Opera Scotland

Clemenza di Tito 2025Edinburgh International Festival

Read more about the opera Clemenza di Tito

The Edinburgh Festival put on a concert performance of Clemenza a few years ago with Sir Charles Mackerras conducting the SCO.  Many of the instrumentalists were unchanged but the conductor's methods were be fascinating to compare.  A lithe and dramatic account of the score.

In performance it always seems difficult to account for the dodgy reputation this wonderful drama had until perhaps fifty years ago.  Perhaps it just wasn't performed well.

Here an early highlight provided by the SCO (with the singer) was of course Sesto's 'Parto, parto' with clarinet obbligato.  Perhaps even better was Vitellia's glorious final rondo 'Non più di fiori' with its plangent basset horn.  The chorus also kept the drama very much alive, with the first act finale eerily quiet as Rome burns.

The only change in cast from that originally advertised was the substitution of the great bass Ildebrando D'Arcangelo as Publio.  He had always seemed to be slightly unlikely casting for a relatively brief role.  The excellent Hungarian who appeared is now almost a regular visitor, and lovely to hear.