La Clemenza di Tito

"La Clemenza di Tito" was Mozart's last stage work. It was commissioned for an Imperial coronation ceremony while Mozart was at work on "Die Zauberflöte" and was composed in great haste. Indeed, time was so short that composition of the secco recitatives was assigned to Mozart's pupil Süssmayr. As in the earlier "Idomeneo", Mozart sought to produce an opera seria that was dramatically viable. He enlisted the poet Mazzolà to substantially revise the Metastasio libretto, which had already been set some fifty times. The number of arias was reduced from 25 to 11, and ensembles and choruses were added to enliven the proceedings. Though perhaps not the very top-drawer Mozart, the music is wonderful.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, La Clemenza di Tito leans on a strong ensemble — Éric Tappy, Tatiana Troyanos, Carol Neblett — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1980.