The metatheatre concept in this adaptation is that we’re witnessing an opera within an opera. The cast takes on the roles of opera singers who, in turn, are playing characters in an archaic work of art. (Think of those Russian nesting dolls.) The notion is that we’re now able to view Cosi fan tutte’s plot with a disengaged sense of irony. Therefore, the misogynistic sub-text is not intended to be taken seriously.— 《Times Colonist》 

Due to Laurent Pelly’s superb direction and costume design. This Così is set, in all places, a 1940s or '50s radio studio. The set creates a world of mirrors, especially seen in the glass of the control booth windows and in some of the set pieces; it’s a highly theatrical metaphor which enables and empowers more of the audiences’ gaze. We see both the front and backs of characters and see them watching each other.— 《British Theatre Guide》 

Mozart 270: A Timeless Love Experiment

When love is subjected to ever greater trials, what remains in the end: fidelity, or a heart left in pieces?
Così fan tutte is a two-act comic opera created by the musical prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte (1749–1838). The story follows two young officers who are convinced of their fiancées’ unwavering fidelity, only to have their confidence challenged by a worldly philosopher who insists that women are fickle by nature. He proposes a wager, persuading the men to disguise themselves as wealthy foreigners and attempt to seduce each other’s fiancée. What appears to be unshakable love gradually unravels under a carefully orchestrated trial of love. As the women willingly embrace their “new suitors,” the men are left with little choice but to sing, with equal measures of irony and resignation, Così fan tutte, “women are all alike.”

©Tokyo Nikikai Opera Theatre “Cosi fan tutte” photo by Masahiko Terashi

Music as a Mirror of Human Nature: Between Desire and Morality
Since its premiere in 1790, Così fan tutte has long been the subject of controversy, with its plot often dismissed as “absurd” or “frivolous.” Yet it is also widely regarded as one of Mozart’s finest operatic achievements. Believing that music should faithfully reflect human nature, Mozart filled the opera with intricate ensemble writing, giving far greater prominence to ensembles than to solo arias, an approach that was highly unusual in Italian comic opera at the time. Through buoyant, lively music, he delicately captures the characters’ complex emotions as they waver between desire and morality.

As affections shift and collide, the characters’ emotional transformations unfold in ever-deepening layers. Music and drama become tightly interwoven, each propelling the other forward, revealing the most profound struggles of the human heart.

©Tokyo Nikikai Opera Theatre “Cosi fan tutte” photo by Masahiko Terashi

Laurent Pelly’s Contemporary Reimagining: A Beautifully Fantastical Play Within a Play
This international co-production brings together Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in France, Pacific Opera Victoria in Canada, Théâtre de Caen in France, and Tokyo Nikikai Opera Foundation in Japan. For this production, acclaimed French director Laurent Pelly relocates the story to a German radio broadcasting studio of the 1940s and 1950s. Premiered in Paris in 2022, the production was met with widespread critical acclaim.

Framed as a play within a play, the performers onstage are simultaneously singers rehearsing Così fan tutte. By foregrounding the notion that “everything is performance,” the production creates a metatheatrical and distanced perspective through which audiences can engage with the opera’s once controversial, and often criticized as misogynistic, storyline. In doing so, it opens up new possibilities for interpretation and reflection.

©Tokyo Nikikai Opera Theatre “Cosi fan tutte” photo by Masahiko Terashi

Mozart’s Wit and Tenderness
Beneath its lighthearted comic surface, Mozart’s music remains deeply and hopelessly compassionate. From the tender lyricism of Un’aura amorosa, to the dazzling coloratura virtuosity of Come scoglio, and the bittersweet irony of Donne mie, la fate a tanti, the opera is filled with melodies that have endured for centuries.

Led by conductor LIN Chin-chao, the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO) joins an outstanding cast of Taiwanese and international vocalists to bring to life Mozart’s timeless meditation on love, fidelity, and the complexities of human nature.

©Tokyo Nikikai Opera Theatre “Cosi fan tutte” photo by Masahiko Terashi

National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO)
Founded in 1945, the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra is the oldest symphonic ensemble in Taiwan. Based in Wufeng, Taichung, it is a fully equipped institution dedicated to excellence in both artistic performance and music education.

Since 2019, internationally renowned conductor Shui Lan has served as Principal Guest Conductor, guiding the orchestra with a mission to refine technique, innovate tradition, cultivate education, and promote aesthetic appreciation. Under the leadership of successive directors, the NTSO has built a wealth of experience and has collaborated with a vast array of distinguished international artists and ensembles.

NTT Choir
Founded in 2020, the choir was formed through a public audition held by the National Taichung Theater. Members undergo training in vocal technique, stage movement, and diction to develop professional performance skills. The ensemble regularly participates in the theater’s annual opera productions through solo, duet, and ensemble performances.

Conductor／LIN Chin-chao
Director & Costume Designer／Laurent Pelly
Executive Director／Karine Girard
Assistant Director／LIN Wei-sheng
Stage Design／Chantal Thomas
Lighting Design／Joël Adam
Rehearsal Conductor, Vocal & Choral Coach／HSU Chia-chi
Pianist & Rehearsal Pianist／SU Ying-chu
Fiordiligi／Hsiao Han, Noriko Tanetani
Dorabella／Zuzanna Nalewajek, WENG Jo-pei
Guglielmo／CHEN Han-wei, Vittorio Prato
Ferrando／LIN Yi-wei, Hiroki Kono
Despina／LAI Chueh-yu, CHUNG Hsin-hsin
Don Alfonso／Lucio Gallo

National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra

NTT Choir

Co-production／Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Théâtre de Caen, Pacific Opera Victoria, and Tokyo Nikikai Opera Foundation

World Premiere／March 2022, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées