As part of the Opera Out of Opera 2 project, ‘Da Ponte by Mozart’ brings opera back to ESMAE. The production ‘Da Ponte by Mozart’ is the collaborative and co-created work of several institutions that are part of an international consortium - O.O.O.2 (Opera Out of Opera 2) - which includes Higher Education Institutions of Music and Dramatic Art, such as: Conservatorio Santa Cecilia, Rome; Mozarteum, University of Salzburg, Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espetáculo, P.PORTO, KHIO Oslo, Wallmuse, France and Nova Opera, Ukraine. The ‘Da Ponte by Mozart’ project is intended to be a testimony to the lasting relevance of Mozart‘s and Da Ponte’s artistic and political legacy in terms of addressing significant themes such as gender and social class relations, which, when emphasised in this co-creation process, resulted in the unification of three works by Da Ponte and Mozart through a meta-story called: The Life of a Seducer. This concept was devised on the basis of Lorenzo Da Ponte's interviews, documents and memories of his final days in New York, and the collective reflection that resulted provided a unique perspective on the collaborations between Mozart and Da Ponte by exploring and deepening the creative process they developed and the lasting appeal resulting from these works. In essence, the ‘Da Ponte by Mozart’ project aims to emphasise the most flagrant aspects of the feudal system through the narrative of a man who exercises his power in order to subjugate others. During the co-creation process, this theme was explored through three key excerpts from Mozart's operas and Da Ponte, each of which highlights various dimensions of the seducer's social and personal misbehaviour. Through the innovative use of digital technologies and a focus on interactive engagement with the audience, this project not only honours the artistic legacy of Da Ponte and Mozart, but also makes the opera more alive and meaningful for contemporary audiences, reflecting on current political issues and universal conflicts. By exploring themes of power, privilege and gender, it offers a powerful reflection on human behaviour and the social flaws that underlie it, making it a compelling and thought-provoking undertaking. Life of a Seducer’ is divided into three parts: PART I - Don Giovanni or The abuse of power; PART II - Le Nozze di Figaro or The midlife crisis; and PART III, Così fan tutte or Blame the women. Così fan tutte - Blamethe Women, which will be presented at 19h00 on 26th October at the Helena Sá e Costa Theatre - ESMAE P. PORTO, explores love deception and highlights issues related to infidelity and expectations of the role of women in society. In the words of the director, António Durães: "In love and convinced of the reciprocity of that passion, the young soldiers Guglielmo and Ferrando love the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, young girls in their 15s. One night, fuelled by the ethyl charge of an evening that is a launch pad for twenty-four dizzying hours, they bet with a philosopher called Don Alfonso on the strength of this fidelity. For 24 hours, under Don Alfonso's guidance and in order to fulfil their contract, the two boys, with Despina's help, question this fidelity. And that's what the work is about: the themes of infidelity, questioning the institution of romantic love that nourished the well-thinking society of the time, which meant that it was only later that this opera was recognised as the masterpiece that it truly is. The levels of knowledge and awareness of the lie being played (today we might call it fake news) vary and expose the female universe in a very crude way, whatever that means. In the end, after 24 hours on the speedway that is this strange circus track, everything is put back together and the universe aligns itself as if nothing had happened. But what did happen?" The Coordinator and Artistic Director of ESMAE Opera Studio and ESMAE Artistic Coordinator of O.O.O.2 Head of the Vocal Studies Professor Coordinator António Salgado