Erin Wall in Così fan tutte. Image courtesy of Dan Rest/Lyric Opera of Chicago____________
In Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Così fan tutte, the Lyric Opera of Chicago presents a tale that centers around a bet placed on the loyalty of two women to their fiancées. Windy City Times recently talked with Erin Wall, one of the stars of the production, about fidelity, the demands of opera and performing with Jessye Norman.
Windy City Times: Fidelity seems to be the most prominent theme in Così fan tutte.
Erin Wall: Yeah. A lot of people tend to bring up the word 'misogyny' because there's the deliberate manipulation of the women by the men, but I don't spend too much time thinking about that. As the character, you have no idea what's going on until the very last scene.
WCT: It's a little upsetting that there's only a test of the women's fidelity and not the men's.
EW: And that's what's interesting. The men rage about how easily the women fall for the 'strangers,' but they examine the fact that, in order to [ trick the women ] , the men themselves are being unfaithful. It's a very conscious decision that the women decide which Albanian to have fun with, but by doing that, the men are being just as unfaithful—so that's where this whole misogyny comes in. Even the title [ of the production ] roughly means 'only women are like that.'
WCT: Sometimes it's hard envisioning something with such serious undertones being a comedy.
EW: I've done other productions of the show where the comedic aspect was downplayed and it was done as opera seria [ a serious opera ] . However, a lot of people can find that almost too depressing, but it probes the psychological aspect a lot deeper. But what makes it disturbing and beautiful—and what makes it Mozart—is that you have to have the funny bits to make the serious parts even more serious. Having that balance is what makes a good production.
WCT: You can't have peaks without valleys.
EW: Exactly. In order to experience happiness, you have to know the difficulties of life. There are portions of the opera that are definitely meant to be funny. Laughter and tears together [ is ] the best way, if you ask me.
WCT: Why do you think this production endures?
EW: It's great music. It's funny—a lot of people don't love the plot, but love the music. Also, there are themes ( like infidelity ) that can hit home for a lot of people today—although it's hard to buy that the women don't recognize the guys in their disguises. My character has this line—'I'm in love'—and she's [ actually ] in love with two people at one time. It's complex and interesting—this idea that you love the one you're with. [ Laughs ] You see a lot of that in today's world. These ideas are pretty relevant.
WCT: What's it like working with my namesake [ Sir Andrew Davis, the opera's music director ] ?
EW: [ Laughs ] What a coincidence! Working with him is fantastic. He's a conductor who loves singers, and that's always a great thing for a singer. And he knows this opera inside and out, and he's an expert. I've no complaints at all.
WCT: This production has been pretty universally praised. Do you ever pay attention to reviews?
EW: [ Laughs ] I try not to, but they seem to follow me wherever I go. Generally, I try not to pay too much attention to them. I have to read them for publicity purposes, but I try to wait until the production is over; if someone hits you in a painful spot, you can become obsessed over it. It's bad to become fixated over them.
WCT: Opera, like a lot of forms of entertainment, incorporates acting. How easily did the acting comes for you?
EW: That's a tricky question to answer. [ Laughs ] It doesn't come easily but, hopefully, it looks easy.
What's really difficult is delegating a percentage of your attention to all of the things you're required to think about. You're thinking about where you are on stage and where you have to go next; what [ things ] mean in your language and in Italian; the orchestra's tempo; technical things you have to sing; and even the costume. It's like the ultimate in multitasking. So when critics are focused on a certain aspect of the performance, it's like 'I'd like to see them try and do it.'
WCT: You've been all over the world and worked with a lot of great performers. What was it like working with [ opera legend ] Jessye Norman?
EW: I worked with her just this past summer.
It was incredibly intimidating to work with her because of that history and because she also coached all of us from her seat on stage during rehearsal. [ For example, ] she kept saying to me, 'Breathe, breathe, breathe.' It was intimidating but fascinating to watch someone like her. When she's on stage, she's 200 percent committed to what she's doing.
WCT: Who would you like to work with?
EW: Oh, boy. [ Laughs ] No one's ever asked me that! [ Pauses ] I've been lucky to work with a lot of great people. [ Some of those ] I'd like to work with are conductors like [ Los Angeles Opera Music Director ] James Conlon ( who I think I'm going to be working with ) and [ Metropolitan Opera Music Director ] James Levine..
The final performances of Così fan tutte will take place at Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker, on March 7, 10 and 16. See www.lyricopera.org .
