Mitridate

Classical Opera continue their series of Mozart Operas on Signum with Mozarts Mitridate, re di Ponto, K. 87 (74a). Mozarts first great operatic success premiered at the Teatro Regio Ducale in Milan on 26 Dec 1770, marking the culmination of Mozarts first trip to Italy. The work received an initial twenty-two performance run sure proof of success and news of this astonishing youthful work spread quickly. As well as the complete opera, this 4CD set includes a bonus disc featuring original versions of a number of arias from the opera that Mozart subsequently changed in the final version.

This full-length opera seria–written by Mozart at age 14–has had some strong recorded exposure in the past, but this set may bring it to a broader public than ever before. Now that Handel's operas in the same genre are much more in evidence, what once might've seemed like the work of an underdeveloped dramatist is only Mozart maintaining the status quo, which is a long, expository, musically conservative first act followed by two shorter acts with much more individualistic arias, some of them exquisite and among the composer's very best. Conductor Christophe Rousset is perfect for finding the dramatic center of every moment.

The only revival from last year, Mozart's first opera seria, Mitridate re di Ponto, was staged in the courtyard of the Residenz, on a small stage that does not allow for complicated and large scale settings…
Silvia Luraghi

“Yvonne Kenny was already experienced in the role of Aspasia when this production was filmed in 1986, and here she is musically agile and dramatically compelling. Rockwell Blake is vocally muscular as Mitridate… The American soprano Ashley Putnam was simply an inspired choice for the… trouser-role of Sifare, and the rest of the cast is good. The direction is fluid…” BBC Music Magazine

Mozart's fourth opera - written when he was only 14 - displays all the hallmarks of the fresh, inventive writing that was to flourish into extraordinary genius in his later works and, with a cast as good as this, The Royal Opera's production takes Mitridate, re di Ponto to the highest levels of operatic achievement. Based on a play by Jean Racine, it is a story of jealous love and political intrigue.

Mozart’s fourth opera – written when he was only 14 – displays all the hallmarks of the fresh, inventive writing that was to flourish into extraordinary genius in his later works and, with a cast as good as this, The Royal Opera’s production takes Mitridate, re di Ponto to the highest levels of operatic achievement. Based on a play by Jean Racine, it is a story of jealous love and political intrigue…