Mozart: La clemenza di Tito / Harnoncourt [Import]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Artist), Zurich Opera-house Chorus & Orchestra (Artist), Nikolaus Harnoncourt (Artist), Lucia Popp (Artist), Ann Murray (Artist), Philip Langridge (Artist), Delores Ziegler (Artist), Ruth Ziesak (Artist), Laszlo Polgar (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 8, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Warner Music France
• ASIN: B000000SJC
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #428,054 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. La Clemenza di Tito: Ouverture

2. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 1: Recitativo 'Ma chč? sempre l'istesso' (Vitellia, Sesto)

3. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 1: No. 1 Duetto 'Come ti piace imponi' (Sesto, Vitellia)

4. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 1: Recitativo 'Amico, il passo affretta' (Annio, Vitellia, Sesto)

5. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 1: No. 2 Aria 'Deh se piacer mi vuoi' (Vitellia)

6. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 1: Recitativo 'Amico, ecco il momento' (Annio, Sesto)

7. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 1: No. 3 Duettino 'Deh prendi un dolce amplesso' (Annio, Sesto)

8. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 1: No. 4 Marcia

9. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 1: No. 5 Coro 'Serbate, oh Dei custodi' (Coro)

10. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 1: Recitativo 'Basta, basta' (Tito, Annio, Sesto)

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 2: Recitativo 'Sesto, come tu credi' (Annio, Sesto)

2. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 2: No. 13 Aria 'Torna di Tito a lato' (Annio)

3. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 2: Recitativo 'Partir deggio, o restar?' (Sesto, Vitellia)

4. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 2: Recitativo 'Sesto! -- Che chiedi?' (Publio, Sesto, Vitellia)

5. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 2: No. 14 Terzetto 'Se al volto mai ti senti' (Sesto Vitellia, Publio)

6. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 2: No. 15 Coro 'Ah grazie si rendano' (Coro, Tito)

7. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 2: Recitativo 'Andremo, Publio' (Tito, Publio)

8. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 2: No. 16 Aria 'Tardi s'avvede' (Publio)

9. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 2: Recitativo 'No, cosě scellerato' (Tito, Annio, Publio)

10. La Clemenza di Tito: Act 2: No. 17 Aria 'Tu fosti tradito' (Annio)

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful rendition of La Clemenza, January 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Mozart: La clemenza di Tito / Harnoncourt (Audio CD)

Excellent piece of recording. An under-rated opera that deserves to be among Mozart's top operas. The Swiss orchestra sounded crisped and very precised right from the first note to the last. This recording also is Lucia Popp's last before she departed from the world. At 60+, she still sings Vitellia so convincingly seductive. The rest of the cast are pretty good as well. And as usual, the Teldec sound is very balanced and natural. A must-have for anyone who wants to get La Clemenza!!!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning music, August 18, 2004

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Mozart: La clemenza di Tito / Harnoncourt (Audio CD)

When the average music fan, even those reasonably well-versed in opera, are asked to list the major Mozart operas, this particular piece -- La Clemenza di Tito -- rarely gets mentioned. However, it is a stunning piece, under-appreciated and under-performed. It is Mozart's last opera (most people popularly think that is 'The Magic Flute'; however, 'Magic Flute' is no. K620, whereas 'La Clemenza' is no. K621 in the catalogue of Mozart's compositions.

Mozart needs no introduction, as one of the best composers in history, particularly in the area of opera. Perhaps one of the reasons 'La Clemenza di Tito' is not as well known is that it seems to fall outside Mozart's progression of operatic development -- however, as one scholar remarks, in fact this type of opera seria was popular in Italy at the time of Mozart's composition, and the deliberate simplicity of the work can be misleading. Conductor Harnoncourt dismisses the idea that Mozart reverted back to older forms of Baroque opera seria, instead crafting something new here in a simpler idiom, anticipatory of later nineteenth century developments (Harnoncourt cites Verdi here as an example).

The story is an aristocratic one (the title character, Tito, is actually the Roman Emperor Titus; the story turns on many loves and counter-loves between major characters, which includes a plot by Vitellia, daughter of the former emperor, to murder the new emperor Tito because of his rejection of her. In the end, many are implicated and Sesto is condemned to die; Vitellia agonises over whether or not to intervene, and Tito in the end pardons them all (the clemency of the title) -- of course, the real historical Titus was not the figure of clemency portrayed here.

The production qualities here are superb. The Zurich Choir and Orchestra, under the conduct of Nikolaus Harnoncourt and choirmaster Karl Kamper are wonderful; the lead voices include English tenor Philip Langridge (Tito), Lucia Popp (Vitellia), Ruth Ziesak (Servilia), Ann Murray (Sesto), Delores Ziegler (Annio), and Laszlo Polgar (Publio). This was Popp's last operatic recording. The parts of Sesto and Annio, both sung by female voices here, would have gone originally to castrati.

This is an opera that is making a comeback of sorts, and this is a superb recording by which to gain acquaintance. Written for an aristocratic audience and event, it was also accepted by the popular audience, as Mozart wrote in a letter home, 'the crowd applauds every number'. The final night of the performance of 'La Clemenza di Tito' was apparently the opening night of 'The Magic Flute', as fate would have it.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful recording, June 19, 2000

By 

Rafael T. Beckford "Pelleas29" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mozart: La clemenza di Tito / Harnoncourt (Audio CD)

I am so sorry that I discovered this work by Mozart until recently. I have been captivated by his operatic work, and just started listening to La Clemenza di Tito about a month ago. It's definately a masterpiece, and this recording shows it. If you'd like to have an introduction to this last of Mozart's operas, choose this recording, it has beautiful sound quality and voices. Grabawski and the chorus are amazing.