вЂњMozart was a mischievous and imaginative fellow who wasnвЂ™t chained to conventional thinking,вЂќ Salonen said. The plot of вЂњCovid fan tutteвЂќ follows the lives of ordinary Finns amid news conferences by the government and virus experts, while adding satirical undertones.Д®sa-Pekka Salonen, the conductor, described it as вЂњabsurd comedy.вЂќ

MozartвЂ™s Italian-language вЂњCosi fan tutteвЂќ - first performed in 1790 - was his lighthearted take on the merry-go-round of human relationships. There will be no choir on the stage but its singing will be heard through a prerecorded performance. Face masks are strongly recommended, though not compulsory. Performed on the Helsinki Opera HouseвЂ™s main stage, only 650 spectators will be allowed inside, half the venueвЂ™s capacity. The opera will be put on under strict distancing rules. вЂњWithout humour, these extraordinary times would have been very hard to take,вЂќ said soprano Karita Mattila, who will sing the role of a maid, Despina, a character from MozartвЂ™s classic who is now navigating her way through the pandemic. The artists say the work doesnвЂ™t aim to make fun of a human tragedy. The Finnish-language production that premieres Friday conveys вЂњscenes from the coronavirus springвЂќ in Finland with a look at social isolation, job losses and travel restrictions, among other topics. The 100-minute piece вЂњCovid fan tutteвЂќ is meant as a satirical adaptation of the Austrian composerвЂ™s classic вЂњCosi fan tutte.вЂќ

After being forced to cancel all its spring performances due to the coronavirus pandemic, FinlandвЂ™s National Opera is opening this fall with an opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart featuring a topical twist: a story line that plays off of the Nordic countryвЂ™s outbreak.

Amadeus laughing