Negative Positive
Title: The best Titus
Review: 'La clemenza di Tito' is by far my favorite Mozart opera. True, it is based on a libretto by Metastasio, but that's really not a problem. And it has the potential to drag on if in the wrong hands, although it is one of Mozart's shortest operas from his maturity. I would recommend the version with Hogwood conducting for newcomers to the work, but this one sheds new light on it. One reviewer said there was too much ornamentation for their taste, but it IS an opera seria. Perhaps the best thing, however, is the casting of Padmore in the title role. His light tenor seems to suit the demands of the composer far better than a heavier one would. Along with that, Jacobs alters the recitatives slightly, supposedly in the style of Mozart. This keeps it from feeling longer than it actually is.
Is the review positive or negative? 