''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

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:

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; Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg,

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, Arleen Augér,

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, Peter Baillie, Reingard Didusch (CD) *1977:

; Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg,

;

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, David Kübler, Christine Weidinger (CD,

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, Vol. 29, 1991 (

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). 1991) *1986:

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/ Gösta Winbergh,

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(Jean-Claude Fall, director),

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, Yvonne Kenny, Brenda Boozer (DVD) *1993:

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(CD) *1998:

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/ Giuseppe Sabbatini,

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(CD) *2006:

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, Miah Persson (DVD)

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

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{{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