By Michael Pearl
After the triumph of our first two comic operas in 2020 and 2021, this season we continue in light-hearted vein with Mozart’s masterpiece, “Cosí Fan Tutte,” with two performances on February 10 and 11, Friday and Saturday, both at 5pm, at the Teatro Angela Peralta. The score is filled with a cornucopia of wonderful arias, duets, and quartets—the plot is hilariously complicated and encompasses a myriad of uproarious twists and turns.
Put simply, Ferrando and Guglielmo are engaged, respectively, to sisters Dorabella and Fiordiligi. The men’s cynical friend, Don Alfonso, sows seeds of doubt in their minds as to whether the ladies will be faithful to their fiancés. To test their fidelity Don Alfonso persuades the men to tell the girls that they are going off to war, and there is a tearful farewell. With the connivance of the girls’ maid, Despina, the men return pretending to be Albanians and woo the ladies in an attempt to get them to betray their fiancés. Outrageous comedy and confusion abound to delight us.
The two couples are young and beautiful, and our casting reflects this. Ferrando will be sung by Edgar Villalba, an accomplished tenor, who has appeared at the Cervantino Festival in Guanajuato and performed with the Queretaro Philharmonic. Art imitates life and the identity confusion of the opera is reflected in another Edgar, Edgar Gil, singing the part of Guglielmo! Gil is a Mozart specialist and an alumni of the famous Perfectionism in Opera Program.
Fiordiligi will be sung by Akemi Endo, another established Mozartian, whose credits include the roles of Giannetta in Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore,” Sandrina in Mozart’s “La Finta Giardiniera,” and the Queen of the Night in his “Magic Flute.” Dorabella will be performed by Jacinta Barbachano, a soprano well known to San Miguel audiences for her stunning singing and success in the Metropolitan Opera and Opera San Miguel competitions.
Complementing these four main protagonists will be one of Mexico’s great baritones, Jesus Suaste, as the cynical Don Alfonso whose scheming causes all the trouble. Many of you will remember him as an outstanding Dr. Malatesta in our production of “Don Pasquale” last year. Completing the cast is Diana Rojas as the girls’ maid, Despina. Rojas has a wide and varied career that includes playing Fauno in Mozart’s little known, but delightful, opera “Ascanio in Alba.” Rodrigo Garciarroyo once more directs and Maestro Rodrigo Macias will be on the podium again with his outstanding orchestra.
Tickets for the opera are now on sale and for the first time you can now choose your specific seat by booking through our website. The best seats always sell out quickly so I recommend booking as soon as you can online.
Tickets for our renowned Opera Gala Fundraiser on Wednesday, February 8, are also available on our website as are tickets for the Opera Course at the Instituto Allende, February 7 or 9. We offer a VIP package which includes an opera ticket, a Gala invitation, cast party invite, and more. Go to our website, www.promusicasma.org for more information and to purchase any of the above-mentioned tickets.
Opera
Pro Musica Series
Mozart’s “Cosi Fan Tutte”
Fri. and Sat., Feb. 10 and 11, 5pm
Teatro Angela Peralta
Tickets from 300 to 1,200 pesos
