Mozart: Cosi Fan Tutte Opera in English - Perfect for Classical Music Lovers & Theater Performances

SOURCE:Studio recording made in June 1952 at the Columbia 30th Street Studio in New York City and originally released by Columbia Records in 1952.SOUND:Good early 1950s mono from the period just before the wide-spread introduction of stereo recording. As was usual at the time, the voices were well-captured and placed well forward (as I personally prefer them to be), but the orchestra sounds a bit compressed and boxy by digital-era standards. The chorus is distant and slightly mushy. On the whole, the sound is perfectly acceptable if heard with good will.CAST:Fiordiligi, a wealthy and proper(?) young lady, sister of Dorabella - Eleanor Steber (soprano)Dorabella, a wealthy and proper(?) young lady, sister of Fiordiligi - Blanche Thebom (mezzo-soprano)Ferrando, a young man in love with love and foolish wagers - Richard Tucker (tenor)Guglielmo, a young man in love with love and foolish wagers - Frank Guarrera (baritone)Don Alfonso, an older friend(?) to the four young lovers, much given to cynicism and treacheries - Lorenzo Alvary (bass-baritone)Despina, maid to Fiordiligi and Dorabella and not averse to making a profit by posing as a doctor and a notary - Roberta Peters (soprano)CONDUCTOR:Fritz Stiedry, with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, with piano continuo for the dry recitatives by Josef Blatt.COMMENTARY:When Rudolf Bing came unexpectedly (even for him) to take over the Metropolitan Opera in New York, he set out to provide some box office hits to start off his tenure with a bang. He was successful from the start with a new production of "Die Fledermaus" (for which he had unsuccessfully attempted to snare no less formidable comedian than Charlie Chaplin) and then in the 1951-52 season with "Così fan tutte." Both productions were in brand new English translations.The original stage cast was the same as on this recording, save for Partice Munsel as Despina and John Brownlee as Don Alfonso. Patrice Munsel is perhaps no great loss, but it is regrettable that Australian John Browlee was replaced by Alvary, whose native Hungarian accent tends to separate him from the other singers to no good purpose.The translation is by the team of Ruth and Thomas Martin and it's a pretty good one. The Martins were quite skillful in converting Italian libretti into mid-20th Century American idiom. The translation sings well and sounds well, falling into overblown staginess only occasionally when adhering especially faithfully to the original text.I had been aware of this production for many years but had never heard it. Frankly, I was steered away the thought of Richard Tucker--of all unlikely people in the world!--doing Mozart. At last, though, I stumbled upon a used copy at such small price that I couldn't pass it up. Imagine my surprise to discover that Tucker--Tucker!!--was not only capable of singing Mozart, but pretty good at it. Oh, along with the rest of the cast, he avoided the vocal decorations we now consider to be essential. But fashions change, and he was true to his era. The great, loud, ultra-emotionalism of the tenor we all know was effectively restrained and Mozart was well-served--by Richard Tucker!!!Equally good, but far less surprisingly so, is the always excellent Eleanor Steber as Fiordiligi. Few sopranos can be equally effective as Fiordiligi and Madama Butterfly, but Steber was certainly among their number.Blanche Thebom and Frank Guarerra were long-time stalwarts of the Met. They are fine here, but definitely put in the shade by their colleagues Steber and Tucker.Roberta Peters turns in a sound performance as Despina, no complaints there, but she seems over-restrained compared to other famous practitioners of the part.Alvary, Hungarian accent aside, is good as Don Alfonso. As a matter of personal taste, while I'd prefer a characterization with more snarl and bite, his pseudo-amiability is a perfectly valid approach to the role. And, as is true of each of the principal singers of the cast, his English diction is amazingly understandable from beginning to end.Overall, this is pleasing English version of Mozart's very lovely and even more cynical opera, sung by a cast that I, for one, would not associate with that composer. In strictly operatic terms, it is overshadowed by a number of Italian-language productions. As a piece of theater, on the other hand, particularly for speakers of American English, it can only be described as a triumph. That rascal Bing knew his business.This is a five-star theatrical performance in a highly idiosyncratic version of Mozart's brilliant opera, reduced by one star for its dated sonics.LEC/Am Us/Am UK/12-2010