OPERA
Cosi fan tutte. At the Princes Theatre.
THE Sadler's Wells Company's new production of Cosi fan tune s a brave venture and a welcome addition to the meagre entertain- ments of the present time. The most artificial in plot and the most xquisite in orchestration of Mozart's operas, it is a fragile piece requiring the most delicate handling and high finish in performance. But though it is artificial, and though the main characters are in a nse puppets worked by Don Alfonso and Despina, they certainly are not mere figures in Dresden china without heart or passion. ozart's fierce indignation against human suffering surges under the licate surface of the music and sometimes breaks through into pen expression. It was just this passionate undercurrent of feeling at was missing from the new production. Mr. Sasha Machov has ormalised and fantasticated the movements of the characters until es' become almost ballet-dancers, and has introduced dumb gurantes to mop and caper to our distraction during the introduc- ons to the airs. So Guglielmo is not allowed his outburst of ealousy at the supper-table, but merely sings bass in a beautifully lanced quartet. If the mimeing were cut out, the dramatic points rought in, and the fooling of the soldiers—these officers are not alstaffs and would have efficient sergeants and smart platoons— placed by a more appropriate action, the production would be xcellent, and all the performers most efficiently carried out the ovements asked of them.
But the orchestra is one of the protagonists in the opera. On it Mozart lavished all his skill in delicate colouring and exquisite nament, and it is the chief vehicle of his more serious thoughts. he orchestral performance on Tuesday can only be described as retched. Point after point was missed from the dramatic enuncia- ion of the motto in the overture onwards. The wood-wind, to hom are confided all manner of lovely embroideries and witty omments, were particularly at fault. Even when allowance is made or war-time conditions, a better standard than this must be achieved Sadler's Wells is even to begin to lay claim to leadership in English pera.
The two-thirds of Mr. Kenneth Green's sets visible from my seat ere attractive enough to make me wish to see the whole, and the 631lting of his costumes was admirable, though their fashions emed to me nondescript. The quartet of lovers were Miss Joan -oss, a rock-like elder sister for all that she did not oblige with Come Scoglio," Miss Margaret Ritchie, who delightfully brought ut Dorabella's softer character though her voice had too little raphasis to affright Miss Rose Hill's pert Despina, Mr. Peter Pears ad Mr. John Hargreaves, who were not permitted to differentiate eir characters so clearly. Mr. Owen Brannigan made a humorous uppet-master, though his voice was not quite rich enough for the ass of the always excellent ensemble. What Sadler's Wells Opera mpany needs is a first-rate musical director who can raise the tandard of orchestral playing and remove the company generally ut of its long-existing state of artistic mediocrity.
DYNELEY HUSSEY.
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