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A dramma giacoso (happy drama) in two acts, sung in Italian with a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. The first performance took place at the Burgtheater in Vienna on January 26, 1790. Based on a story that is probably true, Mozart and his librettist Da Ponte drew their inspiration from many sources, including Neapolitan opera buffa.

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Lighthearted characters, risqué plots, the games of love, fidelity, and pretense are the themes of Così fan tutte, halfway between drama and comedy. The music accompanies the plot with finesse and subtly follows the performers, reserving virtuoso arias for them. A brilliant comedy that places the composer at the height of his art.

STORY

An old bachelor and philosopher, Don Alfonso, makes a bet with two young officers (Ferrando and Guglielmo) about the fidelity of their fiancées. With the help of the maid of the two young women, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, he sets a trap. Taking advantage of their supposed absence, the two lovers arrive in disguise and each courts the other's fiancée, putting them to the test. The two young women give in more or less easily. So do all women! But it all ends in reconciliation and two weddings, with the bitter taste of illusions definitively lost...

MAIN CHARACTERS

• FIORDILIGI: Lady from Ferrara living in Naples (soprano)
• DORABELLA: Lady from Ferrara living in Naples, sister of Fiordiligi (soprano)
• GUGLIELMO: Fiordiligi's lover (baritone)
• FERRANDO: Dorabella's lover (tenor)
• DESPINA: Chambermaid (soprano)
• DON ALFONSO: Old philosopher (bass)