Mozart Said "They All Do It"

Radio Record, 22 April 1938, Page 19

Mozart Said "They All Do It"

DELICIOUS OPERA WRITTEN FOR HIS EMPEROR PATRON

AT the invitation of Prince Lichnowsky, a not very reimote ancestral relative of the German Ambassador in London in the fateful year of 1914, Mozart, after producing "Don Giovanni,’ went to Berlin, where he was offered a much more liberal income than he was then receiving from the Austrian bhmperor Francis, As a reward for his fidelity to the Austrian Court, Mozart was commanded to write the opera "Cosi Fan Tutte," or "They All Do It." This work Was enjoying « great success when Mozart's patron, the Emperor, died, and the new monarch proved to be but 4 poor art devotee, so consequently orders were given to withdraw the work. Lorenzo da Ponte, the author of the libretto as well as those of "‘Don Gioyanni"’ and "Figaro." ig said to have based the idea for his plo{ an an actual wager that had ‘been laid in Vienna at that time. Da Ponte, however, made Naples the scene of his opera and reduced the incident practically to farce. The title of this delicious opera may be translated as "Lhus Do AU Women," or "They All Do It." It has a jolly little love tangle of a story, while the musie is as refreshing as anything Mozart ever wrote. The plot concerns an elderly bache lor eyniec who bets two young officers that their lady loves will not pass the

¢est for fidelity. Disguised as two Albanians. the young men woo the pretty ereatures, are at first accepted, then detected, then made fools of. An amusing moment in the opera is that at which the doctor revives the supposedly poisoned officers with a magnet. That was Da

Ponte’s dig at the then fashionable Dr, Mesmer, expert in animal magnetism, who lent his name to "Mesmerism." Reeorded presentation of Mozart’s opera. "Cosi Fan Tutte" will be heard from 1YA on Sunday, April 24,