La clemenza di Tito

This is not the best version of Tito that I have ever heard, and I have only heard two. But, to be fair, that is probably two more than most people. It is not Mozart's most popular opera even though it is his last, postdating the Magic Flute. It was written quickly as an occasion piece for the celebration of the Bohemian King's coronation. As such, it had to say nice things about royalty, which is probably why audiences have not warmed to it. The Nastiness of Nero would probably have been better box-office than the Clemency of Titus. Even the King of Bohemia would probably have preferred it.

Still, I have a soft spot for this opera. I like the idea of an emperor who keeps on forgiving people when they try to kill him even when he knows that a more judicious response would be to throw them to the lions. I also have a great respect for Glyndebourne Opera. In live productions and also on film I have found them to be consistently the best company in the UK.

So what went wrong? Maybe one clue is in the billing: Nicholas Hytner's La Clemenza di Tito, suggesting based on an original idea by WA Mozart. (this is probably the fault of the Performance Channel rather than any self-aggrandisement on Nicholas Hytner's part) I really wanted to enjoy this production but my crapometer started to twitch during the first recitatives. My cat loves opera: she can quite happily sleep on my knee for 4 ¾ hours of Gotterdammerung but even she left in disgust after 20 minutes. Apparently the recitatives were written by a pupil of Mozart's and are not very good so Glyndebourne commissioned someone to rewrite them. Well, if they want to do that, fine but he did not have to make them sound like a fruit gum jingle.

This opera contains two of the best castrato roles in the repertory. Diana Montague sings Sesto as a mezzo rather than a castrato, which is good for her but bad for us. The diminutive Martine Mahé is cute and has a sweet voice. She makes a perfect man, providing that man is Dudley Moore. Ashley Putnam sings and acts the role of Vitellia as though she is auditioning for a role in Eastenders. Philip Langridge as Tito wears a bemused expression and a toga throughout. He looks like someone who is having a relaxing bath when he hears the doorbell ring; he wraps a sheet around himself and answers the door only to find that it is the Jehovah's Witnesses. Elzbieta Smytka as Servila and Peter Rose as Publius glow like tiny diamonds in this undistinguished cast. Andrew Davis, conducting, achieves the remarkable feat of making Mozart sound boring.

The design and costumes are a disaster. Why are the women in trouser roles wearing billowing red skirts? I also think that the flying saucer at the end of Act I is a mistake

Sets and costumes complement the great music of Mozart. Not a weak link in the cast. This opera is an often overlooked masterpiece of the Mozart's last year. It is the story of the Roman emperor titus and the treasons directed against him.

This Clemenza Di Tito is perhaps not my first choice, the Ponnelle production with Troyanos and Neblett is for me. However, this is an underrated treasure, with my only complaints being the minimalist and sometimes unappealing sets and some awkward staging particularly the slanted stage and the saucer. The opera is wonderful, other than some parts that sound rushed it does have a concise story with some beautifully explored themes such as love, passion, despair, seduction, redemption and of course mercy and Mozart's gorgeous music.

I did love the costumes, they were well suited to when the opera was set, I was initially put off by everybody being barefoot but I learnt to live with it, and the camera work(mostly anyway, some were odd but not all), picture quality and sound are very good. Some of the numbers are shorter, but the orchestra perform beautifully with the highlight being the wind accompaniment in Parto Ma Tu Ben Mio and the conducting is brisk and never too broad and seldom rushed. The recitatives I do agree compliment the opera and serve the action well, and that is no easy feat.

Phillip Langridge was a very versatile artist, and his Tito with such refined technique, a beautiful voice and an overall moving performance is no exception. Peter Rose is very good as Pubilius, Diana Montague and Martina Mahe are superb and Elzbieta Szmytka has a tone as clear as crystal and it sounds lovely. Other than Langridge, the standout is Ashley Putnam who is amazing in perhaps the most difficult role of the entire opera in terms of range both vocally(soprano and mezzo quality, which Putnam meets) and dramatically(Vitellia is shown as passionate and ruthless yet loving and humble).

Of the production, the best performed and staged are Non Piu Di Fiori, which is a real emotional roller-coaster of a performance and I mean in a good way and the duet Ah Perdona Al Primo Affetto, which is exquisite in every way possible. All in all, an underrated treasure, both the opera and the production. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox