In anticipation of the upcoming Los Angeles production of Mozart’s comic opera Così fan tutte, my presentation for the marvelous Opera League of Los Angeles will interrogate the gender-determinist premise of the work’s title—women are like that—in the context of Enlightenment ideas of rationalist demonstration. Moreover, I’ll explore how contemporary productions and audiences grapple with the challenges of this “school for lovers” and what different kinds of lessons might be drawn from the opera.

About the Opera League of Los Angeles
Founded in 1981, the nonprofit Opera League of Los Angeles is the primary volunteer support organization, and co-founder, of LA Opera, the resident opera company for the City of Los Angeles that was established in 1986.

The Opera League produces an array of educational programs including seminars, gatherings, musicales, master classes, and much more, all with the common aim of expanding the appreciation of opera by bringing people together to celebrate this timeless art form.