Mitridate, re di Ponto

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Work data
Title: Mithridates, King of Pontus
Original title: Mitridate, re di Ponto
Shape: Opera seria
Original language: Italian
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto : Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi
Literary source: Mithridate by Jean Racine in the Italian translation by Giuseppe Parini
Premiere: December 26, 1770
Place of premiere: Teatro Regio Ducale , Milan
Playing time: approx. 2 ½ hours
Place and time of the action: Asia Minor, 63 BC Chr.
people
  • Mithridates (Mitridate), king of Pontus and other empires, lover of Aspasia ( tenor )
  • Aspasia , fiancée of Mithridates and already proclaimed queen ( soprano )
  • Xiphares (Sifare), son of Mithridates and Stratonica, lover of Aspasia (soprano, castrato )
  • Pharnaces (Farnace), Mithridates' first son, also lover of Aspasia ( old , castrato)
  • Ismene , daughter of the King of Parthia, mistress of Farnace (soprano)
  • Marcius (Marzio), Roman tribune, friend of Farnace (tenor)
  • Arbates (Arbate), governor of Ninfea (soprano, castrato)
Mitridate, re di Ponto (1770)

Mitridate, re di Ponto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is an opera seria in three acts ( KV 87 [74a]), which was premiered in 1770 at the Teatro Regio Ducale in Milan. The text is by Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi based on the drama Mithridate by Jean Racine in the Italian translation by Giuseppe Parini .

action

Based on the play of the same name by Jean Racine, the title character is King Mitridates VI. Eupator (132-63 BC), king of Pontus, whose empire included large coastal areas on the southern Black Sea coast. During a campaign against the Romans spreading into Asia Minor, Mitridate left his young fiancée, the Greek princess Aspasia, in the care of his two sons, Sifare and Farnace, in the city of Ninfea in the Crimea. He had the news of his death spread to put his two sons to the test. These - political opponents in their respective sympathies for the Greeks and the Romans - vie for the favor of their father's betrothed.

first act

Aspasia asks Sifare to protect her from Farnace's advances. Sifare uses this request not only to offer his protection, but also to confess his love to her. Farnace, who coolly ignores his intended bride, Ismene, daughter of the King of Parthia, makes Aspasia an offer to make her his queen. Aspasia rejects Farnace, and when he threatens her, Sifare intervenes. Arbate, the governor of Nymfea, reports that Mitridate is alive and has just reached the city. Aspasia is torn between her duties to Mitridate and her genuine love for Sifare. Farnace's attempt to thwart his father's return is denied by Sifare out of loyalty to his father. Farnace then incites the Roman tribune Marzio to rebel against Mitridate. After a lost battle, Mitridate lands in the port of Ninfea and confides in Arbate that he himself spread the rumors about his death in order to put his sons to the test. When he hears of Farnace's advances to Aspasia, he decides to punish him.

Second act

When Farnace tells Ismene that he doesn't love her, she threatens to call Mitridates. Despite Farnace's warning of the possible consequences, Ismene confides in Mitridate. The latter assures her that Farnace will have to pay for this insult and praises the second-born son Sifare as a much more worthy husband. When he announced that she wanted to marry Aspasia quickly, she reacted cautiously, so that Mitridate suspected that she had cheated on him with Farnace. Mitridate summons Sifare and praises him for his loyalty. After Aspasia and Sifare are alone, they assure each other of their love, but out of a sense of duty they decide to suppress it and separate. Mitridate suspects Farnace of collaborating with the Romans. He sees himself confirmed when Farnace contradicts his plan to attack the Romans and advises him to accept the peace offer of the Romans. When Mitridate then wants to have him disarmed and taken away, Farnace confesses his guilt, but also reveals that Sifare and Aspasia love each other. Mitridate then puts Aspasia to the test by asking her to choose one of his sons rather than him. Aspasia reveals her love for Sifare, whereupon Mitridate sentences her and his two sons to death. Sifare urges Aspasia to reconcile with Mitridate and marry him. But she refuses, and so the lovers decide to die together.

Third act

Ismene tries to mediate and asks Mitridate to spare Aspasia. When Aspasia's questions about what happened to Sifare, she is told that she could still save his life if she marries Mitridate, but she refuses. Arbate announces that the Roman troops have landed and have driven Mitridate's troops. Mitridate rushes to his troops. When Aspasia is given a goblet with poison, she wants to empty it in the hope of finally finding peace. Meanwhile Sifare storms in. He now considers it his duty to assist his father in battle. Farnace has been freed by a Roman mercenary force. However, when Marzio offers him the throne, Farnace's conscience plagues him and he announces that he will renounce Aspasia and his political ambitions and instead follow the path of duty, fame and honor. Mitridate has thrown himself into his own sword so as not to fall into the hands of the Romans. He praises Sifare for his loyalty, forgives Aspasia and gives the couple his blessing. Ismene says that Farnace repulsed the Romans and set their ships on fire. Then the dying Mitridate forgives him too. Aspasia, Sifare, Ismene, Farnace and Arbate join the chorus of resistance against Roman tyranny.

History of origin

The then 14-year-old Wolfgang received the commission to compose the opera during his first trip to Italy, which he undertook with his father Leopold Mozart . It was planned for the opening of the 1770/71 season at Milan's Teatro Regio Ducale (the predecessor of the Teatro alla Scala ). However, Mozart did not receive the libretto until four months later, so that he had to finish the composition within five months. The premiere on December 26, 1770 was successful. There were a total of 23 performances in Milan. However, the work was not played for two centuries afterwards. It was not until 1971, after its appearance in the New Mozart Edition , that there was another production at the Salzburg Festival in a staging by Wolfgang Weber under the musical direction of Leopold Hager .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Gabriele Brandstetter : Mitridate, re di Ponto. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater . Volume 5: Works. Piccinni - Spontini. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1994, ISBN 3-492-02415-7 , pp. 281-283.