A Buxton International Festival Concert Performance, featuring the Buxton International Festival Orchestra
What is it that drives Sextus to make an attempt on the life of his dearest friend, the emperor Titus? And what brings Titus to forgive him? Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, premiered in Prague where Austria’s Emperor Leopold II was crowned King of Bohemia, glorifies absolutism and the benevolent ruler.
The opera seria unfolds against the backdrop of ancient Rome. Emperor Tito, renowned for his benevolence and clemency, grapples with political intrigue and personal conflicts. The narrative takes a thrilling turn as Tito faces betrayal from those closest to him, including his closest friend Sesto and the enigmatic Vitellia. The opera reaches its climax with Tito’s struggle to balance mercy and justice, culminating in a powerful display of forgiveness and redemption.
Today, this work fascinates us for the way in which Mozart broke free from the formal constraints of opera seria and wrote music of a poignancy which is indistinguishable from the rest of the glorious output at the end of his short life.
Libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Pietro Metastasio
Sung in Italian with English side-titles
Duration: 2 hours, including a 20-minute interval
CREATIVE TEAM
Adrian Kelly Conductor
Corina Wuersch Director
CAST
Xavier Más Tito
Maria Stella Maurizi Vitellia
Indyana Schneider Sesto
Frances Gregory Annio
Jessica Lawley Servillia
