Metropolitan Opera 2019-20 Preview: Nicole Car, Ben Bliss, Luca Pisaroni Star in ‘Così Fan Tutte’

By David Salazar
(Credit: Jonathan Tichler / Metropolitan Opera)

The Metropolitan Opera is set to revive its new production of “Così Fan Tutte” for the first time since its initial run back in 2018.

With the exception of Serena Malfi and Ben Bliss, who were among the singers to open the production, every other singer in this run is new to Phelim McDermott’s production.

In the role of Fiordiligi, audience will get a chance to hear Nicole Car and Jennifer Check. Car, who made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2018 in “La Bohème,” will get eight total performances of the run; Check will sing on Feb. 21. Check has appeared in over 200 performances at the Met since 2001.

Malfi will get eight performances as Dorabella with Carolyn Sproule taking over for one show (also on Feb. 21). Sproule made her Met debut in 2014 as the Sandman in “Hansel and Gretel.” Malfi has performed 25 times at the Met in all three of the Da Ponte and Mozart Operas.

The remainder of the cast will appear in all nine performances. Bliss will reprise the role of Ferrando. He debuted at the Met in 2016 and has appeared in such operas as “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” “Lucia di Lammermoor,” and “The Magic Flute.”

Heidi Stober will take on Despina; this will be her first series of performances at the Met since 2015 when she appeared as Oscar in “Un Ballo in Maschera.”

Luca Pisaroni will sing Guglielmo for the first time at the Met. The bass-baritone debuted back in 2005 in “La Clemenza di Tito” and has appeared in “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “Don Giovanni,” “The Enchanted Island,” “La Cenerentola,” and “I Puritani.”

Finally, Gerald Finley will interpret the role of Don Alfonso. His Mozartian output at the Met includes “Die Zauberflöte,” “Don Giovanni,” and “Le Nozze di Figaro.”

Harry Bicket, who is concurrently conducting “Agrippina,” will take on the Mozart opera.  This is his fourth Mozart opera at the Met following “La Clemenza di Tito,” “Die Zauberflöte,” and “Le Nozze di Figaro.”

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