For those not in the know, this is the fifth installment of Deutsche Grammophon’s series of seven Mozart operas conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and initiated by Rolando Villazón, in collaboration with Festspielhaus Baden Baden and with the generous support of ROLEX For La Clemenza di Tito - released this past July 13th, 2018 - Mozart’s last opera about the benevolent Emperor Titus who pardons an attempt on his own life.

Rolando and Yannick - the new music director of the MET - are joined by a whole host of outstanding partners that include a stellar cast in every role and specialist, handpicked orchestra roles playing at their best in the stunning venue of Festspielhaus Baden-Baden.

Rolando adds yet another intriguing Mozart role to his already large discography, one that this time showcases his role debut as Tito. Reinforcing, once again, his love for Mozart.

This recording of La Clemenza di Tito, Mozart’s opera about the benevolent Emperor Titus who forgives an assassination attempt, features Joyce DiDonato as Sesto, Rolando Villazón as Tito, Marina Rebeka as Vitellia, Tara Erraught as Annio, Regula Mühlemann as Servilia and Adam Plachetka is Publio.

CD 1: Mozart: La clemenza di Tito

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)
La clemenza di Tito, K. 621

Act 1
1. Overture (4:52)
Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
2. "Ma che? sempre l'istesso" (3:42)
Marina Rebeka, Joyce DiDonato, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
3. "Come ti piace imponi" (2:34)
Mana Rebeka, Joyce DiDonato, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
4. "Amico, il passo affretta" (2:13)
Tara Erraught, Marina Rebeka, Joyce DiDonato, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
5. "Deh se piacer mi vuoi" (5:15)
Marina Rebeka, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
6. "Amico, ecco il momento" (0:38)
Tara Erraught, Joyce DiDonato, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
7. "Deh prendi un dolce amplesso" (1:01)
Joyce DiDonato, Tara Erraught, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
8. Marcia (1:42)
Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
9. "Serbate, oh Dei custodi" (1:42)
ARIAS Kammerchor, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
10. "Te della patria il Padre" - "Basta, basta, oh miei fidi" (2:39) Adam Plachetka, Tara Erraught, Rolando Villazón, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
11. Marcia Reprise (0:59)
Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
12. "Adesso, oh Sesto, parla per me" (3:31)
Tara Erraught, Rolando Villazón, Joyce DiDonato, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
13. "Del più sublime" (3:20)
Rolando Villazón, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
14. "Non ci pentiam" (1:52)
Tara Erraught, Regula Mühlemann, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
15. "Ah perdona al primo affetto" (3:08)
Regula Mühlemann, Tara Erraught, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
16. "Che mi rechi in quel foglio?" (0:54)
Rolando Villazón, Adam Plachetka, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
17. "Di Tito al piè" (2:33)
Regula Mühlemann, Rolando Villazón, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
18. "Ah, se fosse intorno al trono" (2:16)
Rolando Villazón, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
19. "Felice me!" - "Ancora mi schernisce?" (4:44)
Regula Mühlemann, Marina Rebeka, Joyce DiDonato, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
20. "Parto, ma tu ben mio" (6:39)
Joyce DiDonato, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
21. "Vedrai, Tito, vedrai" (0:47)
Adam Plachetka, Tara Erraught, Marina Rebeka, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
22. "Vengo... aspettate... Sesto!..." (2:12)
Adam Plachetka, Tara Erraught, Marina Rebeka, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
23. "Oh Dei, che smania è questa" (3:23)
Joyce DiDonato, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
24. "Deh conservate, oh Dei" - "Sesto!" (2:51)
25. "Sesto!" - Andante (3:41)
Adam Plachetka, Tara Erraught, Marina Rebeka, Joyce DiDonato, Regula Mühlemann, RIAS Kammerchor, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Total Playing Time: 1:09:08

CD 2: Mozart: La clemenza di Tito

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)
La clemenza di Tito, K. 621

Act 2
1. "Sesto, come tu credi" (2:04)
Joyce DiDonato, Tara Erraught, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
2. "Torna di Tito" (2:26)
Tara Erraught, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
3. "Partir deggio, o restar?" (0:51)
Joyce DiDonato, Marina Rebeka, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
4. "Sesto! - Che chiedi?" (0:58)
Adam Plachetka, Joyce DiDonato, Marina Rebeka, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
5. "Se al volto mai ti senti" (4:56)
Adam Plachetka, Joyce DiDonato, Marina Rebeka, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
6. "Ah, grazie si rendano" - "È tutto colà d'intorno" (3:19)
Rolando Villazón, RIAS Kammerchor, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
7. "Già de' pubblici giuochi" (2:03)
Adam Plachetka, Rolando Villazón, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
8. "Tardi s'avvede" (1:32)
Adam Plachetka, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
9. "No, così scellerato" (0:31)
10. "Cesare, nol diss'io" (0:56)
Adam Plachetka, Rolando Villazón, Tara Erraught, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
11. "Tu fosti tradito" (3:08)
Tara Erraught, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
12. "Che orror! che tradimento!" - "Ingrato!" (2:40)
Rolando Villazón, Adam Plachetka, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
13. "Quello di Tito è il volto!" - "Odimi, oh Sesto" (3:20)
Joyce DiDonato, Rolando Villazón, Adam Plachetka, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
14. "Eppur mi fa pietà" (5:43)
Joyce DiDonato, Rolando Villazón, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
15. "Deh per questo istante solo" (6:51)
Joyce DiDonato, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
16. "Ove s'intese mai" (2:00)
Rolando Villazón, Adam Plachetka, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
17. "Se all'impero" (4:54)
Rolando Villazón, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
18. "Publio, ascolta!" (0:30)
Marina Rebeka, Adam Plachetka, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
19. "Ah, Vitellia" (1:40)
Regula Mühlemann, Tara Erraught, Marina Rebeka, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
20. "S'altro che lagrime" (2:15)
Regula Mühlemann, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
21. "Ecco il punto, oh Vitellia" (2:10)
22. "Non più di fiori" (7:07)
Marina Rebeka, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
23. "Che del ciel, che degli Dei" (1:36)
Rolando Villazón, Tara Erraught, Regula Mühlemann, RIAS Kammerchor, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
24. "Sesto, de' tuoi delitti" (1:53)
Rolando Villazón, Adam Plachetka, Tara Erraught, Marina Rebeka, Joyce DiDonato, Regula Mühlemann, Jory Vinikour, William Conway, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
25. "Ma che giorno è mai questo?" (1:47)
Rolando Villazón, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin
26. "Tu, è ver, m'assolvi, Augusto" (4:18)
Adam Plachetka, Tara Erraught, Marina Rebeka, Joyce DiDonato, Regula Mühlemann, Rolando Villazón, RIAS Kammerchor, Chamber Orchestra Of Europe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Total Playing Time: 1:11:28

Having listened to it through completely twice now, back-to-back (which is an experience I highly recommend you all enrapture yourselves within), it's extremely obvious that Nézet-Séguin draws a performance from the Chamber Orchestra of Europe that nods to the historically informed movement and old-school, big-orchestra Mozart; without, knowingly leaning too heavily either way.

He and the excellent RIAS Kammerchor make light work of the crowd scenes, although, and playing Devil's Advocate, among much propulsive and shapely playing there are episodes that sound, well, a tad bit heavy-handed, shall we say.

An example is Sesto’s pivotal aria Parto, Parto: the first section is excessively slow, so that Joyce DiDonato – drawing out each phrase dauntlessly – can convey the character’s turmoil but not his resolve; then the second section hurtles onward as fast as she or anyone else could possibly sing it.

Indeed, extreme tempos notwithstanding, DiDonato’s Sesto is vibrant and memorable. So too is Marina Rebeka’s Vitellia, a larger-than-life performance that right away establishes the volatility of the character. Her top notes are searing and her low notes are fierce, which fits the role.

The smaller roles are impeccably cast also, with Regina Mühlemann dewdrop-sweet as Servilia, Tara Erraught making much of Annio, and Adam Plachetka as the commander Publio, who sounds rather more secure than his emperor.

Official DG Purchase Link

www.yannicknezetseguin.com

www.rolandovillazon.com