The superlative quality of Così fan tutte enabled it to withstand numerous contemporary obstacles (1790): the financial restrictions at the Viennese court which compelled Mozart to make cutbacks; his own personal problems; the death of Emperor Josef II, which interrupted the run for six months a few days after the premiere; and the alleged immorality of the plot, which deals with women’s infidelity (the entire sex being targeted by the provocative title “So do they all”). Now Damiano Micheletto transfers the action to an ultramodern hotel, with a cynical and solitary landlord (Don Alfonso), a maid (Despina), and four guests (Dorabella, Fiordiligi, Guglielmo and Ferrando). Instead of a pleasant holiday, the latter have experiences that will leave them all scarred when, by wagering on the fidelity of their respective partners, they create a series of hilarious entanglements that amount to genuine social satire.

Così fan tutte

Opera buffa in two acts. Original libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte inspired in texts by Boccaccio, Shakespeare and Cervantes. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Premiered on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna. First Barcelona performance at the Teatre de la Santa Creu on 4 November 1798. First seen at the Gran Teatre del Liceu on 4 January 1930. Last staged at the Liceu on 30 January 2004.

Conductor
Josep Pons

Stage Direction
Damiano Michieletto

Scenography
Paolo Fantin

Costumes
Carla Teti

Lighting
Fabio Barettin

Production
Teatro La Fenice (Venice)

Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Gran Teatre del Liceu