A
1790 opera by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart about
wife-swapping.
Libretto by
Lorenzo da Ponte.
Gugliemo and
Ferrando are in love with
two sisters from Ferrara,
Fiordiligi and
Dorabella. The two men are insecure about the constancy of their lovers, so
Don Alfonso suggests they make a wager over whether, if the two men disguise themselves and switch places, the ladies will notice. Don Alfonso warns them they might not like the results, but they press on nonetheless.
When
Cosi fan Tutte opened in 1790,
Viennese society pretended to be
scandalized but loved it. However, Emperor
Joseph II, who had comissioned the opera, canceled it after only 10 performances. The opera poked fun at the
class system and he wouldn't stand for
that.
The opera was revived during
the nineteenth century, albeit "
cleaned up" to satisfy the moralistic sensiblilities of this time.
Although the title is usually interpreted into
English as "
They All Do It",
Italian speakers will notice that the word "Tutte" has a
feminine ending on it. The title can thus be translated as "
All Women Do It" (i.e. cheat), or even "
Women are all the same", a bit of
projection that is not surprising, considering it comes from
Wolfie.