La Clemenza di Tito

"La Clemenza di Tito" was Mozart's last stage work. It was commissioned for an Imperial coronation ceremony while Mozart was at work on "Die Zauberflöte" and was composed in great haste. Indeed, time was so short that composition of the secco recitatives was assigned to Mozart's pupil Süssmayr. As in the earlier "Idomeneo", Mozart sought to produce an opera seria that was dramatically viable. He enlisted the poet Mazzolà to substantially revise the Metastasio libretto, which had already been set some fifty times. The number of arias was reduced from 25 to 11, and ensembles and choruses were added to enliven the proceedings. Though perhaps not the very top-drawer Mozart, the music is wonderful.

Country:

Austria

Genre:

Duration:

136 minutes

Year:

1980

Director:

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle

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Company:

Deutsche Grammophon

Cast:

Tito

Sesto

Vitellia

Annio

Servilia

Crew:

Director

Compositor