The original plot of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte makes leaps that may have been difficult to follow back in the 18th century when it was written. Two men bet that their fiancées are faithful, then test the women by trying to seduce them in disguise. When they eventually succeed it proves the saying of the opera’s title, “so do all,” i.e., all women are unfaithful. A nice 21st-century idea.
A brand new adaptation of Cosi just premiered in Banff. A Little Too Cozy proves that a historic work can be translated for contemporary audiences without losing its soul, but it’s so good that it ends up asking another question:
is adapting classics the best opera can do today?