From April 15-17, the Lamont School of Music tackled the lasting “Cosi Fan Tutte,” an opera penned by the one and only Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, at the Newman Center. Not only did Lamont attempt to perform this piece, they succeeded with flying colors, even though the material in Cosi Fan Tutte was not a relatable choice for college students.

“Cosi Fan Tutte” depicts the wild love story of two couples; the men are skeptical of their respective fiancé’s faithfulness, and put it to the test by disguising themselves as romantic opponents. As the men flirt with the unknowing women, the fiancés go through intense inner turmoil as to whether to cheat with the disguised men. This work revolves around the sexual prowess of women, depicting females as untrustworthy; Lamont normally chooses older pieces that aren’t relatable for students, and this is no different.

Even though “Cosi Fan Tutte” is not the most female-friendly play (the title translates to “this do all women”), Lamont’s vocal and orchestral talent was undeniable. Headed by Guangke Dai and Emily Gradowski as Fiorfiligi, Theresa Kesser and Jenna Clark as Dorabella, Humberto Borboa and Kevin Gwinn as Ferrando, and Matthew Peterson and Welly Disayanon as Guglielmo, the cast sang entirely in Italian, an incredible feat in itself. Singing an opera is hard enough for seasoned professionals to do, and this college-aged cast impressed the older, middle-aged crowd. Some may expect college opera singers to be intolerable, but the cast of “Cosi Fan Tutte” was not just tolerable, but very much enjoyable.

One of the most glorious aspects of the performance was the costume and set design. The costumes were doused in soft pastels and radiant flowers; the audience seemed to be watching an opera actually set in Naples. The dresses in particular were gorgeous—the colors reminiscent of a beautiful spring day—and added to the overall beauty of “Cosi Fan Tutte.”

Despite the sexist material, the cast put on a fantastic show with excellent operatic vocals and beautiful costumes. The orchestra executed Mozart flawlessly with admirable dedication (the show is nearly three hours long) and the audience appeared to truly enjoy the performance. To check for other upcoming events from Lamont, keep updated with their calendar.