W. A. Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito

by John A. Rice

Overview

This is the first book to be devoted to Mozart's opera, La clemenza di Tito. Rice considers the opera from a variety of historical and critical viewpoints. Tito is a political opera. The author examines its origins in the politically unstable Habsburg Empire of 1791, interpreting it as a response to revolutionary threats both inside and outside the empire. Tito is also a literary opera: much of its dramatic power lies in its libretto. Rice analyses Metastasio's libretto and the revised version that Mozart set. The volume explores aspects of Mozart's compositional process, the premiere in Prague, and subsequent critical reception through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In a concluding chapter, Rice reviews recent performances as well as scholarly research that sheds light on the interpretation of the opera. The volume, which contains illustrations of recent productions, a discography, and a bibliography, will be of interest to students, scholars and opera-goers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521369497
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/24/1991
Series:	Cambridge Opera Handbooks
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	196
Product dimensions:	5.59(w) x 8.78(h) x 0.59(d)

Table of Contents

List of illustrations; General preface; Acknowledgments; 1. A coronation opera for the German Titus; 2. Metastasio the romantic; 3. Mazzola and his revision; 4. Composition and first performance; 5. Synopsis and commentary; 6. Tito in performance, 1791–1850; 7. The Romantic critical tradition; 8. Performance and critical re-evaluation since 1949; Notes; Bibliography; Discography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Superb notes....A unique contribution, highly recommended to all academic and larger public library music collections." Choice

"...must now be regarded as essential reading." Notes

From the Publisher