This is a complete studio recording CD of Mozart's last opera.

LA CLEMENZA DI TITO is Mozart's last opera (started after 'Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)' but finished before). It is an improved seria, really. Quite concise at a bit over 2 hrs in length while containing 4 of the greatest arias Mozart ever composed (Parto, ma tu ben mio, Deh. per questo istante solo, Non più di fiori, and Se all'impero).

There are also wonderful ensemble pieces like the very cute Act I love duet between Annio and Servilia, 'Ah, perdona al primo affetto', and the little gem of friendship duet between Sesto and Annio. There are also 3 jaw dropping trios (Vengo, Aspetato! in Act I and se al volto/rammenta chi t'adora and Quello di Tito in Act II). These are treacherous for the soprano (or mezzo) singing Vitellia. Her tessitura (average pitch) jumps all over the places from the bottom G to the top D almost 3 octave above.

Synopsis:
Tito Vespasiano is the Roman emperor whose rise to power came at the courtesy of the assassination of Vitelia's father. Vitellia is angry that Tito has repeatedly chosen other women to be his wife, so she orders her lover Sesto (also Tito's friend) to assassinate the emperor against Sesto's own wish. But just after Sesto took off to do the deed the news arrives that Tito had changed his mind and chosen her as his consort after all. Too late, Sesto torched the Capital and stabbed Tito (turns out to be someone else tho). He is caught and confessed to the crime without implicating Vitellia. This guilts Vitellia into confessing her part in an effort to spare Sesto from the death sentence. Tito then exercises his merciless mercy and pardons all involved... saying he'd rather be accused of mercy than of severity.

CAST:
Tito (the merciful to a fault Roman Emperor): Anthony Rolfe-Johnson (Tenor)
Vitellia (Sesto's lover, but wants to marry Tito): Julia Varady (Soprano)
Sesto (Tito's friend and Vitellia's lover): Anne-Sofie von Otter (Mezzo-soprano)
Annio (Sesto's friend): Catherine Robbins (Mezzo-soprano)
Servilia (Sesto's siste and Annio's girl-friend): Sylvia McNair (Soprano)
Publio (Tito's Captain of the Guards): Cornelius Hauptmann (Bass)
John Eliot Gardinor/ The English Baroque Soloists (period instruments)

This in one of the best musical performance of this opera on CD. The 2 leads of Sesto and Vitellia are marvellously sung by the Swedish mezzo Anne-Sofie von Otter and the English soprano Julia Varady. They cope effortlessly with the difficult music. Ms Von Otter's voice is radiant and noble sounding, very fitting for Sesto as he is a nobleman. Though not known for her lower range, she doesn't sound strain in Sesto's admittedly few low passages. She is very decisive in the coloratura run that closes Sesto's Act I aria, and is particularly effective in the ensemble piece Deh, conservate, o Dei! that closes Act I.

Julia Varady's Vitellia is as menacing as her dark-voice, conveying vividly her obsession and frustrations in her singing. The wide range and wild tessitura reveals no weakness in this singer's vocal arsenal. A beautiful performance of one of the best Vitellia on record!

The English tenor Anthony Rolfe-Johnson is one of the best Tito on record. This is a rather thankless role... a well sung Tito won't steal a show unless the 2 female leads are sufficiently bad. But in the company of 2 stellar Sesto and Vitellia, Rolf-Johnson's Tito holds his own and refuses to escape notice. His voice is expressive and brings subtlety to each of Tito's 3 arias. And the florid 'Se all'impero doesn't strain him.

Catherine Robbins is a noble and stable Annio, though not very ardent in the love duet in act I. Sylvia McNair is a luxury casting in the role of Servilia. She only has 1 real aria, 'S'altro che lacrime' (where Servilia pleads with Vitellia to do more than shedding tears for her brother Sesto) but she makes the most of it with her gorgeous lyrical voice.

John Eliot Gardiner moves the show along at a very brisk pace, not allowing for much exploration of the drama of the piece. His period instruments orchestra sounds idiomatic and supports the singers well, tho.

This is one of the best recordings of this opera around. The recitative are rather long, tho (and boring, being composed by Süssmayr and not Mozart). But then that's when the FF button comes in handy, ay?

2 CDs with booklet containing libretto in Italian and English.

Review of other Mozart opera:
Apollo et Hyacinthus (Salzburg 2006), Ascanio in Alba (Salzburg 2006), Bastien und Bastienne/Der Schauspieldirektor (Salzburg 2006), La clemenza di Tito (Salzburg 2003), La clemenza di Tito (Zürich 2005), La clemenza di Tito (Munich 2006), La clemenza di Tito (JE Gardiner), Cosi fan tutte (Ponnelle film), Don Giovanni (Met 2000), Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Salzburg 1998), La finta giardiniera (Salzburg 2006), La finta semplice (Salzburg 2006), Idomeneo (Salzburg 2006), Idomeneo (Met 198-), Lucio Silla (Salzburg 2006), Mitridate (Salzburg 1997), Mitridate (Rousset), Le nozze di Figaro (live performance- SDO 2007), Die Zauberflöte (ROH 2001), Die Zauberflöte (Modena 2005), Die Zauberflöte (Zürich 1999)

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Waking up