Germany Mozart, Così fan tutte: Soloists and Chorus of Hamburg State Opera, Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra / Alexander Joel (conductor). Hamburg State Opera, 22.6.2025. (DM-D)
Production:
Director and Set designer – Herbert Fritsch
Revival Director – Sascha-Alexander Todtner
Costumes – Victoria Behr
Lighting – Carsten Sander
Dramaturg – Johannes Blum
Chorus director – Christian Günther
Continuo – Rupert Burleigh
Cast:
Fiordiligi – Jennifer Davis
Dorabella – Jana Kurucová
Despina – Siobhan Stagg
Ferrando – Dovlet Nurgeldiyev
Guglielmo – Nicholas Mogg
Don Alfonso – Tigran Martirossian
The overarching concept of this revival of the 2018 production was: fun. Da Ponte and Mozart must have had great fun themselves creating the opera, and the same would seem to be true for the entire team at work on this production and performance. Against the background of a highly improbable plot, deep insights about human nature were foregrounded – at least temporarily. The production ended as cheerfully as it began, a visual and auditory feast.
The set consisted of a space demarcated by side and back walls as well as a full-size ceiling, from which hung a large ceiling lamp. The floor was covered with large boulders in all kinds of irregular shapes. The walls were level, their angles against each other shifted frequently, as did the ceiling in relation to the walls. Carsten Sander’s lighting design was most imaginative, especially in terms of colour. Each of the walls, the entire floor or individual (groups of) boulders, the ceiling and the lamp served as projection fields for ever-changing colours, some in glaring neon shades, some in more gentle watercolour modes, often with slow cross-fades, sometimes with sudden shifts. The surfaces of the walls and the ceiling had optional mirror effects in relation to the light, adding to the multi-facetted effects. The costumes were timeless, referencing several historical and contemporary modes of fashion, always jolly and equally rich in colours. When Guglielmo and Ferrando appeared in disguise, for example, they looked like somebody’s take on the yeti.
The cast had great fun too with their roles, both acting and singing. Jennifer Davis was excellent as Fiordiligi, her voice full-bodied and ringing but very agile at the same time. Jana Kurucová contrasted well in vocal quality, with richly velvety lower register and secure high range. Siobhan Stagg was a delightful Despina, moulding her lyrical coloratura soprano imaginatively for the role of the doctor. Nicholas Mogg (Guglielmo), Dovlet Nurgeldiyev (Ferrando) and Tigran Martirossian (Don Alfonso) are ensemble members at Hamburg State Opera. They were completely on a par with the guest artists employed for the other roles, which demonstrates the high level of artistry maintained within the resident company. Mogg impressed with his precisely focused, sonorous baritone. Nurgeldiyev already sang Ferrando during the premiere season in 2018. His tenor is very well suited to the role, light, agile, lyrical yet with a burnished core. Martirossian’s singing has all the hallmarks of basso cantante, light yet sonorous, thus contrasting well with Mogg’s voice.
The orchestra under the baton of Alexander Joel joined in and enhanced the overall enjoyment! Joel succeeded in considering and foregrounding certain nuances of the score which allowed for some appropriate respite from the frenzied pace of music and action.
Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe
Featured Image: Hamburg State Opera’s Così fan tutte (2018 cast)