A fine new recording of Mozart’s last opera.
(Review by William Charlton-Perkins)
I have loved Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito for more than 50 years, since as a teenage fan
of the great Teresa Berganza, I snapped up Decca’s 1967 trail-blazing release
of Mozart’s High Classical masterpiece, conducted by Istvan Kertész. Heading a
cast of young stars that included Maria Casula, Lucia Popp, Werner Krenn and
Brigitte Fassbaender, the great Spanish mezzo put her unforgettable stamp on
the opera’s pivotal role of Sesto. Mozart’s once-neglected final opera seria
has long since reclaimed its rightful position among the pantheon of his
operatic greats, with more than a dozen commercial recordings entering the
lists.
Deutsche Grammophon’s recent release with
Yannick Nézet-Séguin at the helm is both a notable addition of the work’s
discography, and to the Canadian conductor’s distinguished Mozart opera series,
captured from live concert performances in Baden-Baden.
Joyce DiDonato’s searing portrayal of the
guilt-wracked Sesto, who plots unsuccessfully to assassinate the Roman Emperor
Titus, sets a new bench mark for the role, while Marina Rabeka’s spit-fire
Vitellia runs her a close second, both in dramatic commitment and visceral
vocality. If Rolando Villazon’s overly emotive take on the opera’s magnanimous
title character strays beyond the bounds of performance style appropriate to
this repertoire, there is no gainsaying the tenor’s generosity of spirit, or
the glamour of his rich vocal palette.
Regula Mühlemann, Tara Erraught and Adam
Plachetka in the secondary roles of Servilla, Annio and Publio respectively,
sustain the high standards set by Maestro Nézet-Séguin. His deeply perceptive
reading is wonderfully enhanced by DG’s recording team, who capture the
contributions of the soloists, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the RIAS
Kammerchor with great dramatic immediacy and sonic clarity. A clear
recommendation all round. - William Charlton-Perkins
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