The Waltham Symphony Orchestra ( WSO ) is an American Civic Symphony Orchestra based in Waltham, Massachusetts .
31-574: It was created in December 2007 by a group of local individuals who wanted to see a professional-level symphony orchestra serving Waltham, a historical city of 60,000. Patrick Botti, who had been connected with the city of Waltham for many years, became the first Music Director of the Orchestra after a brief tenure as the conductor of the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra, a community orchestra in
62-555: A career as a critic. For most of his career he was on the staff of The Times in London, where his radical views were in contrast with the paper's traditional outlook. He published many books and articles in musical journals. After leaving The Times Mann was director of the Bath Festival for a year. Mann was born in Madras , India, the son of Gerald and Joyce Mann. He was educated at
93-530: A chicken" onstage. The subject matter (see synopsis below) did not offend Viennese sensibilities of the time, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries was considered risqué, vulgar, and even immoral. The opera was rarely performed, and when it did appear it was presented in one of several bowdlerised versions. After World War II it regained a place in the standard operatic repertoire and is now frequently performed. A comedic adaptation, Covid fan tutte , (also using other music by Mozart) depicting life during
124-421: A double wedding for the sisters and their "Albanian" grooms. Despina, in disguise as a notary , presents the marriage contract, which only the ladies sign. (The men, of course, realise that this wedding is a sham, and are only playing along with it in order to teach their unfaithful lovers a lesson.) Directly thereafter, military music is heard in the distance, indicating the return of the officers. Alfonso confirms
155-406: A kiss from Dorabella and Fiordiligi (whom the "Albanians" call goddesses) who stand before them. The sisters refuse, even as Alfonso and the doctor (Despina) urge them to acquiesce. Despina urges them to succumb to the "Albanians " ' overtures (aria: "Una donna a quindici anni"—"A fifteen year old woman"). After she leaves, Dorabella confesses to Fiordiligi that she is tempted, and the two agree that
186-414: A mere flirtation will do no harm and will help them pass the time while they wait for their lovers to return (duet: "Prenderò quel brunettino"—"I will take the dark haired one"). Dorabella and the disguised Guglielmo pair off, as do Ferrando and Fiordiligi. The conversation is halting and uncomfortable, and Ferrando departs with Fiordiligi. Now alone with Dorabella, Guglielmo attempts to woo her. She puts up
217-420: A token resistance, and soon she has given him a medallion (with Ferrando's portrait inside) in exchange for a heart-shaped locket (duet: "Il core vi dono"—"I give you my heart"). Ferrando is less successful with Fiordiligi (Ferrando's aria: "Ah, lo veggio"—"Ah, I see it" and Fiordiligi's aria: "Per pietà, ben mio, perdona"—"Please, my beloved, forgive"), so he is enraged when he later finds out from Guglielmo that
248-441: Is almost always performed by a mezzo-soprano . Despina is occasionally performed by a mezzo, such as Cecilia Bartoli , Frederica von Stade , Agnes Baltsa , Ann Murray and Ginger Costa-Jackson . Ferrando and Fiordiligi, however, can only be sung by a tenor and a soprano because of the high tessitura of their roles. The instrumentation is as follows: Mozart and Da Ponte use the theme of "fiancée swapping", which dates back to
279-470: Is no such thing as a faithful woman. He lays a wager with the two officers, claiming he can prove in a day's time that those two, like all women, are fickle. The wager is accepted: the two officers will pretend to have been called off to war; soon thereafter they will return in disguise and each attempt to seduce the other's lover. The scene shifts to the two women, who are praising their men (duet: "Ah guarda sorella"—"Ah look sister"). Alfonso arrives to announce
310-644: The Austrian National Library . The short title, Così fan tutte , literally means "So do they all", using the feminine plural ( tutte ) to indicate women. It is usually translated into English as "Women are like that". The words are sung by the three men in act 2, scene 3, just before the finale; this melodic phrase is also quoted in the overture to the opera. Da Ponte had used the line "Così fan tutte le belle" earlier in Le nozze di Figaro (in act 1, scene 7). The first performance of Mozart's setting took place at
341-674: The Burgtheater in Vienna on 26 January 1790. It was given only five times before the run was stopped by the death of the Emperor Joseph II and the resulting period of court mourning. It was performed twice in June 1790 with the composer conducting the second performance, and again in July (twice) and August (once). After that it was not performed in Vienna during Mozart's lifetime. The first British performance
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#1732845187905372-551: The Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte who also wrote Le nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni . Although it is commonly held that Così fan tutte was written and composed at the suggestion of the Emperor Joseph II , recent research does not support this idea. There is evidence that Mozart's contemporary Antonio Salieri tried to set the libretto but left it unfinished. In 1994, John Rice uncovered two terzetti by Salieri in
403-714: The Dragon School and Winchester , after which he took lessons in London, studying the piano with Ilona Kabos and composition with Mátyás Seiber . He was at Magdalene College, Cambridge from 1946 to 1948, studying with the composers Patrick Hadley and Robin Orr and the organist Hubert Middleton . On leaving Cambridge in 1948 Mann joined The Times in London. In the same year he married Erika Charlotte Emilie Sohler, with whom he had four daughters. He remained at The Times for 34 years, first as assistant music critic (1948–1960) and then as chief music critic (1960–1982). Although
434-509: The New Bedford (MA) Symphony Orchestra, "Music in the Mornings", exposing elementary and middle school students to a daily dose of classical music. Cos%C3%AC fan tutte Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti ( Women are like that, or The School for Lovers ), K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at
465-478: The "Albanians" to leave and pledges to remain faithful (aria: "Come scoglio"—"Like a rock"). The "Albanians" continue the attempt to win over the sisters' hearts, Guglielmo going so far as to point out all of his manly attributes (aria: "Non siate ritrosi"—"Don't be shy"), but to no avail. Ferrando, left alone and sensing victory, praises his love (aria: "Un'aura amorosa"—"A loving breath"). The sisters are still pining. Despina has asked Don Alfonso to let her take over
496-695: The 13th century; notable earlier versions are found in Boccaccio 's Decameron and Shakespeare 's play Cymbeline . Elements from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and The Taming of the Shrew are also present. Furthermore, it incorporates elements of the myth of Procris as found in Ovid 's Metamorphoses , vii. In a cafe, Ferrando and Guglielmo (two officers) express certainty that their fiancées (Dorabella and Fiordiligi, respectively) will be eternally faithful. Don Alfonso expresses skepticism and claims that there
527-451: The army and find her betrothed. Before she can leave, though, Ferrando arrives and continues his attempted seduction. Fiordiligi finally succumbs and falls into his arms (duet: "Fra gli amplessi"—"In the embraces"). Guglielmo is distraught while Ferrando turns Guglielmo's earlier gloating back on him. Alfonso, winner of the wager, tells the men to forgive their fiancées. After all: "Così fan tutte"—"All women are like that". The scene begins as
558-470: The audience". Mann was one of the first music critics to see serious artistic value in rock music . He achieved some notoriety for his assertion that the Beatles were "the greatest songwriters since Schubert ". Most unusually for a serious music critic, he appeared as a panellist on the television pop music programme " Juke Box Jury ". As a broadcaster, however, he was better known as a regular contributor to
589-406: The bad news: the officers have been called off to war. Ferrando and Guglielmo arrive, brokenhearted, and bid farewell (quintet: "Sento, o Dio, che questo piede è restio"—"I feel, oh God, that my foot is reluctant"). As the boat with the men sails off to sea, Alfonso and the sisters wish them safe travel (trio: "Soave sia il vento"—"May the wind be gentle"). Alfonso, left alone, gloatingly predicts that
620-792: The city. On May 18, 2008, the Boston Globe published a story titled "Classic choice", about the creation of the WSO and the sustenance of two symphony orchestras within the same city. The orchestra had its inaugural concert on May 10, 2008, at the Kennedy Middle School Auditorium in Waltham, with a program featuring works by Mozart (" Così fan tutte Overture "), Daniel-Lesur ("Nocturne for Oboe and orchestra"), D'Indy ("Fantaisie on French popular Themes"), Ravel (" Mother Goose Suite ") and Brahms (" Symphony No 3 in F Major, Op. 90" ). The soloist
651-587: The first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic was produced by the Finnish National Opera in 2020. While the use of modern fach titles and voice categories for these roles has become customary, Mozart was far more general in his own descriptions of the voice types, as shown above . Occasionally these voice types are varied in performance practice. Don Alfonso is more frequently performed by baritones such as Thomas Allen and Bo Skovhus and Dorabella
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#1732845187905682-406: The medallion with his portrait has been so quickly given away to a new lover. Guglielmo at first sympathises with Ferrando (aria: "Donne mie, la fate a tanti"—"My ladies, you do it to so many"), but then gloats, because his betrothed is faithful. Dorabella admits her indiscretion to Fiordiligi ("È amore un ladroncello"—"Love is a little thief"). Fiordiligi, upset by this development, decides to go to
713-423: The men through their disguises, so he bribes her into helping him to win the bet. The two men then arrive, dressed as mustachioed Albanians (sextet: "Alla bella Despinetta"—"Meet the pretty Despinetta"). The sisters enter and are alarmed by the presence of strange men in their home. The "Albanians" tell the sisters that they were led by love to them (the sisters). However, the sisters refuse to give in. Fiordiligi asks
744-554: The notary, and the sisters realize they have been duped. All is ultimately forgiven, as the entire group praises the ability to accept life's unavoidable good times and bad times. Notes Citations Sources Further reading William Mann (critic) William Somervell Mann (14 February 1924 – 5 September 1989) was an English music critic. Born in India, he was educated at Winchester and Cambridge , studying music with several prominent composers, before taking up
775-541: The orchestra develop strategies for marketing, audience development and Web 2.0 initiatives. The WSO has been developing a "music in the school" program, offering scholarships for Waltham students who cannot afford music lessons, and also creating outreach programs. The WSO and the Waltham Schools are collaborating in bringing to the Waltham Elementary Schools a morning classical program created in 1989 by
806-424: The paper in the post-war decades was generally conservative and traditional, Mann was, as a colleague described him, "markedly progressive, even iconoclastic, in outlook." In 1958 Mann contributed the libretto to Franz Reizenstein 's Let's Fake an Opera , produced for the 1958 Hoffnung Music Festival . It consisted of "ridiculously juxtaposed excerpts from more than forty operas, which delighted both Reizenstein and
837-413: The seduction plan. Suddenly, the "Albanians" burst in the scene and threaten to poison themselves if they are not allowed the chance to woo the sisters. As Alfonso tries to calm them, they drink the "poison" and pretend to pass out. Soon thereafter, a "doctor" (Despina in disguise) arrives on the scene and, using magnet therapy , is able to revive the "Albanians". The men, pretending to hallucinate , demand
868-483: The sisters' fears: Ferrando and Guglielmo are on their way to the house. The "Albanians" hurry off to hide (actually, to change out of their disguises). They return as the officers, professing their love. Alfonso drops the marriage contract in front of the officers, and, when they read it, they become enraged. They then depart and return moments later, half in Albanian disguise, half as officers. Despina has been revealed to be
899-592: The women (like all women) will prove unfaithful (arioso: "Oh, poverini, per femmina giocare cento zecchini?"—"Oh, poor little ones, to wager 100 sequins on a woman"). Despina, the maid , arrives and asks what is wrong. Dorabella bemoans the torment of having been left alone (aria: "Smanie implacabili"—"Torments implacable"). Despina mocks the sisters, advising them to take new lovers while their betrotheds are away (aria: "In uomini, in soldati, sperare fedeltà?"—"In men, in soldiers, you hope for faithfulness?"). After they leave, Alfonso arrives. He fears Despina will recognize
930-790: Was in May 1811 at the King's Theatre, London. Così fan tutte was not performed in the United States until 1922, when it was given at the Metropolitan Opera . According to William Mann , Mozart disliked prima donna Adriana Ferrarese del Bene , da Ponte's arrogant mistress for whom the role of Fiordiligi had been created. Knowing her idiosyncratic tendency to drop her chin on low notes and throw back her head on high ones, Mozart filled her showpiece aria "Come scoglio" with constant leaps from low to high and high to low in order to make Ferrarese's head "bob like
961-545: Was the WSO principal oboist, Amy Dinsmore. The orchestra is composed of professional, semi-professional, amateur and student musicians drawn from Waltham and surrounding communities. The WSO's main performing venue is the Kennedy Middle School Auditorium, a 500 seat facility. As with other symphony orchestras in the United States, the WSO works closely with the local school system, universities and other local organizations to fulfill its mission. The WSO and Bentley University have been collaborating on projects where students help