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Cosi fan tutte

Published Thursday 24 June 2004 at 10:35 by George Hall

Set at the time of the First World War in an art nouveau hotel designed by Robert Predziola, John Cox’s new staging of the subtlest of Mozart’s comedies opens Garsington’s annual festival. It is not a production that will frighten off traditionalists and it looks appealing even if it is short on definition and point. But at least there is no extraneous business and the audience can concentrate on the matter in hand.

There is a likeable cast. Two talented young women - Sarah-Jane Davies and Wendy Dawn Thompson - do a creditable sister act as Fiordiligi and Dorabella and their singing is always secure if rarely sparky. Edgaras Montvidas manages a fluent and touching account of Ferrando, partnered by the punchier Guglielmo of American baritone Daniel Belcher in his UK debut.

A hotel manager in Cox’s concept, the vocally able Jonathan Best sings Don Alfonso. Though we should be aware of him constantly manipulating the action, Cox rarely places him at the centre of things.

The real star is Lillian Watson, whose Despina is a total joy, sung with a perceptive use of text, and acted with an ability to send every note and expression pinging over the footlights.

Steuart Bedford conducts soberly, though he encourages the singers to add some inventive decorations to the vocal line. Taken as a whole, a slightly muted beginning to Garsington’s summer revels.

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