Absence of directorial ego pays dividends in Glyndebourne's fine production of Cosi Fan Tutte. By allowing Mozart and his librettist Da Ponte to make their case in what is on some levels a traditional staging, Nicholas Hytner draws his audience more deeply and surely into the opera's layers and fragilities than the more imposed and self-conscious approach favoured in some productions. In the closing ensemble, the six principals tell us that calm and reason will guide humans through all emotional challenges. But as they stare at each other with wild surmise, it is clear that these young lovers are the opposite of calm and have just been through an experience that is anything but reasonable.

The most important cast change in this revival of Hytner's 2006 production is the arrival of Alfonso Antoniozzi in the pivotal role of Don Alfonso, the rationalist who sets out to debunk the young people's idealised view of sex, love and trust. Antoniozzi's Alfonso is no stock cynic; he is anguished as he draws the lovers into his schemes, but he brings to the plot a required backbone that was lacking last year.

Ainhoa Garmendia reprises her exemplary and assured Despina, but otherwise all the principals are new. The young men are especially strong. Pavol Breslik proves Ferrando is most effective when sung by a tenor with more vocal weight than is fashionable, while Stéphane Degout brought baritonal sensuality to Guglielmo's role. Rinat Shaham was his perfect counterpart as Dorabella, while Rachel Harnisch was as affectingly sincere a Fiordiligi as one could wish, although she struggled to project the dazzling soprano writing that ought to be one of the glories of any Cosi. In the pit, Robin Ticciati took time to relax but he drew satisfying period sounds from the London Philharmonic and was sensitive to his singers. An auspicious Glyndebourne debut to cap a don't-miss show.