Mitridate, rè di Ponto

I was familiar with Mozart's opera from watching the Richard Croft production, which I loved. And I am also familiar with Jean Pierre Ponnelle, loving his opera films for Rigoletto, Le Nozze Di Figaro, La Cenerentola, La Clemenza Di Tito and Der Barbier Von Sevilla. Mitradate Re Di Ponto is no exception. The lack of private chambers in the production values may come across as impersonal to some used to seeing them in live performances, however the beautiful and very intimate location sets with dark corridors and open courtyards more than compensate, as do the luscious costumes. And in regard to the lack of private chambers, I found this in a way an advantage. Ponnelle's forte was always his direction of singers and finding solutions to potential problems(like in his 1982 Salzburg Die Zauberflote), and I found his idea to concentrate on Mitridate's emphasis on politics and ambition rather than on his compassionate and interpersonal side to be a great one.

His stage direction is not too fussy either, it has an intimacy and makes the characters compelling to make up for the lack of immediacy found in live performances. And it never felt stagy or dull. From a musical point of view the production is really fantastic. Mozart's music is gorgeous which makes amends for the somewhat static(at times) story. The orchestral playing is stylish and very beautiful, special nod to the horn obbligato playing in Lunge Da Te, Mio Bene, and the conducting from Nikolaus Harnoncourt keeps things moving but emphasises the drama very well. People may object to cuts, but for the dramatic pace the cuts, of which neither are that major, were necessary. If it was a live performance though I may not be as forgiving.

The singing is exceptional. I have often heard the role of Mitridate cited as the Turandot of lyric tenor roles. I can see why, of the Mozart tenor roles only Idomeneo to me comes close to the vocal difficulty and dramatic intensity of Mitridate. This said, Gosta Winbergh's Mitridate is outstanding, making the high Cs seem effortless, giving genuine pathos to Figlio, Amico, Non Più and real refinement to Se Di Lauri Il Crine Adorno. He is also a better actor than I remember, making this character both nasty and poignant. Yvonne Kenny's colouratura is very controlled, and she brings a nobility and grace to the "object of many affections" role of Aspacia. Nel Grave Tormento show those qualities perfectly, with an aching quality to the appoggiatura on "tormento".

Ann Murray's vocal performance here is one of her fresher ones. She sings beautifully as Sifare(if not quite as lyrically as Miah Persson in the Salzburg production), Lungi Da Te, Mio Bene is particularly good. And she is very impassioned and loyal, successfully letting us sympathise with Sifare's situation. As the other and less loyal brother, Anne Gjevang is wonderfully brash and intense, yet her Già Dagli Occhi Il Velo è Tolto is incredibly moving. Joan Rodgers gives an Ismene that is feminine in beauty with a voice to match, yet Ponnelle doesn't allow the bitterness of Ismene to be any less convincing. Overall, this production of one of Mozart's earliest operas is just sublime.

Those perhaps looking for spontaneity and completely uncut performance may want to look elsewhere, but anyone else who is more than satisfied with beautiful production and musical values, great detail to acting and character directing and superb singing(I belong in the latter) will simply love this. 10/10 Bethany Cox