Cosi fan tutte - Mythic characters, implausible plots, and the art of being watched with stage director R.B. Schlather
07/12/19 • 38 min
What makes the seemingly ridiculous plot of Così fan tutte such a compelling study of the duality of human nature that we revisit time and again?
How do we understand the play of gender norms and societal pressure through a contemporary lens?
And what's a director to do about a plot point that revolves around mustaches?
R.B. Schlather is one of the most creative and exciting new opera directors on the scene in America, with a strong emphasis on the visual aspect of performance. He recently he made a huge splash with a production of The Mother of Us All by Virgil Thomson at the Hudson Opera House in upstate New York, which was named as one of the 10 best opera performances of 2017 by the New York Times.
R.B. makes his Santa Fe Opera directorial debut with our new production of Così fan tutte, Mozart’s and Da Ponte’s final collaboration (after Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro), which has delighted and confounded viewers ever since its 1790 premiere in Vienna.
Find out why Cosi is one of Cori's "desert island operas" and how R.B. had to come around to it eventually.
Follow R.B. a thttps://www.rbschlather.com on Instagram @r_b_schlather.
***
Cosi fan tutte runs at the Santa Fe Opera July 13 - August 22, 2019.
Learn more and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.
We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @santafeopera.
***
Beyond the Opera is produced for the Santa Fe Opera by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.
Our audio engineer is Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe.
Our hosts are dramaturg Cori Ellison and Kathleen Clawson, associate director of the Santa Fe Opera apprentice singer program.
What makes the seemingly ridiculous plot of Così fan tutte such a compelling study of the duality of human nature that we revisit time and again?
How do we understand the play of gender norms and societal pressure through a contemporary lens?
And what's a director to do about a plot point that revolves around mustaches?
R.B. Schlather is one of the most creative and exciting new opera directors on the scene in America, with a strong emphasis on the visual aspect of performance. He recently he made a huge splash with a production of The Mother of Us All by Virgil Thomson at the Hudson Opera House in upstate New York, which was named as one of the 10 best opera performances of 2017 by the New York Times.
R.B. makes his Santa Fe Opera directorial debut with our new production of Così fan tutte, Mozart’s and Da Ponte’s final collaboration (after Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro), which has delighted and confounded viewers ever since its 1790 premiere in Vienna.
Find out why Cosi is one of Cori's "desert island operas" and how R.B. had to come around to it eventually.
Follow R.B. a thttps://www.rbschlather.com on Instagram @r_b_schlather.
***
Cosi fan tutte runs at the Santa Fe Opera July 13 - August 22, 2019.
Learn more and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.
We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @santafeopera.
***
Beyond the Opera is produced for the Santa Fe Opera by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.
Our audio engineer is Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe.
Our hosts are dramaturg Cori Ellison and Kathleen Clawson, associate director of the Santa Fe Opera apprentice singer program.
Previous Episode
The Pearl Fishers - Strong Women's Roles in Opera with director Shawna Lucey & soprano Corinne Winters
A conversation from the "feminine perspective" about the often underestimated opera by Georges Bizet, The Pearl Fishers, reveals insights into key themes of power dynamics, the intrinsic conflict of character Leïla, and what it means to be a leader in this day and age.
Director Shawna Lucey, soprano Corinne Winters, and host Kathleen Clawson give us a fresh take on the 2019 revival of our stunning 2012 production, which was called “The best of this summer’s season,” by The Wall Street Journal.
They also offer advice for opera newcomers and veterans alike to get the richest possible experience during your visit.
Follow Shawna at https://www.shawnalucey.com, on Instagram @29flames, and on Twitter @shawna_lucey.
Follow Corinne at http://corinnewinters.com, on Facebook @cmwsoprano, and on Instagram @cmwsoprano.
***
The Pearl Fishers runs at the Santa Fe Opera June 29 - August 23, 2019.
Learn more and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.
We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @santafeopera.
***
Beyond the Opera is produced for the Santa Fe Opera by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.
Our audio engineer is Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe.
Our hosts are dramaturg Cori Ellison and Kathleen Clawson, associate director of the Santa Fe Opera apprentice singer program.
Next Episode
Jenufa - Preparing for new roles and the evolution of a career with singing actress Patricia Racette
All eyes in the village are on Jenufa. Her fiancé sees only a trophy wife. Her rejected suitor sees a chance to avenge the most cutting wrongs in his past. Her righteous stepmother sees her own life’s tragedy about to play out again for her child. The results are two unspeakable crimes which lead to the opera’s true theme—that the wounds of troubled lives can be assuaged through acceptance, forgiveness, and hope.
Patricia Racette returns to the Santa Fe Opera for her 10th role on our stage in this production of Jenufa by Leos Janáček, staged by David Alden. Having performed the role of Jenufa many, many times, Patricia now takes on the role of the stepmother, Kostelnicka.
Cori and Patricia talk about what it's like to prepare for a new character in an opera she knows so well; her career expansion from ingenue to more mature, dramatic roles; her passion for coaching young singers; a return to her musical theatre roots; and the answer to the burning question on all Santa Feans' minds -- red or green?
Follow Patricia at http://patriciaracette.com on Twitter @patriciaracette and on Facebook @divapatriciaracette.
***
Jenufa runs at the Santa Fe Opera July 20 - August 15, 2019.
Learn more and plan your visit at http://www.santafeopera.org.
We'd love for you to join us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @santafeopera.
***
Beyond the Opera is produced for the Santa Fe Opera by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.
Our audio engineer is Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe.
Our hosts are dramaturg Cori Ellison and Kathleen Clawson, associate director of the Santa Fe Opera apprentice singer program.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/destination-santa-fe-opera-138884/cosi-fan-tutte-mythic-characters-implausible-plots-and-the-art-of-bein-6784644"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to cosi fan tutte - mythic characters, implausible plots, and the art of being watched with stage director r.b. schlather on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy