Mozart's take on the young and the reckless

DIRECTOR Tom Hawkes is not short of praise when it comes to Mozart's opera Cosi Fan Tutte. To him, it contains some of the best music by the renowned composer - including one piece in particular which he wants played at his own funeral.

That would be Soave sia il vento (May the wind be gentle) from the first act, where two young men are sent off in a boat. He says it is an inexplicably "sublime" piece of music despite only being a few lines long. "I intend to have it at my funeral so that when my spirit goes forth into the unknown, it will be to the sound of Mozart's wonderful music," says the British-born freelance theatre director with a chuckle. He has already directed this particular opera eight times all over the world in his 40-year career.

So it's not surprising that he was more than happy to take up the job when the Singapore Lyric Opera approached him to direct its production which is performed at the Esplanade Theatre this weekend.