Opera Daily đ¶ â The most beautiful trio that Mozart ever wrote?
This week's Opera Daily features âSoave sia il vento,â a trio from Act 1 of the Italian-language opera CosĂŹ fan tutte
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Mozart wrote his first opera when he was 12 years old and composed 22 operas in his lifetime. He has given us so much incredible material that we could feature a piece of his every week for the next three years and still have parts left over.
Today we are listening to âSoave sia il vento,â a trio from Act 1 of the Italian opera CosĂŹ fan tutte (KOH-zee-fahn-TOOT-eh) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
This piece might be one of the most beautiful trios that Mozart ever wrote.
It is sung by the characters Fiordiligi (soprano), Dorabella (mezzo-soprano), and Don Alfonso (bass).
Renée Fleming, Anne Sofie von Otter, and Michele Pertusi are singing here in a London recording of CosÏ fan tutte from 1994 conducted by Sir Georg Solti.
The subject of loyalty pervades this opera, and its overall meaning is ambiguous and open to various interpretations.
The story begins with two men (Ferrando, tenor and Guglielmo, bass) bragging about their loverâs fidelity. Don Alfonso, a cynical bachelor, mocks their certainty and suggests they bet on it. Determined to prove Don Alfonso wrong, the two men pretend to go off to war, return in disguise, and attempt to seduce the otherâs lover.
This moment comes during Act I when Fiordiligi and Dorabella wish their lovers well as they go off to war.
If you listen closely, at the start of the trio, the strings imitate the sound of the sea. đ
May the wind be gentle,
may the wave(s) be calm,
and may every one of the elements
warmly fulfill our (your) wishes.
Want more?
CosĂŹ fan tutte premiered on January 26, 1790 and when translated is literally âSo do they all,â using the feminine plural (tutte) to indicate women. You will see it translated into English as âWomen are like thatâ or âThatâs what all women do.â
The âvoiceâ required to sing Mozart is often different from the âvoiceâ that sings, letâs say, Verdi. Verdiâs music has a chunkier orchestra than Mozartâs music does. Mozart wrote music to be sung in a smaller theater (under 1,000 seats) with a smaller orchestra, meaning heavier voices like full lyrics or dramatic sopranos often sing Verdiâs music. Many singers can sing both, but the approach to the music can sometimes be very different.
As I have said before, when we featured an aria from Mozartâs The Marriage of Figaro, Mozart is medicine for the voice. If your vocal technique is weak, Mozart reminds you of that while singing! He is sneaky. Mozart may appear âeasyâ to sing, but donât let that fool you - itâs deceptively hard.
The playwright Arthur Miller said, âMozart is happiness before it has gotten defined.â I couldnât agree more. What do you think? Do you have a favorite Mozart opera?
Grateful for your time and ears,
Michele
PS. Missed our last edition? We featured Leontyne Price and Carlo Bergonzi singing the final scene from Aida, âO terra addioâ.
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I do not know which is better, the operas you present to us or your incredible explanations of them week after week. Thank you for such joy.
Thank you so much for this one. I love Mozart, and his operas. It is tinged with a bit of sadness for me though - this was the opera to be performed by our local opera house in the spring of 2020, and I was so excited to see it performed on stage. Needless to say, it didn't happen, and they moved on to other performances when they reopened. Hopefully I will get to see it live sometime soon.