The Met Opera's Stream of Cosi fan tutte on Easter Honors New York's Cultural Icons

A scene from The Met Opera's 2018 production of Cosi fan tutte.

Happy Easter! As we spend the holiday through social distancing due to the pandemic, I hope all of us manage to find comfort and encouragement from many sources, including Mozart's music. Through the generosity of orchestras, opera companies and individual artists around the world, we are so incredibly fortunate to find ourselves enveloped in an abundance of content as we shelter in place. Although our industry is dealing with unparalleled economic challenge, and as professionals our future is uncertain, our communal call to action remains steadfast.

One benevolent gesture that I'd like to bring to your attention for its contextual, historical and cultural significance, is tonight's free stream of Cosi fan tutte by The Metropolitan Opera. The company began its schedule of evening streams featuring archival content on March 16th and now in its fourth week, will present a Mozart opera for the first time. But it's not just any opera, or any production.

Cosi fan tutte is the third and final collaboration between Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte who immigrated to the United States in 1805 and lived the majority of his last 33 years in New York City. To learn more, read my recent article, "Building Recognition for Lorenzo Da Ponte's American Legacy."

The Met's 2018 production taking center stage tonight is set in 1950s Coney Island, a traditional summertime destination for New Yorkers and visitors alike. The opera's playful boardwalk amusement park atmosphere transports us to the carefree days of a summertime past. It premiered in March 2018 and two months later in May, the iconic Coney Island Boardwalk was designated as a scenic landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). Read more.

Lincoln Center Plaza: Visiting The Met on a beautiful, sunny day!

With New York City being the current epicenter of the pandemic, tonight's stream is timely and emotional. While the stage is dark and the city deals with an unprecedented moment in history, Cosi fan tutte brings us together in honor of its cultural icons: The Met, Coney Island and Lorenzo Da Ponte. I love this city and its resilient character. My heart goes out to everyone there, including my favorite New Yorker who took the above photo of me in Lincoln Center Plaza: author Stephanie Cowell!

I've seen many Mozart operas at The Met and there's no substitute for being there in person, but the next best thing is The Met: Live in HD experience whose content we're now gifted to enjoy for free at home. I hope you'll join me tonight at 7:30pm EDT to watch Cosi fan tutte. The opera will be available until 6:30pm EDT tomorrow. Also, be sure to check out the panel discussion that was recorded in advance yesterday!

To date, the national Live in HD outreach campaign I created in partnership with Fathom Events has offered over 100 free tickets to fans in 14 states to experience five Mozart operas at their local cinemas through this series. The next Mozart opera planned for HD transmission is a new production of Don Giovanni (his second collaboration with Da Ponte) in March 2021.


I'd like to close with the final text of Cosi fan tutte, translated by the late J.D. McClatchy, an American poet, librettist and literary critic. His book, Seven Mozart Operas: A Verse Translation, was dedicated to Peter Gelb, The Met's General Manager. I hope we find some morale and wisdom here. I'm wishing you every happiness on this Easter Sunday!

Happy is the man who looks
On the bright side of everything,
And in all circumstances and trials
Lets himself be guided by reason.

What only makes the others weep
Will be for him a source of joy,
And amid the storms of this world
He will find his peace in every season.

Sherry