La Clemenza di Tito - Schedule, Program & Tickets

conductor
Pablo Heras Casado
directing
Jurgen Flimm
stage
George Tsypin
costumes
Birgit Hutter
Light
Wolfgang Goebel

Tito
Matthew Polenzani
vitellia
Federica Lombardi
Servilia
Slavka Zamečníkova
Sesto
Kate Lindsey
annio
Patricia Nolz
Publio
Peter Kellner

Tito sacrifices his love to the will of the people. He separates from his mistress, the Jewess Berenice, and is willing to marry a Roman patrician woman.

1st act

Vitellia, daughter of the deposed Emperor Vitellio, lays claim to the throne. She tries to subdue Sesto, a friend of the emperor, as a tool of her will to power. She promises him her favor if he succeeds in killing the emperor. Sesto, torn between friendship for the Emperor and love for Vitellia, agrees to join Lentulo's conspiracy and dare to assassinate him. Annio, a young patrician, tells of the passing of the Berenice. Then Vitellia gets new hope and tells Sesto to put off the crime again. Annio asks his friend Sesto for permission to marry his sister Servilia. The nobility of Rome gather on the Capitol for the coronation of Tito. However, the new Emperor intended the gift offered to him to alleviate the suffering of the victims of the recent Vesuvius eruption. In order to honor Sesto with his friendship, he wants to make his sister Servilia empress. He considers the purpose of his rule to be to promote virtue and friendship. Annio, ready to submit to the Emperor's wishes, tells his bride Servilia that she has been chosen by Tito to be his wife. However, she does not want to submit, confirms her love for Annio and confesses her love for Annio to Tito, whereupon Tito generously renounces her hand and wants to justify the lovers' happiness himself. Vitellia, who in the meantime has learned of Servilia's intention to become empress, feels hurt in her pride and urges Sesto to act again. Reluctantly, he allows himself to be persuaded to finally carry out the attack. However, as soon as he left, Vitellia found out about Tito's new plan to choose her as his wife. The Lentulo Uprising has begun. Vitellia tries in vain to stop him. Destiny takes its course. The Capitol is on fire and the people wail to save themselves. Sesto returns, convinced that he has killed Tito. Everyone mourns the death of the benevolent ruler.

2nd act

Annio reports to the distraught Sesto that the emperor was unharmed in the riot. Another was hit by the killer's dagger. Now Sesto admits his guilt. Vitellia urges him to flee quickly, while Annio advises trusting in the Emperor's mercy. Publio has Sesto arrested as the proven assassin. He now realizes that he mistakenly hit his co-conspirator Lentulo, who had triumphantly already adorned himself with the coronation cloak, with the dagger. Tito, who fortunately escaped death, appears to his people and seeks to alleviate their suffering after the city burns. The Senate has sentenced Sesto to death, but the Emperor hesitates to sign the sentence. He wants to speak alone with the friend who betrayed him. Sesto does not reveal the secret of his deed. He's ready to die. Although he is puzzled by his guilty friend's silence, Tito decides to overturn the death sentence. Vitellia, assailed by Servilia's pleas, finally decides to save Sesto by making a confession. She ruefully throws herself at the Emperor's feet. Tito sees himself betrayed by everyone. But he doesn't want to let revenge have the last word. He gives the assassins and conspirators life and freedom. The people praise the happiness of this historic moment.


Subject to change.