Mozart - Cosi Fan Tutte / Muti, Dessi, Ziegler, Teatro alla Scala
This is an opera about true and false feelings, emotional manipulation, and the striking of poses and attitudes by people who are "emotionally correct" the way many individuals and institutions today are politically correct. As the opera progresses, the attitudes of the two romantic heroes and their fiancées are gradually undermined, but they begin by saying and doing exactly what is expected of them, with results that are musically beguiling and, at the same time, very funny. In Act II, the  emotion becomes real: the characters who were like puppets begin to shed true tears, and the comedy deepens into a serious statement about human fragility and the need to tolerate one another's weaknesses. These points are well made in a performance that is musically and theatrically polished, with particularly fine ensemble singing. There are six solo singers inCosi; all the roles have approximately the same importance but in this production, as in many others, the spotlight is often stolen by the maid Despina. Adelina Scarabelli is so good in the role that you wish her performances weren't so rare.--Joe McLellan