Alan Gilbert returns to the podium of the Royal Swedish Opera for seven performances (Nov 9 – 28) of Mozart’s Così fan tutte. The cast features Julia Sporsén as Fiordiligi, Johanna Rudström as Dorabella, Kyle Miller as Guglielmo, and both David Portillo (Nov 9–20) and Mingjie Lei (Nov 23–28) as Ferrando in Clara Svärd’s new production, which transports the action to a 1960s-style artist’s studio.
The third of Mozart’s three legendary collaborations with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, Così fan tutte is a dark comedy that explores the fantasies, inconsistencies and realities of human relationships in a surprisingly modern way. There are disguises and tests of fidelity, along with some of Mozart’s most beguiling music — including the celebrated and sublime Act 1 trio, “Soave Sia il vento.”
Later in the month, Alan and the company’s orchestra, the Royal Swedish Orchestra, continues its landmark 500th anniversary with an all-American lineup of Copland, Barber, Gershwin, and Bernstein (Nov 21 & 25).