Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Cosi fan Tutte, K. 588: No. 14: Act I, Aria: Come scoglio

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) wrote the music to COSÌ FAN TUTTE (So do they all), his third collaboration with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte, only after his contemporary Antonio Salieri rejected the initial commission. Its first performance took place on January 26, 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. Despite the strained credibility of the story, in which two men undertake a dare to deceive their lovers through feeble disguise and pretense in order to prove their faithfulness, Mozart enriched its characters with emotional depth, motivation, and humor. Though it took longer to achieve popularity than the other da Ponte operas, by the middle of the twentieth century, COSÌ FAN TUTTE had become a staple in opera houses all over the world. Don Alfonso wagers that he can make both Guglielmo and Ferrando's girlfriends fall in love with someone else, so they dress up in costumes to try to woo the other's girlfriend. When Fiordiligi is approached by the "strangers" she sings the aria COME SCOGLIO (Like a rock) telling them that she will not change her mind and to go away. Instrumentation: 0.2.2.2: 0.2.0.0: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set): Solo Sop.