''Mitridate, re di Ponto'' (''
Mithridates, King of
Pontus
Pontus or Pontos may refer to:
* Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea)
* Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology
* Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...
''),
K. 87 (74a), is an
opera seria
''Opera seria'' (; plural: ''opere serie''; usually called ''dramma per musica'' or ''melodramma serio'') is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to abo ...
in three acts by the young
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...
. The
libretto
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
is by , after
Giuseppe Parini
Giuseppe Parini (23 May 1729 – 15 August 1799) was an Italian enlightenment satirist and poet of the neoclassic period.
Biography
Parini (originally spelled Parino) was born in Bosisio (later renamed Bosisio Parini in his honour) in Brianza ...
's Italian translation of
Jean Racine
Jean-Baptiste Racine ( , ) (; 22 December 163921 April 1699) was a French dramatist, one of the three great playwrights of 17th-century France, along with Molière and Corneille as well as an important literary figure in the Western traditio ...
's play ''
Mithridate
Mithridate, also known as mithridatium, mithridatum, or mithridaticum, is a semi-mythical remedy with as many as 65 ingredients, used as an antidote for poisoning, and said to have been created by Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus in the 1st cent ...
''.
Mozart wrote ''Mitridate'' while touring Italy in 1770. The musicologist
Daniel E. Freeman has demonstrated that it was composed with close reference to the opera ''
La Nitteti
''La Nitteti'' is an 18th-century Italian opera in 3 acts by the Czech composer Josef Mysliveček. It was composed to a libretto by the Italian poet Metastasio that was first performed in 1756, one of the newer (and less popular) of the Metast ...
'' by
Josef Mysliveček
Josef Mysliveček (9 March 1737 – 4 February 1781) was a Czech composer who contributed to the formation of late eighteenth-century classicism in music. Mysliveček provided his younger friend Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with significant comp ...
. The latter was the opera being prepared for production in
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
when Mozart met Mysliveček for the first time with his father in March 1770. Mysliveček visited the Mozarts frequently in Bologna during the summer of 1770 while Wolfgang was working on ''Mitridate''. Mozart gained expertise in composition from his older friend and also incorporated some of his musical
motifs into his own operatic setting. The opera was first performed at the
Teatro Regio Ducale
The Teatro Regio Ducale (Italian, "Royal Ducal Theatre") was the opera house in Milan from 26 December 1717 until 25 February 1776, when it was burned down following a carnival gala. Many famous composers and their operas are associated with it, i ...
, Milan, on 26 December 1770 (at the Milan Carnival). It was a success, performed 21 times despite doubts because of Mozart's extreme youth – he was 14 at the time. No revival took place until the 20th century. The opera features virtuoso arias for the principal roles, but only two ensemble numbers: the act 2 ending duet between Aspasia and Sifare ("Se viver non degg’io"), and the brief
quintet
A quintet is a group containing five members. It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single ...
that ends the opera in a manner characteristic of standard baroque
opera seria
''Opera seria'' (; plural: ''opere serie''; usually called ''dramma per musica'' or ''melodramma serio'') is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to abo ...
where the opera ends with a short ''coro'' or ''
tutti
''Tutti'' is an Italian word literally meaning ''all'' or ''together'' and is used as a musical term, for the whole orchestra as opposed to the soloist. It is applied similarly to choral music, where the whole section or choir is called to sing. ...
'' number.
Roles
Synopsis
:Place: around the
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
n port of
Nymphæum
:Time: 63BC during the conflict between Rome and Pontus
Prologue
Mitridate, having suffered a heavy defeat in battle, is presumed dead. This incorrect news is passed by Arbate, the Governor, to Aspasia (Mitridate's fiancée) and to Farnace and Sifare (Mitridate's sons).
Act 1
''Scene 1''
Arbate, the governor of Nymphæum, welcomes Sifare. We learn that Sifare resents his brother, Farnace, because of his brother’s strong ties with their enemies, the Romans. Arbate pledges his loyalty to Sifare. Aspasia pleads for Sifare to help her against advances by Farnace. He accepts her plea and reveals his love for her.
''Scene 2''
Farnace makes his advances to Aspasia. She refuses, supported by Sifare, who protects her from his forceful brother. News arrives that Mitridate is alive and is approaching the city. Arbate urges the brothers to conceal their differences and greet their father. The brothers agree to hide their feelings for Aspasia. Farnace conspires with Marzio, Roman legionary officer, against Mitridate.
''Scene 3''
Mitridate arrives on the shores of Nymphæaum with Princess Ismene, daughter of his ally the King of
Parthia
Parthia ( peo, 𐎱𐎼𐎰𐎺 ''Parθava''; xpr, 𐭐𐭓𐭕𐭅 ''Parθaw''; pal, 𐭯𐭫𐭮𐭥𐭡𐭥 ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Med ...
. Mitridate wants Farnace to marry Ismene, his promised bride. Ismene is in love with Farnace but senses problems and is worried about her future. Arbate tells Mitridate that Farnace is pursuing Aspasia, not mentioning Sifare. The jealous Mitridate swears revenge on Farnace.
Act 2
''Scene 1''
Farnace scorns and threatens Ismene. She tells Mitridate, who suggests that she should marry Sifare. Mitridate asks Aspasia for immediate marriage but she hesitates, proving to him that she is unfaithful. Aspasia confesses love to Sifare but they both agree to part to save their honour. Sifare plans to leave and Aspasia is troubled by the conflict between love and duty.
''Scene 2''
Mitridate is aware of Farnace's plot against him with the Romans; he plans his revenge, despite Marzio’s offer of peace, and arrests Farnace to execute him. Ismene rescues the prince, who admits his treachery but implicates Sifare. Mitridate tricks Aspasia into admitting her love for Sifare and swears revenge. Aspasia and Sifare wish to die together, in fear of Mitridate’s threats.
Act 3
''Scene 1''
Ismene, still in love with Farnace, tries to convince Mitridate to forgive Aspasia. The Romans attack and Mitridate leaves for battle. Aspasia contemplates suicide by poison. Sifare also wants to die, and joins his father in the battle.
''Scene 2''
Marzio liberates Farnace and promises him the rule of Nymphæum. Farnace changes his mind, deciding to side with Mitridate.
''Scene 3''
Defeated, Mitridate commits suicide, avoiding captivity. Before he dies he gives his blessing to Sifare and Aspasia and forgives Farnace, who now agrees to marry Ismene. All four pledge to free the world from Rome.
Noted arias
''Act 1''
* "Soffre il mio cor con pace" - Sifare
* "Nel sen mi palpita" – Aspasia
* "Parto : nel gran cimento" – Sifare
* "Quel ribelle" – Mitridate
* "Se di lauri" – Mitridate
* "In faccia all'oggetto" – Ismene
* "L'odio nel cor" – Arbate
* "Al destin che la minaccia" – Aspasia
* "Soffre il mio cor" – Sifare
* "Venga pur, minacci" – Farnace
''Act 2''
* "Già di pietà mi spoglio" – Mitridate
* "Lungi da te" – Sifare
* "Nel grave tormento" – Aspasia
* "So quanto a te" – Ismene
* "Son reo; l'error confesso" – Farnace
* "Tu che fedel" – Mitridate
* "Va, l'error mio palesa" – Farnace
''Act 3''
* "Ah ben ne fui presaga…Pallid' ombre" – Aspasia
* "Già dagli occhi" – Farnace
* "Se di regnar" – Marzio
* "Se il rigor d'ingrata sorte" – Sifare
* "Tu sai per che m'accese" – Ismene
* "Vado incontro" – Mitridate
In 1901,
Charles Malherbe
Charles Théodore Malherbe (21 April 1853 – 5 October 1911) was a French violinist, musicologist, composer and music editor.
Life and career
Malherbe was born in Paris, son of Pierre Joseph Malherbe (1819–1890) and Zoé Caroline Mozin (1832 ...
located previously uncatalogued works of Mozart, including a soprano aria from the opera ''Mitridate, re di Ponto'', written at age 14. It was performed that year in Paris by Camille Fourrier.
Recordings
*1971:
Mozarteum
Mozarteum University Salzburg (German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the “Mozarteum” moniker in Salzburg municipality; the International Mo ...
,
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
;
Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg,
Leopold Hager
Leopold Hager (born 6 October 1935, Salzburg) is an Austrian conductor known for his interpretations of works by the Viennese Classics ( Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert).
Hager studied piano, organ, harpsichord, conducting, and compositio ...
/
Edda Moser
Edda Moser (born 27 October 1938) is a German operatic soprano. She was particularly well known for her interpretations of music by Mozart. Her 1973 recital LP ' received the Grand Prix du Disque.
Life and career
Moser was born in Berlin, th ...
,
Arleen Augér,
Helen Watts
Helen Watts (7 December 19277 October 2009) was a Welsh contralto.
Early life
Helen Josephine Watts was born in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Her father was a pharmacist, Tom Watts and moved to live above his shop at 26 Market Street, Ha ...
,
Pilar Lorengar
Lorenza Pilar García Seta (16 January 1928 – 2 June 1996), known professionally as Pilar Lorengar, was a Spanish ( Aragonese) soprano. She was best known for her interpretations of opera and the Spanish genre Zarzuela, and as a soprano she wa ...
,
Peter Schreier
Peter Schreier (29 July 1935 – 25 December 2019) was a German tenor in opera, concert and lied, and a conductor. He was regarded as one of the leading lyric tenors of the 20th century.
Schreier was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor conduct ...
,
Peter Baillie, Reingard Didusch (CD)
*1977:
Mozarteum
Mozarteum University Salzburg (German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the “Mozarteum” moniker in Salzburg municipality; the International Mo ...
,
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
;
Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg,
Leopold Hager
Leopold Hager (born 6 October 1935, Salzburg) is an Austrian conductor known for his interpretations of works by the Viennese Classics ( Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert).
Hager studied piano, organ, harpsichord, conducting, and compositio ...
;
Werner Hollweg
Werner Hollweg (13 September 1936 in Solingen - 1 January 2007 in Freiburg im Breisgau) was a German operatic tenor. He is best known for his interpretation of Mozart's operas. Hollweg died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic l ...
,
Arleen Augér,
Edita Gruberová
Edita Gruberová (; 23 December 1946 – 18 October 2021) was a Slovak coloratura soprano. She made her stage debut in Bratislava in 1968 as Rosina in Rossini's ''Il barbiere di Siviglia'', and successfully auditioned at the Vienna State Opera ...
,
Agnes Baltsa
Agni Baltsa ( el, Aγνή Mπάλτσα; also known as Agnes Baltsa; born 19 November 1944) is a leading Greek mezzo-soprano singer.
Baltsa was born in Lefkada. She began playing piano at the age of six, before moving to Athens in 1958 to concen ...
,
Ileana Cotrubas
Ileana (also Illeana, Iliana, Eleana, Eliana) is a female given name. It is the feminine form of the male name Elijah. It has been adapted for Romanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Italian and Spanish (in Spanish there is also Ilean and in Romanian ...
, David Kübler,
Christine Weidinger (CD,
The Complete Mozart Edition
''The Complete Mozart Edition '' is a 180-CD collection released in 1990–91 featuring all works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (known at the set's publication) assembled by Philips Classics Records to commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Mo ...
, Vol. 29, 1991 (Philips Classics Records
Philips Classics Records was started in the 1980s as the new classics record label for Philips Records. It was successful with artists including Alfred Brendel, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fi ...
). 1991)
*1986:
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (19 February 1932 – 11 August 1988) was a French opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the ...
1986 film,
Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt or historically Johann Nikolaus Graf de la Fontaine und d'Harnoncourt-Unverzagt; () (6 December 1929 – 5 March 2016) was an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music ...
/
Gösta Winbergh,
Yvonne Kenny
Yvonne Kenny AM (born 25 November 1950) is an Australian soprano, particularly associated with Handel, Mozart and bel canto roles.
Biography
Born in Sydney, she first studied at the University of Sydney in science, hoping to become a biochemi ...
, Ann Murray (DVD)
*1986:
Opéra de Lyon
This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names.
"Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...
(Jean-Claude Fall, director),
Theodor Guschlbauer
Theodor Guschlbauer (born 1939 in Vienna) is an Austrian conductor.
Decorations and awards
* 1995: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class
* 1996: Honour "Victoire" for his work on the ''Opéra du Rhin'' and at the Strasbourg Phi ...
/
Rockwell Blake
Rockwell Blake (born January 10, 1951) is an American operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in Rossini operas. He was the first winner of the Richard Tucker Award.
Biography
Born and raised in Plattsburgh, NY, Blake was the son of a m ...
,
Ashley Putnam
Ashley Putnam (born 10 August 1952) is an American soprano from New York City. Her professional singing career began in 1976 and has spanned over 30 years.
Early life and career
Ashley Putnam began her music career playing the flute. Her moth ...
, Yvonne Kenny,
Brenda Boozer (DVD)
*1993:
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...
,
Paul Daniel
Paul Daniel (born 5 July 1958) is an English conductor.
Biography Early life
Daniel was born in Birmingham. As a boy, he sang in the choir of Coventry Cathedral, where he received musical training; then studied music at King's College, Cambr ...
/
Bruce Ford,
Jochen Kowalski
Jochen Kowalski (born 30 January 1954) is a German alto or mezzo countertenor, noted for his very rich timbre.
Early life
Jochen Kowalski was born in Wachow, Nauen District, Bezirk Potsdam, in East Germany (now a small village belonging to t ...
,
Ann Murray
Ann Murray, (born 27 August 1949) is an Irish mezzo-soprano.
Life and career
Murray was born in Dublin. Having won a number of prizes at the Feis Ceoil, she studied singing at the College of Music (now the DIT Conservatory of Music and Dram ...
,
Luba Orgonášová (DVD)
*1997 Salzburg Mozart Week,
Roger Norrington/Bruce Ford,
Vesselina Kasarova
Vesselina Kasarova ( bg, Веселина Кацарова; born 18 July 1965) is a Bulgarian operatic mezzo-soprano.
Early life and education
Kasarova was born in the central Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora. Under the communist regime she studie ...
,
Cyndia Sieden
Cyndia Sieden (born September 10, 1961) is an American coloratura soprano on the opera and concert stages.
Biography
Cyndia Sieden was born in 1961 in California, USA, and received her first vocal instruction there. A significant early milesto ...
,
Christiane Oelze
Christiane Oelze (born 9 October 1963 in Cologne) is a German operatic soprano. From 2003 to 2008, she taught singing at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf. Since 2010 she taught at the Masterclass of Apeldoorn (Netherlands), since 2011 a ...
(CD)
*1998:
Christophe Rousset
Christophe Rousset (; born 12 April 1961) is a French harpsichordist and conductor, who specializes in the performance of Baroque music on period instruments. He is also a musicologist, particularly of opera and European music of the 17th and 18 ...
/
Giuseppe Sabbatini,
Brian Asawa
Brian Asawa (October 1, 1966 – April 18, 2016) was a Japanese American opera singer who sang as a countertenor. About Asawa, ''Opera News'' stated: "In his prime, Asawa was an electric performer, his fearless performing style supported by a voice ...
,
Cecilia Bartoli
Cecilia Bartoli, Cavaliere OMRI (; born 4 June 1966) is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best known for her interpretations of the music of Bellini, Handel, Mozart, Rossini and Vivaldi, as well as for her ...
,
Natalie Dessay
Natalie Dessay (; born 19 April 1965) is a French singer, known for her former career as an operatic soprano. She gained wide recognition after her portrayal of Olympia in ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' in 1992, and then performing at leading stages, ...
(CD)
*2006:
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amad ...
,
Marc Minkowski/
Richard Croft,
Bejun Mehta
Bejun Mehta (born 29 June 1968) is an American countertenor. He has been awarded the Echo Klassik, the Gramophone Award,http://www.gramophone.co.uk/awards/2014/contemporary Gramophone Awards 2014 Contemporary Le Diamant d’Opera Magazine, the Ch ...
,
Miah Persson (DVD)
See also
List of operas by Mozart
References
Notes
Sources
*Bourne, Joyce, "''Mitridate, re di Ponto''", ''Who's Who in Opera''. Oxford University Press, 1998.
*Latham, Alison, "''Mitridate, re di Ponto''", ''
The Oxford Companion to Music
''The Oxford Companion to Music'' is a music reference book in the Book series, series of Oxford Companions produced by the Oxford University Press. It was originally conceived and written by Percy Scholes and published in 1938. Since then, it ...
''. London:
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 2002
*
Warrack, John
John Hamilton Warrack (born 1928, in London) is an English music critic, writer on music, and oboist.
Warrack is the son of Scottish conductor and composer Guy Warrack. He was educated at Winchester College (1941-6) and then at the Royal College o ...
and Ewan West, "''Mitridate, re di Ponto''", ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera''. Oxford University Press, 1996.
External links
*
Opera on DVD: ''Mitridate''by Charles T. Downey (Ionarts, 22 August 2006]
Mozart-Tower mp3 clips from this operaLibretto''Mitridate, re di Ponto''at the
Internet Movie Database
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
{{Authority control
Operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Italian-language operas
Opera seria
Operas based on plays
Operas based on works by Jean Racine
1770 operas
Operas