La Clemenza di Tito

This Mozart opera is an odd piece with an odd history. It was composed at the end of his life, simultanous with the Magic Flute. But it was an obligation, not a choice. It had an imposed libretto and was intended for a major Esterhazy event. Haydn would have been obliged to do it if he hadn’t been in England, and many other composers turned it down. Mozart’s finances did not permit him to say no. If I remember he had only a few weeks to do it.

The opera has some very good parts, but a lot of filler, so it is hard to get into. It occurred to me that it might be possible to fix it. (Years ago I did something for the sequence of items in act II of the Magic Flute.) When I started working, it was surprisingly clear what had to happen. So clear that you might say that Mozart intended it to be fixed. In any case, this hangs together surprisingly well and helps make a case for the opera. Perhaps many other people have already done this, but I have no way to know. What I hacked up was the Jean-Pierre Ponnelle version on Unitel. Please try this link.

Originally published at http://ontheoutside.blog on December 6, 2024.