The weather couldn’t have been better on Friday evening as I made my way to the stunning Wormsley estate for the opening of Garsington Opera’s 2015 season.

The 26th open air opera festival opened with a spectacular production of Cosi fan tutte, an Italian language opera in two parts by Mozart.

With overhead supertitles, the performance tells the story of two sisters, Fiordiligi (Andreea Soare) and Dorabella (Kathryn Rudge) and their lovers, soldiers Guglielmo (Ashley Riches) and Ferrando (Robin Tritschler).

While attending a military wedding, the men’s officer, Don Alfonso (Neal Davies), who believes a faithful woman does not exist, challenges them to test their girlfriend’s commitment by pretending to leave for war.

As the men ‘leave’, they disguise themselves as two Albanian visitors, intent on getting their lovers to fall for the strangers.

With the help of Despina (Lesley Garrett) the cheeky wedding planner, Don Alfonso keeps up the charade until the girls succumb to the strangers’ charms and secret is eventually revealed. But what will the consequences of this cruel trick be?

The performance is so varied, it keeps you hooked on the stage. Act I is full of laughter and fun, but act II conveys much more of the girls’ pain and anguish.

The story has been modified slightly from Mozart’s original, which gives it a more modern feel and there’s plenty of funny moments to keep the audience laughing.

The sets were fantastic and the intricate, elaborate hairstyles and beautiful costumes were superb.

The musical performances were breathtaking; each of the main characters had an incredibly strong voice which left you with goose bumps as they sang. Kathryn Rudge was a sparkling and feisty Dorabella, Andreea Soare, a gentle Fiordiligi.

And of course, it was a pleasure to watch the wonderful Lesley Garrett perform on stage. Her voice is magnificent and her character Despina added lots of humour.

The Garsington Orchestra, under the direction of conductor Douglas Boyd, worked in perfect harmony with the singers on stage.

When I interviewed executive director, Nicky Creed, she told me it was going to be a magical experience. And she was right. It truly was an incredible, breathtaking evening.

She told how “people can see and feel the magic and the glow of the sunset and the birds begin to sing” and it was exactly as she predicted.

Attention has been paid to every little detail and I was left truly amazed by what I had just seen on the stage. And if you have never been to the opera before, Garsington is the perfect place to start.

While there is lots going on inside, the performance often spills over into the magical gardens outside – you see characters running off into the distance or tipsy wedding guests stumbling towards the stage.

The spectacular Wormsley estate was decked out with tents, tables and candles and the 80-minute interval was ideal for a picnic and to explore the beautiful grounds. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get dressed up in your finery and enjoy some champagne.

Garsington Opera’s 26th season runs until July 18. Visit www.garsingtonopera.org.uk for more information.