Così fan tutte

Something of a rarity at the Met throughout the first half of the 20th century, Così fan tutte is the third of Mozart’s creations with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte, a partnership which also gave the world the enduringly popular comedies Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni. Only with its return to our stage in the 1950s did Così find its place in the repertory, and ever since, it has appeared with relative frequency—often showcasing leading Mozarteans as the principal sextet. In this 1997 radio broadcast, Martin Isepp makes his Met debut conducting a cast of audience favorites, including soprano Carol Vaness and mezzo-soprano Susan Graham as the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, tenor Richard Croft and baritone Nathan Gunn as their fickle fiancées, soprano Marie McLaughlin as the wily maid Despina, and baritone William Shimell as the cynical Don Alfonso.