Following the great successes of Le nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni,
Così fan tutte was the last of the three operas that Mozart wrote with
the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte. Although well received at its premiere
in Vienna in 1790, it was then largely neglected until the mid-twentieth
century. Its comic, but deeply felt portrayal of the foibles of young
people in love has since become recognized as perhaps the most
sophisticated and perfect of all Mozart's operas.
This guide contains articles that describe the genesis of the opera and
the circumstances surrounding its first performances, a musical
commentary which takes the reader through the opera's main themes and an
overview of the ways in which it fell out of favour in the nineteenth
century. A detailed description of its more recent performance history
reflects how the work has now established a secure position in the
repertory of opera houses throughout the world. The guide also includes
sixteen pages of illustrations, a musical thematic guide, the full
libretto with English translation, a discography, bibliography and DVD
and website guides.