Ravinia 2022, Issue 4

provided more definitive information about the opera selection and composer: “The Es- tates chose the opera known as La clemenza di Tito by Abbé Metastasio; they let the compos- er Herr Wolfgang Mozart from the imperial court provide the music expressly for it.” The Estates’ selection of operatic subject mat- ter—the Roman emperor Titus Vespasianus— was deliberate and self-serving. Before be- coming emperor, Titus had distinguished himself as a military leader, suppressing the Jewish rebellion in Judea, sacking Jerusalem, and destroying the Second Temple. His broth- er, the eventual Emperor Domitian, com- memorated these exploits with the construc- tion of the magnificent, ornate Arch of Titus in Rome, which provided a model for the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. While in Judea, Titus fell in love with Berenice, the sister of Herod Agrippa II. The couple returned to Rome in 75 CE and lived openly as future royals. The Roman people disapproved of a “foreign queen” and eventually forced her expulsion. As emperor, Titus proved surprisingly patient, compassionate, and generous for a former military commander, earning the love and ad- miration of the Roman people. The Bohemian Estates hoped that producing a Titus opera would convey to Leopold II their desire for a similarly benevolent leader. Titus died of fever only two years into his imperial reign—ac- cording to legend, God’s retaliation for his de- struction of the Second Temple. Leopold II similarly served a tragically short term as em- peror, dying of pleurisy on March 1, 1792. Guardasoni enlisted the poet and librettist Caterino Mazzolà—the pro tempore poet at the imperial court in Vienna—to reshape Metastasio’s almost 60-year-old play into a contemporary opera seria libretto in collab- oration with Mozart. The composer and poet shortened some prose text used for dialogue (recitative), replaced others with “action en- sembles” (chorus, trio, sextet), reduced three acts into two, substituted newly written po- etry for Metastasio’s verse (aria), reordered some of the scenes to shift dramatic moments The National Theater in Prague toward the end of each act, and added a major character—the Roman populace. Watermarks on Mozart’s manuscript paper have greatly aided in establishing a chronolo- gy of the compositional process. He wrote several numbers not dependent on knowledge of individual voices, specifically ensemble numbers, in Vienna before leaving for Prague with his wife Constanze and the composer and copyist Franz Xaver Süssmayr on Au- gust 19 or 20. Mozart also drafted solo num- bers for Antonio Baglioni, the tenor cast in the role of Titus—the only solo voice he knew well, since Baglioni had created the role of Don Ottavio for the premiere of Don Giovan- ni in Prague. The aria “Non più di Fiori,” which soprano Josepha Duschek premiered in Prague on April 26, 1791, was incorporated in the opera as an aria for Vitellia toward the end of Act Two, suggesting to some scholars that Mozart had begun writing La clemenza di Tito before receiving the commission. Arriving in Prague on August 28, Mozart fi- nally gained access to the other solo singers, allowing him to tailor the remaining solo numbers and ensembles to their voices. His protégé Süssmayr wrote the recitatives. The overture was a last-minute composition, and Mozart apparently continued to touch up the score until the day before the coronation cer- emony on September 6. A free production of La clemenza di Tito took place later in the evening and attracted a sizeable crowd. The subsequent ticketed performances did not sell well. Audience reaction was mixed. The Em- press Maria Luisa reported to her daughter, the Archduchess Maria Theresa, the morning after the premiere: “The grand opera is not so grand, and the music very bad, so that almost all of us went to sleep.” Franz Alexander von Kleist, who later wrote of the coronation in Daydreams on a Journey to Prague , formed a different opinion: “The music is by Mo- zart and quite worthy of its master. Here he especially pleases in the andantes where his melodies are sufficiently beautiful to entice heavenly beings to earth.” The castrato Domenico Bedini, the original Sesto (1781) SYNOPSIS Overture. A fortissimo orchestral chord, fol- lowed by a downward leap to a unison pitch, establishes C major as the opera’s home key. A trio of fanfare motives each lead to a dif- ferent pitch in the C-major chord, observing a threefold pattern familiar from the Over- ture to The Magic Flute . A brief silence signals the appearance of the delicate second theme featuring wind instruments. Recognizable thematic material opens the development section before Mozart veers into tonally un- stable territory, marked by loud tremolos and sequential modulations. Another pause announces the recapitulation. The principal themes return in reverse order—the tender woodwind melody before the fanfare mo- tives—and a sustained crescendo to the end. Act One. In her private residence, an enraged Vitellia, daughter of the deposed emperor Vitellius, berates Sesto, who is torn between his adoration for her and his devotion to the newly crowned emperor, Tito, whose gen- erosity and leniency he praises. This further infuriates Vitellia, who not only covets her rightful place in the empire but despises Tito for bringing the Jewish princess Berenice to Rome as his presumed empress. Vitellia plots the overthrow of Tito and orders the timid Sesto to guarantee the emperor’s death (“Come ti piace imponi”). Annio enters and announces that Tito has ordered Berenice home, placing the welfare of the empire ahead of his personal desires. In light of this news, Vitellia tells Sesto to place her orders on hold, revealing the seductive and coquettish sides of her manipulative personality (“Deh se pi- acer mi vuoi”). Annio reminds Sesto that he has promised his sister Servilia’s hand in mar- riage, strengthening their friendship (“Deh, prendi un dolce amplesso”). The scene changes to a section of the Forum with the Capitol visible in the background. Publio, the senators, and the legates arrive to pay their annual tributes. The lictors (official attendants who carry an ax with a handle constructed of bundled wood rods) lead Tito and the Praetorian guard from the Capitol as the chorus offers a hymn praising the emper- or (“Serbate, o Dei custodi”). Publio and An- nio announce the Senate’s intention to build a temple to honor Tito, who suggests that the money should be used to provide relief for the victims of Mount Vesuvius’s recent erup- tion (79 CE). Tito reveals his choice of bride to Sesto—his sister Servilia—to the horror of Annio, who had hoped to marry Servilia himself. After a stunned moment of silence, Sesto mumbles broken words about this over- whelming honor. Annio salvages the awk- ward moment by praising the emperor’s wise choice of bride, thereby sacrificing his own love. Tito orders Annio to deliver the news to Servilia and describes the lofty position he envisions for his future brother-in-law, Sesto. The emperor revels in the boundless generos- ities of his position (“Del più sublime soglio”). Annio braces himself for the difficult message he must deliver to Servilia. Caught in a state of confusion, they share a final exchange of affection (“Ah, perdona al primo affetto”). Tito greets Servilia as “My Empress,” but she remains at a distance and courageously ex- presses her love for Annio. Tito commends her honesty—the empire could use more citi- zens like her—and praises her sincerity (“Ah, se fosse intorno”). She is free to marry Annio. Bursting onto the scene, Vitellia mockingly congratulates Servilia. Sesto discovers Vitel- lia in a vengeful state, angrily demanding an update on her plot to burn down the Capi- tol. Confused, Sesto reminds Vitellia of her stand-down order. With renewed fury, she orders Sesto to complete his mission in order to earn her love (“Parto, parto”). Publio announces that Tito has chosen Vitel- lia for his empress and whisks her off to the Capitol. Her joy turns to dread when she real- izes that Sesto and his conspirators are ready to incite a rebellion (“Vengo! aspettate!”). Still torn between his obligations to duty and love, Sesto is ready to abandon the plan when a fire ignites in the Capitol. Chaos ensues (“Deh conservate, o Dei!”). The populace flees in terror. Annio, Servilia, and Publio imme- diately suspect a conspiracy. Vitellia is dis- traught knowing that she bears responsibility for the destruction. Sesto announces that the emperor has been assassinated and, on the verge of accepting blame, is silenced by Vitel- lia. Mozart concludes the act with a poignant funeral hymn (“Ah dunque l’astro è spento”). Act Two. The rebellion has been suppressed. Inside the imperial palace on the Palatine Hill, Annio informs Sesto that Tito survives. Incredulous, and suffering deeper guilt, Sesto confesses his role in the revolt and plans to flee Rome. Annio convinces him to remain by Tito’s side (“Torna di Tito a lato”). Later, Vitellia implores Sesto to flee in order to save his own life and protect her honor. Sesto vows never to betray Vitellia. Publio enters with the Praetorian guard to report that the man Sesto saw stabbed was Lentulus, one of the revo- lutionaries who was dressed in royal robes, not the emperor. Merely wounded, Lentulus implicated Sesto in the uprising. Publio seizes his sword and arrests Sesto. Vitellia and Sesto share a tender moment together before Pub- lio fulfills his duty (“Se al volto mai ti senti”). A gathering of patricians, guards, and citizens exalts their glorious sovereign while Tito offers thanks (“Ah grazie si rendano”). Publio urges Tito to appear in public so that the Roman people can see that the emperor is alive. Tito first awaits news of Sesto’s trial. Publio observes that not all men possess such gracious and pi- ous hearts (“Tardi s’avvede”). In court, Sesto confesses his guilt: the Senate sentences him and the other conspirators to death by wild an- imals. Annio begs the emperor to forgive Sesto (“Tu fosti tradito”). Alone, Tito confronts his feelings of betrayal and agonizes over Sesto’s fate (“Che orror! che tradimento!”). RAVINIA MAGAZINE • AUGUST 1 – AUGUST 14, 2022 42