Review on Opera Magazine of “Cosi fan tutte” in Warsaw conducted by Yaroslav Shemet
"The Teatr Wielki debut of the 28-year-old Ukrainian-born conductor Yaroslav Shemet was a much-anticipated event. Shemet made his name in Katowice, where he quickly transformed the Silesian Philharmonic into a first-rate orchestra. Many people go there on a regular basis for his symphonic concerts and these musical pilgrims were keenly awaiting his “Così fan tutte” in Warsaw (seen on March 15). They were not disappointed.
Shemet brought vigour and that much-desired quality of sparkling wine to the orchestral playing. He had a good cast, with the characterful pairing of Aleksandra Orłowska (Fiordiligi) and Zuzanna Nalewajek (Dorabella), a tender Guglielmo (Hubert Zapiór) and a thrilling Ferrando (Pavlo Tolstoy, who joined the production at the very last minute). The cynical Don Alfonso was well sung by Artur Janda, but it was Anna Malesza-Kutny’s Despina who stole the show with her vocal acrobatics and an unexpected, brilliant solo on the violin.
The production (directed by Wojciech Faruga, with sets, costumes and lighting designed by Katarzyna Borkowska) was a ‘new old-fashioned’ attempt to emulate the German Regietheater of the 1990s. Despina was married to Don Alfonso and the action took place at the time of the Vietnam war. Efforts were made to address important issues of today such as climate change, post-colonialism and sexual harassment. Ferrando and Guglielmo as American soldiers in uniform were presented as evil incarnate.
With the Russian aggression bringing thousands of casualties only a few hundred kilometres east of Warsaw, this production felt strangely out of touch with reality. By trying to express a great many things at the same time it ended up saying nothing very much at all.
