Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music and the Department of Drama, Theatre and Dance debuted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte” on April 7.
The event took place in the Goldstein Theatre where students, friends and family of the QC community gathered together to watch the opera.
“Così Fan Tutte” first premiered on Jan. 26, 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto, the text of the opera, is by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It is based on the theory that all women are fickle.
Mozart’s “Così Fan Tutte” brought inspiration, lessons and enjoyment. The opera is based off of the beliefs of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The principles featured in “Così Fan Tutte” revolve around topics such as tenderness in relationships and love. Mozart reminds the audience that relationships with loved ones are fragile and essential. People can become vulnerable when it comes to love, since it has the power to consume them.
The Italian opera was composed of two acts. Act I was primarily composed of the introduction of the characters and setup of the story. It begins with Guglielmo and Ferrando caught in a quarrel with their friend Don Alfonso about the fidelity of their fiancées, two sisters.
Don Alfonso bets the two men that all women are fickle and their fiancées are no exception. Guglielmo and Ferrando hatch a plan to put the faithfulness of their girlfriends to the test by creating disguises for themselves and wooing their fiancées while pretending to be other men.
Act II features the plan in full effect. Despina, the maid, educates the sisters on a liberated view of love. This only adds to the women’s conflicted feelings.
Katherin Bolanos, a senior media studies major, encourages everyone to attend operas at the school.
“I thought the plot was extremely satisfying. This is the first time I’ve ever been to an opera, I’m glad it was this one. It was entertaining in so many versatile ways. This is definitely encouraging me to see performances at school more often,” she said.
The energy of the opera was dispersed throughout the theater. The emotions the actors projected affected the emotions of the audience whether it was laughter, frustration or sympathy.
Brittany Nieves, a sophomore early education and English major, felt the emotion from the opera as well as the energy from the audience.
“The acting skills of the cast were remarkable. I felt how they felt. I’m sure the audience did too. I was looking around the theater and the facial expressions were priceless. Everyone was so intrigued by the opera. I felt as if I was actually there. I’m interested in music so this was a personal experience for me, too. It inspired me to become open to a whole other genre of music,” she said.
Lauren Solano, a junior media studies major, connected lessons from the opera to her real life.
“I felt a personal connection amongst the two characters. I’ve learned that love doesn’t have to mean anything; it can be based on how you feel. I personally believe that it can be a weakness as well as a strength,” she said.