Janice Watson, Diana Montague, Lesley Garrett, Toby Spence, Christopher Maltman, Sir Thomas Allen, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Sir Charles Mackerras - Così fan tutte (2008)

Tracklist

01. Overture (Sung in English)
02. Trio. Suspect Dorabella (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
03. Recitative. Swords or pistols (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
04. Trio. Woman's faith Is like a phoenix (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo) [Sung in English]
05. Recitative. A poetical fiction! (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
06. Trio. I shall hire a band of players (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
07. Duet. This portrait alone Is the face of Adonis (Fiordiligi, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
08. Recitative. I can't think what's the matter (Fiordiligi, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
09. Recitative. Here they Are (Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
10. Aria. Let me try. My courage fails (Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
11. Recitative. Tell us, for pity's sake (Fiordiligi, Don Alfonso, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
12. Quintet Courage fails me! For no evasion (Guglielmo, Ferrando, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
13. Recitative. It's a comedy, charming! (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Fiordiligi, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
14. Oh, the soldier's life for me! (Chorus) [Sung in English]
15. Recitative. My friends, the time Is flying (Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo) [Sung in English]
16. Quintet You'll write long letters often (Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Chorus) [Sung in English]
17. Recitative. Are they gone (Dorabella, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi) [Sung in English]
18. Trio. O wind gently blowing (Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
19. Recitative. So far all's going splendidly (Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
20. Recitative. A hell of an existence (Despina) [Sung in English]
21. Recitative. My ladies, here Is your chocolate and biscuits (Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
22. Aria. Cease not, remorseless love (Dorabella) [Sung in English]
23. Recitative. Signora Dorabella, Signora Fiordiligi (Despina, Dorabella, Fiordiligi) [Sung in English]
24. Aria. In lovers and in soldiers (Despina) [Sung in English]
25. Recitative. What a silence! (Don Alfonso, Despina) [Sung in English]
26. Sextet I've the honour to present you (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
27. Recitative. What an outcry! (Don Alfonso, Dorabella, Fiordiligi, Ferrando, Guglielmo) [Sung in English]
28. Aria. Like a fortress in ocean founded (Fiordiligi) [Sung in English]
29. Recitative. Stay, I implore you! (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Dorabella, Fiordiligi) [Sung in English]
30. Aria. O vision so charming (Guglielmo) [Sung in English]
31. Trio. You seem delighted! (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo) [Sung in English]
32. Recitative. When you've quite finished laughing (Don Alfonso, Guglielmo, Ferrando) [Sung in English]
33. Aria. Her eye so alluring (Ferrando) [Sung in English]
34. Finale. Why has fate my life enshrouded (Fiordiligi, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
35. Finale. To die Is all I long for (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Despina) [Sung in English]
36. Finale. Now ladies, calm yourselves (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
37. Recitative. Well, I declare, you Are a funny pair of ladies (Despina, Fiordiligi, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
38. Aria. At fifteen a girl already must be truly wise (Despina) [Sung in English]
39. Recitative. Well, sister! What do you think (Fiordiligi, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
40. Duet. I prefer the gentle dark one (Dorabella, Fiordiligi) [Sung in English]
41. Recitative. Come at once to the garden (Don Alfonso, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
42. Duet and Chorus. Gentle zephyr, softly sighing (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Chorus) [Sung in English]
43. Recitative. What Is This masquerading (Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Despina, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
44. Quartet Now give me your hand (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina) [Sung in English]
45. Recitative. Isn't the weather lovely! (Fiordiligi, Ferrando, Dorabella, Guglielmo) [Sung in English]
46. Duet. This heart That I give you (Guglielmo, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
47. Recitative. Cruel one, would you leave me (Ferrando, Fiordiligi) [Sung in English]
48. Recitative. He's leaving. Listen! … (Fiordiligi) [Sung in English]
49. Rondo. Ah, my love, I pray forgive me (Fiordiligi) [Sung in English]
50. We've done It! (Ferrando, Guglielmo) [Sung in English]
51. Aria. Ladies have such variations (Guglielmo) [Sung in English]
52. Recitative. Ah! My brain Is distracted! (Ferrando) [Sung in English]
53. Cavatina. Her treason Is poison (Ferrando) [Sung in English]
54. Recitative. Now at least you Are acting as a sane woman should (Despina, Dorabella, Fiordiligi) [Sung in English]
55. Aria. Young love Is unrelenting (Dorabella) [Sung in English]
56. Recitative. All the world Is conspiring (Fiordiligi, Guglielmo, Despina, Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
57. Duet. All too slowly the hours Are fleeting (Fiordiligi, Ferrando) [Sung in English]
58. Recitative. That's enough for me! (Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Ferrando) [Sung in English]
59. Aria. Man accuses the woman (Don Alfonso, Ferrando, Guglielmo) [Sung in English]
60. Recitative. Well, gentlemen, you've won them (Despina, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
61. Finale. Come, my friends, no more delaying (Despina, Chorus, Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]
62. Finale. May the love, That has united them (Chorus, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Fiordiligi, Dorabella) [Sung in English]
63. Finale. Happy lovers! Fate conniving (Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Despina, Chorus) [Sung in English]
64. Finale. Joy once more now our sorrow replaces (Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso, Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Despina) [Sung in English]
65. Finale. Happy Is the man who calmly takes life strictly as he finds It (Fiordiligi, Dorabella, Despina, Ferrando, Guglielmo, Don Alfonso) [Sung in English]


Così fan tutte is Mozart’s third opera to a Da Ponte libretto. It is in opera buffa style and has only six characters, two couples and an elderly philosopher and a trusted maid. In this recording Lesley Garrett sings the part of the maid, Despina, and the celebrated veteran Sir Thomas Allen the philosopher, Don Alfonso. Despite the somewhat cynical storyline this opera contains some of Mozart’s most memorable and sublime music.

The conductor, Sir Charles Mackerras, has spent many years researching performance practice of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and is a noted authority on Mozart’s operas. He writes of this recording, ‘it is indeed a

pleasure having the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment lending its expertise in tonal colour, phrasing and rhythmic impulse to Mozart’s wonderful score… I have chosen to record this English version of Così fan tutte with

the traditional cuts, thus making it closer to a staged performance’. The English translation, by the Rev. Browne, was first used in London at a performance conducted by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford in 1890.

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