Mozart, W.A. - La Clemenza di Tito, KV621 - Freiburger Barockorchester - René Jacobs - Harmonia Mundi HMC 801923.24 (2006)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | La Clemenza di Tito, KV 261 | 
Freiburger Barockorchester | René Jacobs | 
2xSACD-rip to iso via Cambridge Audio CXU (6.17 GB) | 
DR14-DR15 | Mch & 2ch Hybrid | Pdf | Classical


La Clemenza di Tito, Mozart's final Italian opera, was composed in a hurried 18 days for the coronation of Leopold II in September 1791. In presenting Leopold, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, with an opera about Titus, the Emperor of the Pagan Roman Empire, Mozart was not so subliminally advising the current Emperor to emulate the actions of the earlier Emperor, specifically, his clemency to his enemies. Since Titus became Emperor after suppressing the first Jewish Revolt by destroying Jerusalem, killing more than a million Jews, enslaving more than a million more Jews, and dispersing most of the rest of Palestine's Jews throughout the Empire, his reputation for clemency is at first hard to fathom. As it turns out, Titus' reputation is based on having spared his best friend from death after an attempted assassination. Because Leopold II died in 1792, history does not record what form his clemency might have taken had the Austrians under his leadership succeeded in defeating the French in the Napoleonic Wars.
Be all that as it may, Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito remains far and away his least popular mature Italian opera. While performances and recordings of Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte are common as war, Tito is as rare as peace. As this superlative 2006 recording led by René Jacobs amply demonstrates, the reasons are easy to see. First, the characterization is stiff and awkward: none of the six main characters is remotely believable in either actions or words. Second, the music is stiff and awkward: none of the work's arias, duos, and ensembles have the passion, beauty, or energy of Mozart's great Italian operas. Third, Tito has entirely too many recitatives -- and most of them are entirely too long. In attempting to cut a three-act work to fit into two acts, Mozart and his librettists have included far too much semi-sung exposition and thereby destroyed the drive of the drama.
Jacobs' La Clemenza di Tito is inarguably far and away one of the best recordings of the work ever made. And, like the reasons for the work's failure, the reasons for Jacobs' success are easy to see, or, rather, to hear. First, Jacobs' cast is excellent not only as singers but as actors. While the characters themselves remain aural statues, Mark Padmore as Tito, Alexandrina Pendachanska as Vitellia, and especially Bernarda Fink as Sesto make them very attractive statues. Second, Jacobs' conducting of the Freiburger Barockorchester and the RIAS-Kammerchor is superb not only as an accompanist but as a dramatist. While Mozart's music itself remains the aural equivalent of a frieze, Jacobs' supple and fluent leadership makes it a very appealing frieze. Third, Jacobs and his singers do everything humanely possible to make the recitatives effective, which, perhaps unsurprisingly, involves making the words and their meanings as clear as possible. Captured with unsurpassed clarity by Harmonia Mundi, Jacobs' performance makes the best case possible for La Clemenza di Tito, and anyone who's always wanted to like the work is strongly advised to check out this recording.
allmusic.com


BBC Music Magazine April 2009: "A high-voltage performance with vivid characterisations."

Gramophone Magazine June 2006: "It is good to read René Jacobs's passionate advocacy for Metastasio's dramaturgy; he openly acknowledges where he has taken some liberties with Mozart's score but it does not guarantee that all of his solutions are convincing, attractive or necessary. There are unequivocally good things on offer: Mark Padmore's smooth-toned Tito has unforced purity, his arias are eminently civilised and his two accompanied recitatives make the Emperor's anguish and inner conflict regarding his treasonous friend's fate transparent. Alexandrina Pendatchanska's dark timbre, dramatic conviction and ambitious ornaments in 'Deh se piacer mi vuoi' make her villainous Vitellia formidable... Bernarda Fink's plangent contributions capture Sesto's desperate struggle between honour and love."

Penguin Guide 2010: "A performance of extraordinary clarity and immediacy, at once sharp in attack, yet intimate too. Here the drama is vividly conveyed, with words crystal clear..The cast of principals is excellent, with Mark Padmore at once mellifluous and commanding as the Emperor, always imaginative and animated." ****

The Guardian 31st March 2006: "There's urgency from the very start with Jacobs, who runs his highly strung account of the overture straight into the first recitative and never allows the tension to drop after that...Jacobs's set is a class apart." *****

The Independent on Sunday: "Utterly compelling...the lyricism and simplicity of the arias and choruses is unparalleled." *****

BBC Radio 3: First Choice Building a Library September 2006 / Critics Disc of the Year, Record Review December 2006.


Tracklist: 

Disc 1:
1.  Ouverture 4:23
2.  Atto primo, scena I. Recitativo Vitellia, Sesto "Ma chè? sempre l'istesso" 3:26
3.  Atto primo, scena I. No.1 Duetto Sesto, Vitellia "Come ti piace imponi" 2:24
4.  Atto primo, scena II. Recitativo Annio, Vitellia, Sesto "Amico, il passo affretta" 2:02
5.  Atto primo, scena II. No.2 Aria Vitellia "Deh se piacer mi vuoi" 7:21
6.  Atto primo, scena III. Recitativo Sesto, Annio "Amico, ecco il momento" 0:28
7.  Atto primo, scena III. No.3 Duettino Annio, Sesto "Deh prendi un dolce amplesso" 0:55
8.  Atto primo, scena IV. No.4 Marcia 1:53
9.  Atto primo, scena IV. No.5 Coro "Serbate, oh Dei custodi" 1:47
10. Atto primo, scena IV. Recitativo Publio, Annio, Tito "Te della patria il Padre" 2:26
11. Atto primo, scena IV. Marcia 1:07
12. Atto primo, scena IV. Recitativo Publio, Annio, Tito "Adesso, oh Sesto" 3:05
13. Atto primo, scena IV. No. 6 Aria Tito "Del più sublime soglio" 2:48
14. Atto primo, scena V. Recitativo Annio, Servilia "Non ci pentiam" 1:38
15. Atto primo, scena V. No.7 Duetto Annio, Servilia "Ah perdona il primo affetto" 2:57
16. Atto primo, scena VI. Recitativo Tito, Publio "Che mi rechi in quel foglio?" - Scena VII. Recitativo Servilia, Tito "Di Tito al piè..." 3:15
17. Atto primo, scena VII. No.8 Aria Tito "Ah, se fosse intorno al trono" 2:12
18. Atto primo, scena VIII. Recitativo Servilia, Vitellia "Felice me!" - Scena IX. Recitativo Vitellia, Sesto "Ancora mi schernisce?" 4:17
19. Atto primo, scena IX. No.9 Aria Sesto "Parto, ma tu ben mio" 6:24
20. Atto primo, scena X. Recitativo Vitellia, Publio, Annio "Vedrai, Tito, vedrai, che alfin sì vile" 0:42
21. Atto primo, scena X. No.10 Terzetto Vitellia, Publio, Annio "Vengo... aspettate... Sesto!... 2:04
22. Atto primo, scena XI. No.11 Recitativo accompagnato Sesto "Oh Dei, che smania è questa" 3:15
23. Atto primo, scena XI. No.12 Quintetto con coro "Deh, conservate, oh Dei" - Scene XII-XIV [finale] 5:49

Disc 2:
24. Atto secondo, scena I. Recitativo Annio, Sesto "Sesto, come tu credi" 2:28
25. Atto secondo, scena I. No.13 Aria Annio "Torna di Tito al lato" 2:09
26. Atto secondo, scena II. Recitativo Sesto, Vitellia "Partir deggio, o restar?" - Scena III. Recitativo Publio, Sesto, Vitellia "Sesto!" 1:22
27. Atto secondo, scena IV. No.14 Terzetto Sesto, Vitellia, Publio "Se al volto mai ti senti" 4:40
28. Atto secondo, scena V. No.15 Coro "Ah grazie si rendano" 2:47
29. Atto secondo, scena V. Recitativo Publio, Tito "Già de' pubblici giuochi" 1:54
30. Atto secondo, scena V. No.16 Aria Publio "Tardi s'avvede" 1:43
31. Atto secondo, scena VI. Recitativo Tito, Annio "No, così scellerato" - Scena VII. Recitativo Publio, Tito, Annio "Cesare, nol diss'io?" 1:18
32. Atto secondo, scena VII. No.17 Aria Annio "Tu fosti tradito" 2:31
33. Atto secondo, scena VIII. Recitativo accompagnato Tito "Che orror! che tradimento!" - Scena IX. Recitativo Publio, Tito "Ma, Publio, ancora Sesto non viene?" 3:19
34. Atto secondo, scena X. No.18 Terzetto Sesto, Tito, Publio "Quello di Tito è il volto!" 2:53
35. Atto secondo, scena X. Recitativo Tito, Sesto "Eppur mi fa pietà" 5:00
36. Atto secondo, scena X. No.19 Rondo Sesto "Deh per questo istante solo" 6:40
37. Atto secondo, scena XI. Recitativo Tito "Ove s'intese mai più contumace" - Scena XII. Recitativo Tito, Publio "Publio" 2:06
38. Atto secondo, scena XII. No.20 Aria Tito "Se all'impero, amici Dei" 4:55
39. Atto secondo, scena XIII. Recitativo Vitellia, Publio "Publio, ascolta!" - Scena XIV. Recitativo Vitellia, Servilia, Annio "Non giova lusingarsi" 3:01
40. Atto secondo, scena XIV. No.21 Aria Servilia "S'altro che lacrime" 1:47
41. Atto secondo, scena XV. No.22 Recitativo accompagnato Vitellia "Ecco il punto, oh Vitellia" 2:10
42. Atto secondo, scena XV. No.23 Rondo Vitellia "Non più di fiori" 7:22
43. Atto secondo, scena XVI. No.24 Coro "Che del ciel, che degli Dei" 1:19
44. Atto secondo, scena XVI. Recitativo Tito, Annio, Servilia "Pria che principio a' lieti" - Scena XVII. Recitativo Tito, Vitellia, Sesto, Servilia, Annio, Publio "Sesto, de' tuoi delitti" 2:28
45. Atto secondo, scena XVII. No.25 Recitativo accompagnato Tito "Ma che giorno è mai questo?" 1:37
46. Atto secondo, scena XVII. No.26 Sestetto con coro "Tu, è ver, m'assolvi, Augusto" 3:25

Total playing time: 2:15:32

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIE0k4b0k3Y

Musicians:
Freiburger Barockorchester
Rene Jacobs, conductor
RIASS Kammerchor
Mark Padmore, tenor voice 
Bernarda Fink, mezzo-soprano voice
Marie-Claude Chappuis, mezzo-soprano voice
Alexandrina Pendatchanska, soprano voice
Sunhae Im, soprano voice
Sergio Foresti, bass voice

Checksums: 
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2e36da0bfe802a6afe45f82305e57498 *FBO Jacobs - La Clemenza di Tito CD2.iso