belcantopera's video: Cos fan tutte - Overture - Guido Cantelli La Scala 1956 LIVE

Mozart's Così fan tutte takes place in Naples during the late 18th century. The "sinfonia" begins with lordly violins that correspond to the men’s pompous certainty about their women’s faithfulness; then come the sinuous feminine notes of an oboe solo. The two call and respond to one another in a way that anticipates the back and forth of the love plot. As the Andante ends (and again as the Presto of the overture slows) we hear five notes match the five syllables of the title: Co-sì fan tut-te (0:36), the warning words that Don Alfonso sings to the same tune in the last scene... http://genedelisa.com/2010/11/mozart-overture-to-cosi-fan-tutte/ "This rare, heavenly La Scala performance was a special occasion in honor of WAM's 200th birthday, Jan. 27, 1956. A rare document of extraordinary conducting by Guido Cantelli, Toscanini's 36 year old protege and beloved spiritual son, this is Cantelli's only extant opera. Already considered a peer of Toscanini and Furtwängler, Guido Cantelli was at the beginning of a magnificent career. The war interrupted his burgeoning rise in the musical world. He refused to fight for the fascists and was placed in a concentration camp, from which he boldly escaped in a state of near starvation. He was said to weigh only 80 pounds at the time of his escape. He was appointed Musical Director of La Scala in November, 1956, but Cantelli died tragically and unexpectedly in a Paris plane crash only one week later. Così fan tutte was barely known at La Scala before this performance, having only had a mere six performances there in the 19th century. This production was Cantelli's debut as stage director and is considered by many opera lovers as the apotheosis of Mozartean opera conducting. Cantelli conducts with elegance and classical restraint, revealing exquisitely nuanced detail in the score. The conducting is rhythmically taut, never devolving into slapstick or exaggeration." (jkircher314) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piwWIszbTaI ------------------------------------- Overture to "Così fan tutte" Conducted by Guido Cantelli Teatro alla Scala January 27, 1956 Fiordiligi - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf Dorabella - Nan Merriman Despina - Graziella Sciutti Ferrando - Luigi Alva Guglielmo - Rolando Panerai Don Alfonso - Franco Calabrese ------------------------------------- Guido Cantelli dirige l'ouverture del Così fan tutte di Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, dal vivo a Milano nel 1956. Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala. -------------------------------------