 
Heinrich Spängler
Helga Rabl-Stadler
Entführung
Masterpiece
Don Carlo
La Clemenza di Tito
The concerts
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W.A. Mozart
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO
A coronation opera at the time of the French Revolution
Re-worked as a real opera by Mr. Mazzolà” – with this compliment to his librettist, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart made an entry in his Thematic catalogue about the first performance of the opera seria La clemenza di Tito on 6 September 1791 on the occasion of the coronation of Emperor Leopold II as King of Bohemia in Prague.
Based on one of the most popular opera libretti
Mozart’s praise for Caterino Mazzolà is all the more remarkable
in that the opera was based on one of the most popular libretti by the
highly acclaimed poet Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782), known in his time
as poeta caesarea.
It was first performed in Vienna in 1734 to music by Antonio Caldara for
the name day of Emperor Karl VI and was set to music over forty times
before Mozart turned his attention to it. Mazzolà adhered largely
to Metastasio’s original text but abridged it from three to two
acts and dispensed with subplots. He also cut several solo arias, replacing
them with a considerable number of ensembles and thus produced a work
that was undoubtedly perfectly suited to Mozart the opera dramatist. A
new interpretation of the text was created which in the late 18th century
discussion about ruling powers could claim to be very topical.
Is Titus too generous?
By making the plot more concise the basic idea of the piece comes even
more strongly to the fore than was originally the case – namely
to follow the example of virtuous rule praised since antiquity, clementia
– clemency. For instance, Titus renounced his beloved Jewess Berenice
because of reasons of state, and he showed mercy on Sextus who betrayed
him, as well as forgiving Vitellia who was obsessed with power. In all
cases Titus acted with the well-being of everyone in mind rather than
considering only himself and showed that private interests no longer played
a role for him. According to the Mozart researcher Stefan Kunze he is
such a “paragon of goodness”, that he had in effect already
abdicated as a ruler.
At best he was still a symbol of state in human form, and, taking up an
idea of Goethe, appears to resemble the King of France, who regarded himself
as an abuse”.
Rudolf Hradil, Salzburg
from the Mönchsberg, 1999
Coronation opera for Leopold II
Such a primary servant of the state does, however, through voluntary renunciation, have even less power than was conceded to the Bourbon king in the epoch-making French constitution of 1791 in which the contract of power established the constitutional monarchy and was passed by the French national assembly only three days before Leopold II was crowned in Prague. It is hardly surprising that Mozart’s coronation opera was well received by music-lovers in Prague but not by the court. According to contemporary reports, “the negative reception of Mozart’s composition was due to prejudice”.
Robert Maschka
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
La clemenza di Tito
New production
Conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Stage director Martin Kušej
Stage design Jens Kilian
Costumes Bettina Walter
Lighting design Reinhard Traub
Chorus master Rupert Huber
Tito Vespasiano Michael Schade
Vitellia Tamar Iveri
Servilia Barbara Bonney
Sesto Vesselina Kasarova
Annio Elina Garanca
Publio Luca Pisaroni
Vienna Philharmonic
Concert Association of the
Vienna State Opera Chorus
Felsenreitschule
Premiere
Wednesday 6 August 6.30 p.m.
Further performances
Saturday 9 August 6.30 p.m.
Friday 15 August 6.30 p.m.
Tuesday 19 August 6.30 p.m.
Sunday 24 August 7.30 p.m.
Tuesday 26 August 3.00 p.m.
Thursday 28 August 6.30 p.m.
Tickets are available from the Ticket Office
of the Salzburg Festival in the following price categories:
€ 45 / 65 / 90 / 140 / 210 / 270 / 350
Telephone: 0043 662 8045-500
Telefax: 0043 662 8045-555
E-mail: info@salzburgfestival.at