Sarasota Opera's 'Così fan tutte' sparkles with wit and warmth

Sarasota Opera opened its fall season Oct. 31 with a spirited and finely balanced "Così fan tutte," conducted by Victor DeRenzi and directed by Stephanie Sundine. Mozart’s comedy of fidelity— a farce that has endured — proved both witty and deeply human.

The instigator of the intrigue is the sly philosopher Don Alfonso (Jake Stamatis), whose wager on the women’s constancy drives the plot. His appealing well-grounded voice, slick persuasion and unflappable confidence anchored the chaos he cynically unleashes.

The sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, sung by Hanna Brammer and Olivia Vote, shared a felicitous blend of tone and an authentic sisterly rapport. Portraying their love and undying fidelity to Guglielmo and Ferrando with conviction, they each commanded their characters with a sure voice suited to their role.

Their strapping fiancés were portrayed by tenor Luke Norvell (Ferrando) and baritone Filippo Fontana (Guglielmo). Not only were their voices easily up to the demands of Mozart’s score, their acting and comedic senses convinced the audience of their ardent desire, initially as soldiers and later when seen in disguise.

First the young men are sent off to battle, or so they say, but then they reappear in outrageous fashion. The women are too distraught to say goodbye to their betrothed, but manage to sing an exquisitely tender trio with Don Alfonso, “Soave sia il vento” (“May the wind be gentle”). 

Brammer’s soprano floated effortlessly above Vote’s warm mezzo. Here and in other early ensemble pairings we could feel the singers settle into the pace of the music, after a momentary wobble. Surely only an opening night issue.

Almost immediately the men return as flamboyant “Turks,” and the farce charges into full bloom as they maneuver to win over the two sisters.

The highlights included Norvell’s “Un’aura amorosa” (“A loving breath will give sweet relief”), sung with soft edges and supple phrasing. It was so well shaped it invited the listener to close one’s eyes and simply breathe with the line.

Fontana’s Guglielmo paired attractively with Vote’s more impulsive Dorabella, his lyric baritone both charming and sincere. Vote’s voice is the more earthy of the two ladies, but she has an equal flexibility for coloratura.

At the comic center, Virginia Mims was a delight as Despina, the clever maid with a mischievous glint and bright, agile soprano. She earned the evening’s biggest laugh when disguised as a quack doctor wielding a giant “Mesmer’s stone," she proceeded to cure the Turks of their fake poisoning.

All of this and more in Act I left Act II lacking intense action and energy. Still, watching Mim’s Despina push the sisters to live a little more recklessly was delightful.

After Dorabella succumbs first, Brammer’s more steadfast Fiordiligi serves as an emotional anchor. True, but still torn, her “Per pietà, ben mio, perdona” revealed a tortured heart and an agile voice that filled the Opera House with gleaming intensity not long before she surrenders.

There was disappointment then rueful acceptance as both men and women faced their regrets. But in the final sextet, as deception melts into forgiveness, the ensemble’s unity captured Mozart’s timeless balance of wit, tenderness and truth.

Under DeRenzi’s direction, the Sarasota Orchestra played with warmth and precision, and Sundine’s staging kept the humor brisk but humane. 

Nearly always delivering perfection was the production team: David Gordon (set design), Howard Tsvi Kaplan (costumes), Ken Yunker (lighting) and Sue Schaefer (hair and makeup).

"Così fan tutte" at Sarasota Opera glowed with musical polish and a generous spirit, with Mozart’s laughter shining through every phrase.