Long neglected and misunderstood 'Cosi Fan Tutte' (Thus Do All Women) emerged from obscurity in the twentieth century and has come to be regarded as among Mozart's finest works. The Libretto is by Lorenzo da Ponte and tells of two friends Ferrando and Guglielmo who wager with Don Alfonso that their lovers Fiordiligi and Dorabella will remain constant in their absence. To prove the point they depart under false pretences and return as 'Albanians' to try to woo the women away. Each of the six characters receives an equally insightful musical portrayal for example Fiordiligi transcends her role as the victim of cruel manipulation revealing a complex personality that issincere capable of growth and inarguably sympathetic. In contrast Guglielmo never progresses beyond concern for his own ego and interests; his music therefore remains within the stock traditions of opera buffa. The ambigous nature of the ending (who actually loves whom?) can be seen as appropriate given the emotional issues aired during the drama. This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score with an English version by Ruth and Thomas Martin.

Das Veilchen-The elegant playful endlessly creative pen of Mozart wrote this short song on 8 June 1785 in Vienna. The three-verse poem by Goethe had already been set to music by at least four composers before Mozart was inspired to write.While the poem has three equal stanzas the song has three distinct moods relating to the words. They tell the sad tale of a violet symbolizing a young man who loves a young shepherdess. The shepherdess carelessly tramplesthe violet who manages to die happily for love. Mozart himself added a final sympathetic line of text. The range is not demanding and there are useful notes in this edition on ornamentation making this a charming addition toa younger singer’s repertoire as well as to an experienced singer’s collection.

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Der Schauspieldirektor K. 486 Musical comedy in one act Volume / Series New Mozart Edition. Series II, Work Group 5/15 Editor Croll, Gerhard