Mu s ic
[MOZART'S LIGHT OPERA.]
THE Bristol Opera Season production of Mozart's Cosi fan tulle at the Kingsway Theatre, London, is a courageous enterprise. Whether it will be a financial success or not; I cannot tell ; but there is no doubt as to its success as a production.
The most striking feature of the performance I saw was the excellent ensemble of the singers. On this occasion (the second night) the orchestra was of one mind in its lower storey, but Mr. Reynolds was not always successful in letting the players know what was going on upstairs—and when. It will give a false impression if one or two singers are honour- ably mentioned, for the chief virtue of all six lay in their understanding of each other and, above all, of Mozart. These people were not merely singers ; they were also intelligent musicians who were intent upon conveying. the cynical spirit of da Ponte's story and the airy grace of Mozart's music with- out a trace of self-consciousness. Save for the intrusion of vibrato in Ferrando's voice, their re-creation of this neglected little masterpiece was a complete delight. The comedy was incredible at all times, but the artifice was continually being loosened and expanded by the tact and sincerity of the actors.
It would be a sadly incomplete appraisement that omitted an appreciation of the English translation of the Reverend Marmaduke Browne. He gave a new lease of life to the secco
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