DETROIT (AP) — Attendees at the Detroit Opera House anticipating a traditional performance of “Cosi fan tutte” might be in for a surprise as the show kicks off not with the overture, but with a tech company CEO unveiling a groundbreaking product. It’s a fusion of Mozart and Artificial Intelligence in the daring new production helmed by Yuval Sharon, the opera house’s visionary artistic director.
Originally composed in 1790, “Cosi fan tutte” marks the final collaboration between Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte. Despite its exquisite music, the opera has often been overlooked due to its blend of whimsical comedy and a seemingly cynical outlook. The title itself, translating to “Women are Like That,” hints at a perceived misogyny, notably embodied by the character Don Alfonso.
However, Sharon challenges the notion that the opera is inherently derogatory towards women. “It’s too simplistic to label Mozart as a feminist,” he remarked. “When I immerse myself in the music, it signals to me that we aren’t meant to side with Don Alfonso. Mozart and Da Ponte likely did not intend for us to belittle half of humanity incessantly.”
Sharon proposes that the opera serves to portray a character and perspective that may not align with the audience’s sympathies. In the narrative, Don Alfonso, a world-weary philosopher, wagers with two young friends on the fidelity of their partners, Fiordiligi and Dorabella. Through a series of disguises and deceptions, both women ultimately yield to the advances of the disguised suitors.
In Sharon’s innovative reimagining, Don Alfonso is recast as the CEO of an AI enterprise named SoulSync. The two male protagonists engineer two female automatons, envisioned as “ideal companions” under Alfonso’s guidance. Despite the seemingly fantastical premise, Sharon argues that this portrayal mirrors prevalent attitudes in the tech sector, where there exists a zealous belief in the supremacy of AI over human flaws.
Thomas Lehman, portraying the role of Guglielmo, appreciates Sharon’s revision as a means of reshaping the narrative dynamics to empower the female characters. Similarly, Emily Fons, embodying Dorabella, sees the adaptation as part of a broader artistic trend seeking to infuse new life into timeless works.
The notion of the automatons evolving beyond their programmed directives resonates with Fons, emphasizing the universal aspect of human conditioning. Sharon aspires to depict a transformation in the automatons from mechanical entities to beings with burgeoning emotional depth, contrasting with the diminishing allure of the male characters throughout the opera.
The essence of the opera “Così fan tutte” by Mozart and Da Ponte is deeply intertwined with a surprising element that director Sharon observed during a performance years ago. At first unimpressed by a traditional staging of the opera, he was suddenly intrigued during the Act I finale by the appearance of a magnet, prompting him to question its significance. This magnet is connected to the historical medical practices of Franz Mesmer, an 18th century German physician and friend of Mozart, whose theories on realigning bodily metals using magnets gave rise to the term “mesmerism.” In the opera, a character named Despina adopts this technique, pretending to cure two suitors who have feigned poisoning. The upcoming production, scheduled for three performances starting on April 5, not only delves into the implications of artificial intelligence but also introduces unexpected twists to captivate the audience. Director Sharon deliberately leaves Act II’s plot undisclosed in the program notes to preserve the element of surprise, inviting the audience to savor the unfolding drama.
