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Mozart Between Musical Genius and Staging Excess

The satellite broadcast of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Così fan tutte, from New York's Metropolitan Opera, at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Auditorium, offered an opportunity to revisit one of the great masterpieces of the operatic repertoire. Yet the experience proved uneven, undermined above all by two factors: technical problems with the sound and a production which, in its attempt to modernise the opera, did not always succeed in preserving its elegance and artistic coherence.

The Sound: An Obstacle to the Musical Experience

Without question, the most disturbing aspect of the broadcast was the audio quality. Despite an apparent improvement in the overall clarity of the sound system, significant equalisation problems remained, with excessive reverberation and an overly harsh reproduction of the upper-mid frequencies, particularly in the 2–6 kHz range.

This is precisely the frequency range that plays a crucial role in defining the clarity, brilliance and expressiveness of voices, especially those of the sopranos and tenor, as well as many of the delicate details in Mozart's orchestration.

The result was an occasionally metallic sound, with voices emerging distorted, almost torn, and deprived of much of their natural tonal richness. The delicacy, transparency and intricate sensitivity that characterise Mozart's musical writing were consequently compromised.

These shortcomings were more than a technical inconvenience: they directly affected the artistic experience. They made it difficult to assess the singers' vocal quality, training, register consistency and individual tonal character. The distinctive colours and musical identities of the characters were, to some extent, obscured by sound reproduction that did neither the work nor its performers justice.

This is a matter worthy of serious consideration, particularly in a cultural institution of such standing. A broadcast of this nature requires carefully calibrated equalisation and sound engineers with sufficiently refined listening skills to preserve the natural quality of the voices and the balance of the orchestra.

The Staging: Modernising Without Distorting

The staging also raised reservations. By relocating the action to 1950s America, the production sought to give the opera a contemporary, distinctly American flavour. However, the accumulation of visual elements and additions to the recitatives created a certain inconsistency with the spirit of the original work.

The inclusion of circus-like elements, a considerably large live boa constrictor, a pair of little people and other unusual figures seemed to favour visual impact and surprise over dramatic subtlety.

References to Manhattan and Coney Island, introduced into the recitatives, further displaced the original atmosphere, while also extending the performance to approximately three hours and forty-five minutes, including the interval.

It is worth remembering that Così fan tutte, with music by Mozart and a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, is a work of extraordinary psychological sophistication. Beneath the apparent lightness of its plot lies a subtle meditation on love, fidelity, the fragility of human feelings and the contradictions of human behaviour.

Its genius lies precisely in the balance between irony, emotion and musical elegance. It needs neither excess to surprise nor visual gimmicks to reveal its depth.

A Vocal Talent Worth Highlighting

Despite the technical limitations that affected the overall assessment of the performers, the South Korean tenor Duke Kim deserves particular mention, having made a distinctly interesting impression.

The emergence of outstanding singers from South Korea has become an increasingly noteworthy phenomenon. Indeed, the discovery of young South Korean vocal talent has also been evident in singing competitions, including the International Singing Competition of Cascais.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the experience left the impression of a partially squandered opportunity. Mozart's timeless genius was undoubtedly present, but its full appreciation was hindered by sound reproduction below the expected standard and by a staging which, at times, seemed to confuse modernity with the accumulation of theatrical effects.

What affected us most was, above all, the inadequacy of the sound. In a work where every vocal and instrumental nuance carries essential expressive meaning, sound quality cannot be treated as a secondary consideration.

Mozart demands transparency, balance, subtlety and precision. Above all, he demands that the music be allowed to breathe.

And that is precisely what a broadcast of this importance should guarantee.

A Metropolitan Opera production at Gulbenkian in live broadcast

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António Lourenço

António Lourenço is an opera and cinema enthusiast whose life has been deeply intertwined with the performing arts, both as a musician and as a devoted observer of the world’s great cultural stages.

He received his lyrical training as a singer at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, where he performed as a tenor with the São Carlos Choir. For more than two decades, he also sang with the Lisboa Cantat Symphonic Choir, dedicating himself especially to the great masterpieces of sacred choral music. Alongside his choral work, he performed solo recitals of Italian opera arias and pursued studies in sight-singing and piano.