to me. They were very pleasant to hear, but definatly not good for the dramatic effect. Agnes Baltsa's Despina was pure joy see both see and listen to.

It is strange that the conductor would choose such an extremely slow tempo. It made the drama go with incrediblely short steps. It seemed to go on forever. And it made the opera almost boring to see, interupted by occational comic touches here and there. Neither Mozart's nor Da Ponte's humor made it through for me. I lated bought the Gardiner version on DVD and that was something else. All six singers were exceptional, the conducting was crisp, well timed and made the opera a joy to see. This one was very boring by comparsion.