An exquisite blend of farce and irony, coupled with one of the most beautiful scores in the operatic repertoire, made Cosi Fan Tutte a hit when it premiered in 1790.

More than two centuries later, it continues to enjoy immense popularity and is considered by some to mark the peak of its composer's creative genius.

Fresh from a successful run at the London Coliseum, English National Opera brings Mozart's best-loved opera to the Brighton Festival for a one-off concert.

"When I book a popular piece of classical music, I try to bring world-class performers to Brighton," says Gill Kay, classical music programmer for the festival.

"That way, people can experience the works they know and love being played by the best performers around."

With vibrant vocal performances from internationally-acclaimed lead singers and Edward Gardner, the music director of Glyndebourne Touring Opera, conducting the orchestra you'd be hard-pressed to assemble a more talented company.

However, budget restrictions and the limited size of the stage in the Concert Hall, means Brighton audiences will not witness the full set and lavish costumes which London crowds were privileged to see.

"Unfortunately, we simply don't have the room or the money for all of that," Gill admits. "But what we can do is bring the whole company down to Brighton so what you hear on the night is Cosi Fan Tutte as performed by the English National Opera at the Coliseum."

A comedy of manners with a sting in its tail, Cosi is the story of two young men driven by jealousy to test their lovers' fidelity. Pretending they have been called away on military service, they disguise themselves as romantic strangers and embark on a dangerous game of seduction, destined to do more harm than good.

"The wonderful thing about Cosi is that they story's still relevant today," says Gill. "People still fall in and out of love they still get double-crossed."

Cosi Fan Tutte is also widely praised for being among Mozart's most beautiful and accessible works the perfect introduction to operatic music for the wary novice.

"If anyone is unsure about whether or not they like classical music, Mozart is a great place to start," says Gill.

"There's nothing abrasive about his work and he has a wonderful knack for creating with his music the kind of emotion you can feel in the pit of your stomach. It's these emotions which drive the story on, affecting the audience the same way a cinematic score does."

Unfortunately for some, Cosi Fan Tutte's popularity does mean tickets for the opera are likely to be scarce. But 2006 is a big anniversary year on the Mozart calendar and there are bound to be more performances on the way.

"Mozart has always been very popular and he always will be," says Gill. "His work is so great that, here we are, all these years later, still listening to it and still loving it."

Starts 6pm, tickets £30/£25/£20/£15/£10.