Yesterday’s telecast of Mozart’s opera epitomizes the dilemma facing the Metropolitan Opera and other major opera companies – how to offer the public something new that it will accept. Because no opera has entered the standard repertory in more than half a century and because writing great operas that command a large audience seems a lost art The Met and its like serve up the lesser efforts of great composers in an attempt at novelty. Opera seria was passé long before Mozart wrote La Clemenza di Tito. He composed it for Prague at a commission twice what he would have received in Vienna. First performed in September of 1791 just a few months before his death and when most of The Magic Flute had already been written it’s either Mozart’s last or next to last opera depending on how you wish to place it. Until recently most musicologists considered it second rate Mozart. Recent attempts to rehabilitate it are, in my opinion, futile. Mozart did it for the money and used an outdated form because that was what was wanted. Antonio Salieri likely could have done as well. If he had, no one would perform the work.
Consider the other operas that Mozart wrote over the last five years of his life: Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosí fan tutte, and The Magic Flute. These are among the supreme achievements in the genre.Take Mozart’s name off the score and total oblivion would be the fate of La Clemenza di Tito. Nevertheless the Met gave the work everything it had.
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s 1984 production (the first appearance of Tito at the Met) still looks grand. There’s not much one can say about the staging as nothing much happens. Using 18th century costume’s for a story take takes place in first century Rome did not distract. The plot is a rather sterile paean to monarchy. It’s as tedious as most of the music. The cast was uniformly fine. Elena Garanca in a role originally sung by a castrato looked handsome and sang with style and beauty as Sesto the attempted murderer of the emperor Titus who gets forgiven along with his (Sesto’s) amorata Vitella sung by Barbara Frittoli. Sesto gets the opera’s best known number – ‘Parto, parto, ma tu, ben mio’. Vitella has ‘Non più di fiori’. If you didn’t know these arias going into the show you likely didn’t leave with them in your head. Both women navigated their difficult music with aplomb.
Tenor Giuseppe Filianoti sang the title role. This part is surprisingly small. Filianoti has a smallish voice which would be stressed by any part larger than Nemorino. He handled his bland role well except for one or two forced high notes. Kate Lindsey continues to impress; she was in another pants part which seems to be her fate at the Met. Conductor Harry Bicket who specializes in baroque and rococo music did as well as could be expected with the score. Video director Barbara Willis Sweete seems to be getting better at telecasting these stagings. As it’s hard to get emotionally involved with this opera the viewer may become desensitized to extreme close-ups. In summary, even Mozart could have an off day.
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO
Mozart-Mazzolà
Tito…………………..Giuseppe Filianoti
Vitellia……………….Barbara Frittoli
Sesto………………….Elina Garanca
Servilia……………….Lucy Crowe
Annio………………….Kate Lindsey
Publio…………………Oren Gradus
Berenice……………….Toni Rubio
Bradley Brookshire, Harpsichord Continuo
Anthony McGill, Clarinet Soloist
James Ognibene, Basset Horn Soloist
David Heiss, Cello Continuo
Conductor………………Harry Bicket
Production……………..Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Designer……………….Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Lighting designer……….Gil Wechsler
Stage Director………….Peter McClintock
TV Director…………….Barbara Willis Sweete
