Così fan tutte

In Così fan tutte, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte push the emotional excess, intricate plot, and bittersweet moments of romantic comedy to the extreme. The lovers are forced not only to confront the hidden sides of one another but also to question their own feelings; they cannot escape unscathed from the game orchestrated by Alfonso and Despina. In Kriszta Székely’s production, the uncertainty of modern identity and relationships comes to the fore through a detailed exploration of comic and dramatic situations and character arcs. Layers of illusion and misdirection surround the characters, who move within an overflowing virtual world of beauty and dreamlike imagery where the only certainty is uncertainty.

Act I

Ferrando and Guglielmo are friends, each in love with one of two sisters. Alfonso, older, more experienced, and more disillusioned, warns them not to trust women’s fidelity. The two friends disagree: they are convinced that their fiancées, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, would never betray them. In the heat of the argument, Alfonso proposes a wager: within twenty-four hours, he will prove that Fiordiligi and Dorabella are just as unfaithful as any other women. The friends accept the challenge.

Fiordiligi and Dorabella eagerly await seeing Ferrando and Guglielmo again. Alfonso informs them that their lovers have been called to military service and must leave immediately. The sisters bid a desperate farewell to the two men, who, following Alfonso’s plan, pretend to depart for war.

Left alone, the sisters give themselves over to lovesick sorrow. The cunning Despina cannot console them; instead, she lectures them that faithful men do not exist and suggests they quickly find new lovers.

Alfonso enlists Despina’s help, asking her to assist two “strangers” in getting close to Fiordiligi and Dorabella. Despina promptly arranges matters, and the two attractive suitors appear, showering the women with declarations of love. Fiordiligi firmly rejects them, offering convincing proof of female fidelity. Ferrando and Guglielmo believe they have already won the bet, but Despina comes to Alfonso’s aid with a new idea.

The two “strangers” pretend to poison themselves in despair over rejection, which deeply affects the sisters. Disguised as a doctor, Despina revives the “dying” men, who then resume their pursuit of Fiordiligi and Dorabella.

 Act II

The next day, Despina continues instructing Fiordiligi and Dorabella on how confident women behave. Her words take effect: Dorabella confesses to her sister that she is attracted to one of the strangers (in reality Guglielmo, Fiordiligi’s partner), and they agree that a little flirtation can do no harm. When the two men arrive, Dorabella yields, while Fiordiligi still struggles against her desires.

Ferrando reacts with jealous anger but refuses to abandon the wager. Despina praises Dorabella for her actions. Fiordiligi, confused by her emotions, eventually also gives in to temptation, falling for the other “stranger” (in reality Ferrando, Dorabella’s partner). Now Guglielmo, too, feels the pain of the game. Alfonso coolly reminds the two wounded lovers of his earlier claim: all women behave this way.

Events spiral beyond control as the sisters prepare for a double wedding with the strangers. But just before signing the marriage contracts, Ferrando and Guglielmo suddenly “return.” Alfonso reveals the truth and urges the shocked sisters to reconcile with their disappointed lovers. The two couples thus face a shared although somewhat uncertain future happiness.