Mozart - La clemenza di Tito / Rolfe Johnson, Varady, von Otter, McNair, Robbin, Hauptmann, English Baroque Soloists, Gardiner

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), John Eliot Gardiner (Conductor), English Baroque Soloists (Orchestra), Julia Varady (Performer), Anne Sofie von Otter (Performer), Anthony Rolfe Johnson (Performer), Sylvia McNair (Performer), Catherine Robbin (Performer), Cornelius Hauptmann (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Julia Varady, Anne Sofie von Otter, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Sylvia McNair, Catherine Robbin, et al.
• Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists
• Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner
• Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Audio CD (April 14, 1992)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Archiv Produktion
• ASIN: B0000057DY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,984 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely marvelous recording., July 25, 2000

By 

Isabella Channel - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mozart - La clemenza di Tito / Rolfe Johnson, Varady, von Otter, McNair, Robbin, Hauptmann, English Baroque Soloists, Gardiner (Audio CD)

Mozart's last opera seria has never had the recognition it deserves. Sure the plot looks dated after Figaro or Cosi, but still it's Mozart, and no one ever composed finer music. I think all recordings of La Clemenza di Tito are excellent, especially the old Kertesz and Bohm recordings with the incomparable Teresa Berganza, but this new Gardiner offering has period instruments to its advantage and the English Baroque Soloists are admirable indeed. Anthony Rolfe-Johnson gives one of his finest performances on disc after his vocal crisis of the 1980's. It's good to hear his ever suave tone in such nice condition. As expected Anne Sofie von Otter is outstanding in every respect, she certainly joins Berganza, Troyanos and Bartoli as one of the best Sestos ever. But the real star of the show is Julia Varady. I tell you: THIS WOMAN HAS TO BE HEARD TO BE BELIEVED! The fiendishly difficult role of Vitellia ia a vocal nightmare, the tessitura is all over the place, and Varady sings it with such ease and abandon that for one minute or two she could be mistaken for Maria Callas. No greater praise than that. Whatever you do, get this recording!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gardiner & cast deliver a thrilling TITO!, December 20, 2000

By 

Amy B. Hutchison (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mozart - La clemenza di Tito / Rolfe Johnson, Varady, von Otter, McNair, Robbin, Hauptmann, English Baroque Soloists, Gardiner (Audio CD)

Gardiner's powerful conducting reveals the intense dramatic current in Mozart's oft-overlooked opera seria. Without prissy "period" restraint, Gardiner and his vibrant cast have unlocked the passion of Mozart's triumverate of heroes with spectacular singing and dramatic complexity. The recitatives are even exciting! Varady's Vitellia is an absolute triumph! She is the only Vitellia recorded whose ferocious musical beauty properly conveys the seething power and edgy instability of this sexy & dangerous character. Likewise, Anne Sofie Von Otter's gorgeous Sesto is sublime: a beautifully sung, lovingly-sculpted, sumptuous interpretation, not to be missed. Anthony Rolf Johnson sings Tito with strength and sweetness. He delivers all the dignity and pure beauty befitting the role. Also notable is Sylvia McNair's lovely Servilia. A knockout cast led by a conductor who really GETS what Mozart was driving at - and reveals why Constanze Mozart considered TITO her husband's finest opera. Hear this recording to understand how right she was!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glorious, May 1, 2006

By 

Basso Profondo (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mozart - La clemenza di Tito / Rolfe Johnson, Varady, von Otter, McNair, Robbin, Hauptmann, English Baroque Soloists, Gardiner (Audio CD)

This, the next to last of Mozart's operas, is lovely in every way. It is filled with lovely melodies, duets and trios, Glorious choral passages, and one of the most moving Finales there is. And this recording does them true justice. Rolfe-Johnson lends his lovely lyric voice to the role of Tito, displaying wonderful control in his arias. Von Otter sings an incomparable Sesto. I don't know how to explain it really, but her voice just has an..."Aristocratic" sound to it. Take that for what it's worth. McNair has one of the purest, sweetest voices on God's earth, and even though she doesn't get much chance to shine here, she does give a most moving rendition of "S'altro che lagrime", and she is quite lovely in the ensembles. Varady's role is perhaps the hardest in the opera, with a range from High D to Low G. But it doesn't pose a threat to her! Her high D and repeated High B's shine brilliantly. I can't brag too much on Hauptmann, though. To me he has kind of a weak, nasally sound. Robbin handles the small role of Annio well. All in all, this is a delectable "Tito", and would be worth your money.