Evening star., 1955-01-13

symphony Orchestra. Paul Galway,
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The Cast
Fiordiligi 80 Phyllis Curtin, soprano
Roraheila Jsns HoSson. ,Sso Drsno soDrsno
Fernando ----- David Lloyd, tenor
Guglielmo Mae MorgAn. baritone
Don Alfonso Kenneth smith. bass
Washington Chamber Chorus
It was a triumph for every
body concerned-for conductor.
director, soloists. chorus and the
National Symphony. Also. it
seemed to please the Washington
concert-goer. who would have
to think far back to recall a
better performance of opera here
than was given Mozart's "Cosi
fan lutte" to capacity audience
in Constitution Hall last night.
The spirit and vitality of the
music, the ilear-perfection of the
ensemble singing, the great point
and communicativeness of the
acting and the skill and unob-
trusive strengthening of the
musical score by the stage di-
rection-all we're responsible for
the perfect recreation of music
which. if 1t moves is scarcely
equaled by any other, but which,
If done carelessly or without
conviction. is hopeless, for "Cosi
fan lutte" has only small pre-
conditioned claque.
1t would be an exaggeration to
say the performance was a sub
stitute for everything Washing
ton is missing by not having an
opera house and a full season Of
opera. Mozart's "Cosi fan lutte"
is well suited to the highly imag-
NATIVE, unrealistic. stylized stage
representation it was given, as
austere in the matter of props
and scenery as a Shakespearean
show in Elizabethan times.
The opulent glamour of a fully
equipped opera house would be
necessary for many shows in a
well-rounded repertoire, but in
last nights production director,
conductor, cast and orchestra
worked together in substituting
unvarnished artistry for the
theatrical luxuries that can be
bought with money. The result
was to make real what many
people consider the most intoxi-
eating and satisfying form of
theatrical entertainment.
Far From Austere.
Although it was played with
only a few couches and stools for
stage properties. and nothing
more than a screen for scenery,
''Cosi fan lutte" was far from
austere. There is. probably no
opera orchestra in the world that
could match the. National SYM
phony's performance of Mozart's
now sensuous, now brilliant
score. Under Paul Callaway's
leadership, the elegant and
effervescent tunes, the ever new
and infectious. almost tangible.
orchestral felicities of Mozart,
and above all the unfiagging, in
cessant drive of the music were
brought to life no less magically
than we're the story's young
lovers by Despina's magnet.
In every Mozart opera, and
particularly in "Cosi fan lutte"
it is the quality of the singing
above all the ensemble singing
that establishes the success of
the production. There is no song
anywhere quite SO transparent
and so complicated. so expansive
and yet so exact, as the song of
Mozart opera.
In. addition, "Cosi" is unique
among Mozart's operas in that
each of the six roles is Of equal
musical and dramatic impor-
tance. The opera must be cast
like a sextet of chamber music
each musician must be both
f1rst-class soloist and unobtru-
sive but perfect ensemble singer.
Fill Specifications.
Each of the six singers last
night filled these specifications.
All were vocally very good. each
had the musical individuality
and adaptability to appropriate
me-down roles that had
been tailor made by the COM
poser for specific singers, and
together they could operate as
a precise yet colorful team. To
specify remarkable qualities of
one or another is to run the.
risk of emphasizing what was Of
far less Importance than the true
glory of the cast--its overall
musicality and its exceptional
teamwork.
Barbara Gibson has the per-
feet type of voice for the Mo-
zart soubrette-light. racy, ac-
curate. 1t moves from one note
to the next without effort and
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