‘A palid affair,” and “a bland blancmange” were two of the descriptions applied to Glyndebourne’s current Così fan tutte when it first appeared in 2006. But it’s not like that any more – as revived by Glyndebourne on Tour this year, both these criticisms are comprehensively trounced.

Certainly, the period setting and costumes (designer, Vicki Mortimer) are coolly elegant, if that’s what is meant by “pallid”. You will not find Fiordiligi and Dorabella lounging about on Mediterranean beaches in bikinis as they pine for their fiancés, who have supposedly been sent off to war – but who will soon return in disguise, to test the ladies’ fidelity. As for “bland blancmange”, Così contains a number of strange contradictions, and the ending is notoriously hard to fathom; a director can dig deep into these matters, or concentrate on the comedy.

Revival director Ashley Dean chooses an ideal course. He delicately points up the comedy: as Fiordiligi and Dorabella’s new admirers start to cosy up, Dorabella allows her suitor to lean just that little bit closer, while Fiordiligi keeps hers a couple of inches further away. Thus you discover that Dorabella could be the first to yield to temptation.

But above all Dean allows Mozart’s music and da Ponte’s libretto to speak for themselves, thus making full use of the quality cast available. I’ve never heard a Così where the singers blend so well with each other, yet contrast when necessary. As Ferrando and Guglielmo, Andrew Tortise and Jacques Imbrailo are properly macho, but also sing with great tenderness.

Gillian Ramm and Lucia Cirillo present Fiordiligi and Dorabella as skittish characters, with Ramm expertly altering her voice and body language as Fiordiligi begins to realise that she has bitten off more than she wants to chew.

Riccardo Novaro (a truly superb Papageno at Garsington a few years ago) is a Don Alfonso who manages to look upstanding and elegant, yet distinctly seedy at the same time. His voice turns more and more cynical as events unfold: you would certainly not buy a second-hand pistol from this man. In her first major Mozart role, Simona Mihai is a distinctly forward, characterful Despina, and really does appear to be completely different people when disguised as a dodgy doctor, or a fake lawyer. Hers is a name to watch.

Superb work on stage is matched by conductor Leo McFall, and the Glyndebourne on Tour Orchestra. Whatever it may have been before, this Così is now a top-class piece of work.

There is another performance tomorrow. Glyndebourne on Tour also stages Jenufa tonight, and Falstaff on Saturday. Tickets 0844 871 7652 or online (www.ambassadortickets.com/miltonkeynes).