from Act II, Scene II of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Guglielmo, a soldier in love with Fiordiligi

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: lyric baritone

Setting: the garden of Fiordiligi and Dorabella

Synopsis: Guglielmo, having succeeded in wooing his friend's fiance, comments on the unfaithfulness of women. He declares women who treat all men in such a bad way deserve to have their lovers complain about them.

from Act I, Scene III of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Guglielmo, a soldier in love with Fiordiligi

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: lyric baritone

Setting: the living room of Dorabella and Fiordiligi

Synopsis: After Fiordiligi basically asks the soldiers disguised as Albanians to leave, Guglielmo sings this aria describing their many virtues, including their big muscles and their large moustaches.

from Act I, Scene III of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Guglielmo, a soldier in love with Fiordiligi

Voice Part: baritone       Fach: lyric baritone

Setting: the living room of Dorabella and Fiordiligi

Synopsis: Dressed as an Albanian, Guglielmo describes the passion he and his friend Ferrando feel for Dorabella and Fiordiligi, who also happen to be their two fiancees (and who are not able to see through their disguises). He compares himself to a variety of classical figures, such as the Cyclops and Narcissus, and he states that there are no men like them from Vienna to Canada. While originally written for (and sometimes included in) this opera, this aria was replaced in the original performance by Non siate ritrosi.

from Act II, Scene III of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Don Alfonso, an old philosopher

Voice Part: bass       Fach: lyric bass|buffo basss

Setting: A room in Dorabella and Fiordiligi's house

Synopsis: After Fiordiligi gives into Ferrando's courtship, Alfonso soothes both of the soldiers, singing that women should not be held accountable for their actions for they are naturally flirtatious. Rather, it is the soldiers' own fault because they were not active enough in their original courtship of their fiancees.

from Act I, Scene II of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Don Alfonso, an old philosopher

Voice Part: bass       Fach: lyric bass|buffo basss

Setting: A garden overlooking the Bay of Naples

Synopsis: Don Alfonso arrives to tell Fiordiligi and Dorabella terrible news. He tells them that their fiances, Guglielmo and Ferrando, have been called away on active duty. In reality, though, they have not. They are just playing a trick on their fiancees.

from Act II, Scene III of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Dorabella, sister of Fiordiligi and fiancee of Ferrando

Voice Part: mezzo-soprano|soprano       Fach: lyric mezzo

Setting: a room in Dorabella and Fiordiligi's house

Synopsis: Fiordiligi wants to remain faithful to her fiancee, but, in this aria, Dorabella tries to convince her to agree to marry the Albanian. She compares love to a thief, saying that if they oppose love, they will be in torment, but if they follow their hearts, they will have a much easier time.

from Act I, Scene III of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Dorabella, sister of Fiordiligi and fiancee of Ferrando

Voice Part: mezzo-soprano|soprano       Fach: lyric mezzo

Setting: the living room of Dorabella and Fiordiligi's house

Synopsis: After her fiance has gone off to war, Dorabella grieves his leaving and overreacts somewhat to the point where she is hysterical. In this mock-heroic aria, she is singing that her grief is too much to bear and thus, she should die.

from Act I, Scene III of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Despina, the serving maid of Dorabella and Fiordiligi

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: soubrette

Setting: the living room of Dorabella and Fiordiligi's house

Synopsis: After Dorabella declares that she cannot live while Ferrando is gone because of her grief, Despina tells her mistresses that one cannot expect men, especially soldiers, to be faithful. She goes on to describe men as creatures that use women for pleasure and can change at any moment. Despina states that, therefore, women should only be faithful to their own self.

from Act II, Scene I of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Despina, the serving maid of Dorabella and Fiordiligi

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: soubrette

Setting: the dressing room of Dorabella and Fiordiligi

Synopsis: After encouraging the sisters to have the Albanians back to their house, Despina sings this aria, saying that a girl of fifteen should know how to flirt successfully. She should be able to lead on any man and lie when needed.

from Act I, Scene III of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Fiordiligi, sister of Dorabella and fiancee of Guglielmo

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: dramatic coloratura

Setting: the living room of Dorabella and Fiordiligi's house

Synopsis: Two mysterious Albanians that are really Guglielmo and Ferrando in disguise have shown up at the sisters' door accompanied by Don Alfonso. The two men attempt to woo the sisters. Fiordiligi will have nothing to do with it, though, and, in this difficult aria, declares her loyalty to Guglielmo and asks the strangers to stop attempting to win them.

from Act II, Scene 2 of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Fiordiligi, sister of Dorabella and fiancee of Guglielmo

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: dramatic coloratura

Setting: the garden of Dorabella and Fiordiligi

Synopsis: After having begun to feel passion for one of the Albanians, Fiordiligi apologizes to the absent Guglielmo, her love. She sings that her feelings have betrayed him and that she will hide this terrible incident from him.

from Act II, Scene II of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Ferrando, a soldier who is in love with Dorabella

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the garden of Dorabella and Fiordiligi

Synopsis: Ferrando disguised as an Albanian is alone with Fiordiligi. He attempts to woo her and sings this aria when he thinks she is beginning to weaken, saying that her gentle nature cannot resist his charms.

from Act II, Scene II of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Ferrando, a soldier who is in love with Dorabella

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the garden of Dorabella and Fiordiligi

Synopsis: Tormented that Dorabella would betray him for another man, Ferrando sings of his anger but declares that he still loves Dorabella.

from Act I, Scene III of the Italian opera Così fan tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto: Lorenzo da Ponte

Role: Ferrando, a soldier who is in love with Dorabella

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: tenor leggiero

Setting: the living room of Dorabella and Fiordiligi

Synopsis: Guglielmo complains of his hunger but, in this aria, Ferrando tells him he should hold his appetite, for even the possibility of love from their beloveds will sate one's hunger at once.