Be aware, dear people, that an ROH production of Cosi fan Tutte is due to be broadcast to a cinema near you on 17th October at 6.30pm.
http://www.roh.org.uk/productions/cosi-fan-tutte-by-jan-philipp-gloger?gclid=Cj0KEQjwsai_BRC30KH347fjksoBEiQAoiaqsVBE2TGxAEpV8hB81yhuDKD6DKZOzvvpDU7N-RVsuRkaAr3t8P8HAQ
Well, Mrs. Wow and I went to the Maidstone Odeon to witness this event. The singing was wonderful and the music utterly sublime, as we knew it would be, but the trivially stupid plot was taken more seriously than on the previous two occasions that I've watched it, and Mrs. Wow came out feeling angry.
The plot is that the blokes from two sets of lovers get involved in a bet with another older guy that, with the blokes' co-operation, within 24 hours the two women will have been unfaithful. This is achieved by the ploy of the two guys telling their lovers that they have suddenly been called up to fight in a war, and then they return in disguise and each homes in on his friend's lover. Of course, the older guy wins the bet. Normally, I think directors are sensible enough just to concentrate on the music, but in tonight's performance the two women ended up feeling very guilty and the blokes were angry with them for their infidelity. There was quite a bit of background and behind the scenes stuff (we were in the cinema about 4 hours, and the interval was only 20 minutes) and the conductor, Semyon Bychkov, claimed that the plot was "feminist". Where he got that idea I really don't know. The whole point about it is that women are made to look like unfaithful airheads whilst the blokes revelled in totally unjustified indignation.
Anyway, it still contains some of the most wonderful music and remains, I think, my favourite opera - but I have to confess that I have not experience all that many. THe ROH are broadcasting several more to cinemas over the next few months, as well as some ballet.