Mozart Opera Premieres

La Clemenza di Tito is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and tells a tale of love, war and intrigues around Vitellia, daughter of the late emperor Vitellio, and Tito Vespasian, Roman Emperor. It was written after the completion of the genius The Magic Flute, but premiered a few weeks earlier than the composer's most famous and beloved opera, on 6 September 1791.The Orchestra & Chorus of the Opéra National de Paris perform the La Clemenza di Tito under the baton of conductor Sylvain Cambreling. Stage directors Karl-Ernst Herrmann and Ursel Herrmann masterfully revisited this hidden gem to create an elevated version of the opera. Recorded 2007 in Paris.

Commissioned for the coronation of Leopold II in Prague, Mozart's last opera, La clemenza di Tito, is a deep, humane reflection on relationships, power and forgiveness. With the composition of some of the most beautiful passages in his oeuvre, Mozart has succeeded in giving this opera seria both a noble sobriety and transparent instrumentation, to which this commanding production by the Hermann partnership does full justice on all levels. Susan Graham's most extraordinary Sesto and Christoph Prégardien's superb Tito set the standard for this riveting Opéra National de Paris performance, conducted by the outstanding Sylvain Cambreling. This 2005 performance of the opera at the Palais Garnier in Paris features the brilliant soloists Susan Graham, Catherine Naglestad, Lorenzo Regazzo, Hannah Esther Minutillo, Ekaterina Siurina, Roland Bracht and Christoph Pregardien.

Mozart left his Singspiel Zaide unfinished, but its wonderful music is most definitely still worth performing. And which director is better suited to staging this tale of slavery and love than Peter Sellars, who is famous for the tremendous passion with which he confronts political and intercultural questions in his productions and interprets classical operas in altogether convincing ways? “In Zaide”, Sellars insists, “Mozart was attempting to construct a musical and dramatic bridge between Europe and the Muslim world, replacing the ‘menace’ perceived on both sides with mercy and compassion.” In this 2008 concert from the Aix-en-Provence Festival, the Camerata Salzburg performs the diamond in the rough under the baton of conductor Louis Langrée, accompanied by the Choir Ibn Zaïdoun and several wonderful soloists.