Lyric Opera 2025-2026 Issue 9 - Così fan tutte

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 18 Both Cynical and Heartfelt: The Enigma of Così fan tutte The libretto of this masterpiece has proved troublesome. Mozart’s psychological insights, however, transcend the challenging plot, and illuminate enduring truths. F irst performed on January 26, 1790, at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Così fan tutte , “Thus Do All Women” (subtitled “The School for Lovers”), was initially well received, but had only five performances during Mozart’s lifetime, on account of the death of the emperor Joseph II only a month later, and the ensuing mourning period. (Mozart would die less than two years later, on December 5, 1791.) During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the opera endured a long eclipse, being considered offensive and immoral. Sometimes, loving the music, people attempted to provide it with a totally different libretto: in one version, the replacement text was that of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labours Lost in French! Now, however, the opera is always in the top 20 of most-performed operas worldwide, ranking slightly below The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro , and Don Giovanni . The beauty of its music has won the hearts of audiences. Producers, critics, and audiences, however, continue to find Così a deeply problematic work. The great critic Joseph Kerman goes so far as to write, “Even the most devout Mozartian will have to admit that there is something unsatisfactory about Così ” — which he calls Photo by Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera By Martha C. Nussbaum ras rtian will have to admit that there is