Così fan tutte: Brilliance or Buffoonery?
Hardly any opera has endured more scrutiny and self-preserving apology than Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Flagrant opposition and a long string of “rescue” attempts shroud the receptive history of the work. Since its premiere, Così fan tutte has long been recognized as a problem opera. Many critics found...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Music and Worship
2011-12-01
|
| Series: | Musical Offerings |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/musicalofferings/vol2/iss2/1/ |
| _version_ | 1819118450580127744 |
|---|---|
| author | Sarah Whitfield |
| author_facet | Sarah Whitfield |
| author_sort | Sarah Whitfield |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Hardly any opera has endured more scrutiny and self-preserving apology than Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Flagrant opposition and a long string of “rescue” attempts shroud the receptive history of the work. Since its premiere, Così fan tutte has long been recognized as a problem opera. Many critics found it implausible that Mozart—the consummate composer and man that warranted their idolization—could have stooped so low as to agree to such an immoral plot. The great beauty in Mozart’s musical parody is that it at once mocks and transforms the supposed superficial experiment of Lorenzo Da Ponte’s libretto. The parody in Così fan tutte must be correctly interpreted. It is rampant, but it exists for much more than a perfunctory laugh. The beauty of Mozart’s music—in both moments of wild parody and heartfelt emotion—succeeds in giving Così fan tutte a depth that is both challenging and transforming. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T05:49:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bbe87690b1fe4456b230e32e6cfb24ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2330-8206 2167-3799 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T05:49:04Z |
| publishDate | 2011-12-01 |
| publisher | Department of Music and Worship |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Musical Offerings |
| spelling | doaj.art-bbe87690b1fe4456b230e32e6cfb24ba2022-12-21T18:36:56ZengDepartment of Music and WorshipMusical Offerings2330-82062167-37992011-12-01222332http://dx.doi.org/10.15385/jmo.2011.2.2.1Così fan tutte: Brilliance or Buffoonery?Sarah Whitfield0Cedarville UniversityHardly any opera has endured more scrutiny and self-preserving apology than Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Flagrant opposition and a long string of “rescue” attempts shroud the receptive history of the work. Since its premiere, Così fan tutte has long been recognized as a problem opera. Many critics found it implausible that Mozart—the consummate composer and man that warranted their idolization—could have stooped so low as to agree to such an immoral plot. The great beauty in Mozart’s musical parody is that it at once mocks and transforms the supposed superficial experiment of Lorenzo Da Ponte’s libretto. The parody in Così fan tutte must be correctly interpreted. It is rampant, but it exists for much more than a perfunctory laugh. The beauty of Mozart’s music—in both moments of wild parody and heartfelt emotion—succeeds in giving Così fan tutte a depth that is both challenging and transforming.http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/musicalofferings/vol2/iss2/1/MozartoperaCosi fan tutteOpera |
| spellingShingle | Sarah Whitfield Così fan tutte: Brilliance or Buffoonery? Musical Offerings Mozart opera Cosi fan tutte Opera |
| title | Così fan tutte: Brilliance or Buffoonery? |
| title_full | Così fan tutte: Brilliance or Buffoonery? |
| title_fullStr | Così fan tutte: Brilliance or Buffoonery? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Così fan tutte: Brilliance or Buffoonery? |
| title_short | Così fan tutte: Brilliance or Buffoonery? |
| title_sort | cosi fan tutte brilliance or buffoonery |
| topic | Mozart opera Cosi fan tutte Opera |
| url | http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/musicalofferings/vol2/iss2/1/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sarahwhitfield cosifantuttebrillianceorbuffoonery |