"[T]here is one piece of music above all others that inspires me in my work and that I listen to a great deal when writing. This is the trio "Soave Sia Il Vento" from Mozart's "Così Fan Tutte."
It is a morally disturbing opera. Two young women are saying goodbye to lovers who are about to deceive them in a way that will reveal the women's own weakness. Nasty and cynical things are about to happen, yet Mozart graces a grubby tale of deception and inconstancy with a score that soars effortlessly above the libretto's limitations.
Not only is this one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever composed, but the words are extraordinarily peaceful, generous and resolved. "On your voyage, may the winds be gentle; may the waves be calm; may all the elements respond to your desires…" What more can we wish anyone setting off on life's journey? I listen to this several times a day; I never tire of it. It is music suffused with the greatest possible sympathy and humanity. It expresses what I want to feel about the world. It is the deepest truth."
Three minutes of peace and beauty, from Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte:
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