Opera seria in 3 acts
Libretto by Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi after Jean Baptiste Racine
First performed December 26 1770, Teatro Regio Ducal, Milan
First ever staged performances in Frankfurt. A co-production with the Teatro Real, Madrid, Teatro di San Carlo, Naples & Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona
Sung in Italian with German & English surtitles
Introductory talks (in German) in the Holzfoyer 30 mins before curtain up, available here shortly after opening night and everywhere where podcasts are to be found.
BACKGROUND Mitridate was defeated by the Roman general Pompey; the King of Pontus left his young fiancée Aspasia, already crowned Queen »in spe«, at home before going to war. Not trusting his sons, he spread rumours of his death in battle. Mitridate’s older son, Farnace, immediately started trying to persuade Aspasia to marry him instead of his presumed-dead father.
ACT 1 When Sifare, Mitridate's youngest son, arrives, Aspasia hopes he might protect her from Farnace’s advances. Sifare, secretly in love with Aspasia, is more than willing. Farnace’s getting ready to marry and ascend the throne, but Sifare stops him. A fight seems unavoidable until Mitridate’s confidant Arbate announces that the King’s alive and about to arrive. The brothers decide to keep their quarrel secret, and pretend nothing’s happened. Despite his love for Aspasia, Sifare’s determined to be loyal to his father. Farnace, however, is secretly in league with the enemy. Marzio, a Roman officer encourages him to confront Mitridate. Mitridate arrives with the Parthian princess Ismene, with whom Farnace was once in love. Although he lost the battle, Mitridate’s determined to continue his fight against Rome and has won Ismene’s father as an ally. He asks Farnace to marry Ismene, but she senses that she’s lost his love. In private, Arbate tells Mitridate about Farnace’s attempt to snatch the crown and make Aspasia marry him. The King’s relieved that Sifare, his favourite son, seems trustworthy. Aware of Farnace’s sympathy for Rome, Mitridate’s determined to punish his disloyal son.
ACT 2, part 1: Ismene accuses Farnace of being unfaithful. When he admits to not loving her anymore and scorns her, she threatens to take revenge with his father’s help. Mitridate promises Ismene that he’ll kill his son, if he proves to be a traitor. He suggests that she marry Sifare instead, but Ismene still loves Farnace and doesn’t want him to die. The King tells Aspasia that their marriage will take place soon. She declares herself willing to obey her father, who arranged the marriage. Disappointed that she doesn’t love him, Mitridate calls for Sifare to join them. He then accuses Aspasia of being secretly in love with Farnace. The King warns her not to incur his wrath and pleads with Sifare to speak to her on his behalf. Left alone, Aspasia confides in Sifare that she always loved him, not his brother, but wants to keep face and follow through with the marriage to his father. She asks him never to see her again. Sifare, feeling guilty for having admitted his love for her, promises to leave her alone. Aspasia’s desperate; she fears she’s not strong enough to see it through.
Interval
ACT 2, part 2: Mitridate has summoned his sons to discuss military strategy. He asks Farnace to lead an army Eastwards towards Ismene’s home country and conquer more territories for her, while he marches West to take Rome under siege. Sifare’s willing to take on this daredevil task for his father, while Farnace argues that Pontus would then be left defenceless. Farnace suggests making peace with Rome instead, presenting Marzio as an envoy willing to negotiate terms. Mitridate’s furious to see a member of the enemy’s army in his own camp and sends him away. He has his son imprisoned, at which point Farnace reveals his brother to be the one Aspasia loves. He feels that if he’s to perish, Sifare shouldn’t be spared either. Mitridate tells Sifare to hide while he puts Aspasia to the test. When she arrives he pretends to step aside to let her marry his younger son. To Sifare’s horror, Aspasia confesses her love for him. Mitridate explodes with fury and vows to punish them both severely. After Mitridate leaves, Sifare urges Aspasia to marry his father to save her own life at least. But she dismisses this option: how could she marry a man who’s about to kill the one she loves? They want to die together.
ACT 3 Mitridate’s prepared to kill both sons and his unfaithful fiancée. Ismene tries in vain to assuage his wrath. Despite being sad and hurt she’s unwilling to take revenge on Farnace. Aspasia approaches the King. She’ll suffer any punishment as long as Sifare’s life is spared. Arabate brings news that the Romans are attacking. Before leaving for the battle where he might meet his own death, Mitridate orders that Sifare and Aspasia be killed. A servant brings Aspasia a poisoned drink. Sifare, who Ismene set free, bursts in just as she’s about to swallow it. He begs Aspasia to stay alive and rushes to join his father in battle, seeking his own death as a hero. Farnace, in turn, is freed by Marzio, who says that as Mitridate is either dead or captured, Farnace could become Pontus’ new ruler. Left alone, Farnace feels remorse for his treachery. He sets the Romans’ fleet on fire instead of joining forces with them. Mitridate returns from battle. He fatally wounded himself to avoid being taken captive. In agony, he acknowledges Sifare’s loyalty and asks him to marry Aspasia. Ismene testifies that Farnace fought for his country even though his former ally freed him from prison. Farnace’s willing to return to Ismene and marry her. Reunited with his family, Mitridate dies while the survivors pledge never to give in to the Roman aggressors.
Elderly King Mitridate wants to marry again, but suspects his sons might dispute his right to his beloved Aspasia and the throne. He therefore spreads the rumour that he died in battle after being defeated by the Romans. Sure enough, his older son Farnace starts pressurising his father’s young intended bride to marry him. But Aspasia secretly loves Sifare, his younger brother, who she asks to protect her from Farnace’s advances. The King of Pontus, believed to be dead, returns in the company of Irene, whom Farnace once promised to marry. Everyone starts eyeing each up other suspiciously. Farnace, in league with the Romans, plots against his father while Sifare und Aspasia are torn between their love for one another and loyalty to Mitridate. Left at the mercy of the King’s jealousy, their desperation brings them close to death.
It’s astonishing with what psychological sensitivity 14-year-old Mozart transforms his protagonists’ volatile psychological states into music! A garland of arias, some highly virtuosic, with equally virtuosic orchestration, testifies not only to Mozart’s inventiveness but gives us real insights into the emotionally charged web of family relationships. This child progidy’s early work made the stiff form of opera seria deeply moving and electrifying with his infallible theatrical instinct.
