Not everyone does it this way: Salzburg's "Così fan tutte" under pandemic conditions

The Salzburg Festival's 2020 production of Mozart's "Così fan tutte" is being re-examined, recalling its status as an artistic triumph achieved amidst the extraordinary constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. The opera, which delves into the volatile nature of love, fidelity, and deception, presented a unique challenge and opportunity for the festival.

In the opera, two friends engage in a foolish wager, betting on the unwavering loyalty of their fiancées. The ensuing events force them to confront the fragility and resilience of love, revealing its surprising power and vulnerability. The production's success was notable, especially given the difficult circumstances that led many other major festivals, like Bayreuth, to cancel their 2020 seasons.

The 2020 Salzburg Festival, intended to celebrate its centenary, faced the real possibility of cancellation due to the pandemic. However, festival leaders Helga Rabl-Stadler, Markus Hinterhäuser, and Lukas Crepaz managed to organize a significantly scaled-down but still substantial program. This was accomplished through a sophisticated safety concept, earning Hinterhäuser's description of the event as a "small miracle."

The article notes that the memory of these challenging times has faded for many, but those who attended remember the "Così fan tutte" production as a significant operatic event. The staging, set against the backdrop of the pandemic, underscored the resilience and adaptability of the arts in the face of unprecedented adversity.

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It is the most emphatic signal to the cultural world: that art is possible.