Not since Nézet-Séguin´s own 2011 Don Giovanni has there been a Mozart opera recording in the Universal labels. How rare in these sad days to see an opera recording that comes in a card box and has a 200 page libretto.
Cosí fan Tutte is probably the best served of all operas on disc. I have some 30 studio recordings and none is disappointing, let alone bad. Nézet-Séguin faces formidable competition from such Classic recordings as Karajan´s, 3 valuable Böhm versions in Decca, EMI and DG, Jochum´s, Solti´s (his first recording), René Jacobs´and many others.
His approach, like in the Don Giovanni is pretty much period-concious: almost no vibrato, fast tempi, but not as many appoggiaturas as was common in Mozart´s time. The Chamber Orchestra of Europe is an excellent band for Mozart, Solti also used them in his second DECCA recording, but they seem much more comfortable under Nézet-Séguin and his period manners.
I pity any soprano who records Fiordiligi, since she will inevitably be compared with legendary divas like Lisa della Casa, Sena Jurinac and Gundula Janowitz. Swedish soprano Miah Persson has made a specialty of the role, she already appears in 2 different Blu Ray productions. She is a good looking woman, and her voice is interesting but not really outstanding. Some high notes tend to spread, especially in "Come scoglio", but this is a very secure and confident interpretation from a technical point of view. What I miss is more tension in her performance, she goes through all the whirlwind of emotions sounding more or less the same. Maybe sex and betrayal are not a big deal in Sweden. Lisa della Casa sounds more vulnerable and ravishing at the same time, and even closer to us Lella Cuberli (Barenboim) and Véronique Gens (Jacobs) have far finer voices. I don´t know if Joyce DiDonato has Fiordiligi in her repertoire, but she could certainly sing the role, I´m sure if she had been chosen for the recording we would have a more treasurable performance.
Angela Brower as Dorabella is also very good and cannot be faulted, but as soon as you turn to Teresa Berganza (Solti) or even the young Cecilia Bartoli (Barenboim) you immediately notice greater voices and more endearing personalities.
I am definitely NOT a fan of Mojca Erdmann, her Despina is pert and cute but uninteresting, you just have to turn to Lucia Popp (Klemperer), Jane Berbié (Solti) or Ileana Cotrubas (Colin Davis) to see how much more is in the role.
The gentlemen are overall much more satisfactory. Rolando Villazón in spite of some pain with the high tessitura presents a very lively and alive Ferrando, and he also brings much needed involvement with the text. Adam Plachetka has a most handsome lyric baritone in the Rolando Panerai mould, his suave and elegant delivery is a pleasure. Alessandro Corbelli may not be in the class of Sesto Bruscantini or Gabriel Bacquier, but you always need an Italian in the Da Ponte operas, and he is a classy Don Alfonso.
A very enjoyable recording recorded live in concert form in Baden-Baden.
