CCCXXI. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus: La Clemenza di Tito

CCCXXI. MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791)

La Clemenza di Tito (1791)
Gregory Kunde, Tito
Carmen Giannattasio, Vitiellia
Sarah Connolly, Sesto
Anna Stephany, Annio
Amel Brahim-Djelloul, Servilia
Darren Jeffery, Publio
London Symphony Orchestra
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
Sir Colin Davis, cond.
(2:27:39)

• Mozart's last opera, composed just months before his death.
• Supposedly written in 18 days.
• The recitatives are probably by Süssmayr.
• Mozart's dear friend, the clarinet virtuoso Anton Stadler, travelled with him to Prague for the premiere and Mozart wrote two terrific obliggato parts for him (#9 and #23).

Overture

Place and time: Ancient Rome, Year 79

Act One

Vitellia, daughter of the late emperor Vitellio (who has been desposed by Tito's father, Vespasian),wants revenge against Tito. She stirs up Tito's vacillating friend Sesto, who is in love with her, to act against him:

1. Duet: Come ti piace, imponi

But when she hears word that Tito has sent Berenice of Cilicia, of whom she was jealous, back to Jerusalem, Vitellia tells Sesto to delay carrying out her wishes, hoping Tito will choose her (Vitellia) as his empress:

2. Aria: Deh, se piacer mi vuoi

Tito, however, decides to choose Sesto's sister Servilia to be his empress, and orders Annio (Sesto's friend) to bear the message to Servilia:

6. Aria: Del più sublime soglio

Since Annio and Servilia, unbeknownst to Tito, are in love, this news is very unwelcome to both:

7. Duet: Ah, perdona al primo affetto

Servilia decides to tell Tito the truth but also says that if Tito still insists on marrying her, she will obey. Tito thanks the gods for Servilia's truthfulness, and immediately forswears the idea of coming between her and Annio:

8. Aria: Ah, se fosse intorno al trono

In the meantime, however, Vitellia has heard the news about Tito's interest in Servilia and is again boiling with jealousy. She urges Sesto to assassinate Tito. He agrees, singing one of the opera's most famous arias:

9. Aria: Parto, parto, ma tu, be mio

Almost as soon as he leaves, Annio and the guard Publio arrive to escort Vitellia to Tito, who has now chosen her as his empress. She is torn with feelings of guilt and worry over what she has sent Sesto to do.

Sesto, meanwhile, is at the Capitol wrestling with his conscience:

11. Oh Dei, che smania è questa

as he and accomplices go about to burn it down. The other characters (except Tito) enter severally and react with horror to the burning Capitol. Sesto reenters and announces that he saw Tito slain, but Vitellia stops him from incriminating himself as the assassin. The others lament Tito in a slow, mournful conclusion to Act One.

Act Two

begins with Annio telling Sesto that Emperor Tito is in fact alive and hs just been seen; in the smoke and chaos, Sesto mistook another for Tito. Sesto wants to leave Rome, but Annio persuades him not to:

13. Aria: Torna di Tito a lato

Soon Publio arrives to arrest Sesto, bearing the news that it was one of Sesto's co-conspirators who dressed himself in Tito's robes and was stabbed, though not mortally, by Sesto. The Senate tries Sesto as Tito waits impatiently, sure that his friend will be exonerated; Publio express his doubts:

16. Aria: Tardi s'avvede d'un tradimento

and leaves for the Senate. Annio begs Tito to show clemency towards his friend:

17. Aria: Tu fosti tradito

Publio returns and announces that Sesto has been found guilty and an anguished Tito must sign Sesto's death sentence.

He decides to send for Sesto first, attempting to obtain further details about the plot. Sesto takes all the guilt on himself and says he deserves death:

19. Aria: Deh, per questo istante solo

so Tito tells him he shall have it and sends him away. But after an extended internal struggle, Tito tears up the execution warrant for Sesto. He determines that, if the world wishes to accuse him (Tito) of anything, it should charge him with showing too much mercy, rather than with having a vengeful heart:

20. Aria: Se all'impero

Vitellia at this time is torn by guilt, but Servilia warns her that tears alone will not save Sesto:

21. S'altro che lagrime

Vitellia finally decides to confess all to Tito, giving up her hopes of empire:

23. Rondo: Non più di fiori

In the amphitheatre, the condemned (including Sesto) are waiting to be thrown to the wild beasts. Tito is about to show mercy, when Vitellia offers her confession as the instigator of Sesto's plot. Although shocked, the emperor includes her in the general clemency he offers:

25. Recitativo: Ma che giorno è mai questo?

The opera concludes with all the subjects praising the extreme generosity of Tito; he then asks that the gods cut short his days, should he ever cease to care for the good of Rome.