Cosi Fan Tutte is Mozart's most psychologically complex opera, though it still has a lot of sparkling comedy as well, and contains some of his most beautiful music. This is a wonderful Cosi, though the 1984, 1989 and 2000 are my favourites, with 1992 and 2006 not far off. The costumes are traditional and sumptuous and the sets likewise while also huge. The camera work is simple but always focused. The orchestral playing is both stylish and rich in sound, and James Levine's conducting has vitality and a sensitive air also. Although all the major arias are done wonderfully, especially Come Scoglio, it is the ensembles that really delight, tight in rhythm and very well blended. Of the principals, Cecilia Bartoli's Despina and Carol Vaness' Fiordiligi stole the show. Bartoli, making her Met debut, very effectively schemes and charms and her comic turns as the notary and especially the doctor are full of verve. Her singing is smoky and has an appealing smoky sound to it. Vaness gives a very nuanced and deeply felt account of Fiordiligi, with her singing having a sense of virtuosity and heroism. Thomas Allen smirks and is wonderfully cynical and world-weary as Don Alfonso, still sounding good although he'd been singing for years beforehand. Suzanne Mentzer is a charming Dorabella and I loved the chemistry between her and Vaness and her and Dwayne Croft(Il Core Vi Dono is heavenly). Croft is a great baritone, with a lot of his interpretations nuanced(Sharpless, Silvio, Posa) and he is rich in voice, and he is very amusing as Guglielmo. Jerry Hadley is an appealing Ferrando, with a nice honeyed tone. Overall, a must watch. 10/10 Bethany Cox