Show Synopsis:
Vitellia wants revenge on Tito for having a relationship with Berenice of Cilicia and turns his friend Sesto against him with his feminine wiles. then learns that Tito sent Berenice back to Jerusalem. Tito chooses Sesto?s sister Servilia to be his empress, but she is in love with Sesto?s friend Annio. Servilia tells Tito she does not love him, and Tito admires her honesty. In the meantime, Vitellia convinces Sesto to assassinate Tito because of his feelings for Servilia. Tito chooses Vitellia to be his empress and she is wracked with guilt when Sesto and his accomplices burn the Capitol and Sesto announces that Tito has been assassinated. Later he finds that he inadvertently hurt someone else in the chaos. Sesto is arrested and found guilty by trial, and he tells Tito that he deserves death for his intentions. Tito refuses to sign the execution warrant and is about to show mercy to the assassination conspirators when Vitellia confesses her plot to Tito. Tito generously forgives her as well.
Character:
Vitellia, daughter of the former Emperor Vitellius; ambitious and ruthless in those ambitions.
Song Context:
Vitellia realizes that the most moral thing for her to do is confess her sins and accept her fate rather than become a queen, which is what she has been working towards.
Fun Facts:
1. This opera was based on "La clemenza di Tito," a libretto written by Pietro Metastasio on the life of the Roman Emperor Titus.
2. Italian impresario Domenico Guardasoni commissioned Mozart to write this opera to celebrate the coronation of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II.
Ecco il punto, o Vitellia,
D'esaminar la tua costanza!
Avrai valor che basti a rimirare e sangue il tuo Sesto fedel?
Sesto, che t'ama più della vita sua?
Che per tua colpa divenne reo?
Che t'ubbidi, crudele,
Che, inguista, t'adorò?
Che, in faccia a morte,
Si gran fede ti serba?
E tu frattanto,
Non ingnota a te stessa,
Andrai tranquilla al talamo d'Augusto?
Ah! mi vedrei sempre Sesto d'intorno
E l'aure, e i sassi temerei
Che loquaci mi scoprissero a Tito.
A piedi suoi vadasi il tutto a palesar.
Se scemi il delitto di Sesto,
Se scusar no si può, col fallo mio.
D'impero e d'Imenei speranze, addio!
Non più di fiori, vaghe catene,
Discenda Imene ad intrecciar.
Stretta fra barbare aspre ritorte
Veggo la morte vêr me avanzar.
Infelice, qual orrore,
Ah! di me che si dirà?
Chi vedesse il mio dolore,
Pur avria di me pietà?
Ecco il punto, o Vitellia,
Now is the point, o Vitellia,
d'esaminar la tua costanza!
to examine your constancy !
Avrai valor che basti a rimirare e
Will you have valour enough to see
sangue il tuo Sesto fedel?
your faithful Sextus dead?
Sesto, che t'ama più della vita sua?
Sextus, who loves you more than his own life?
che per tua colpa divenne reo?
Who, by your fault became guilty?
che t'ubbidi, crudele,
who obeyed you, cruel one,
che, ingiusta, t'adorò?
who, unjust, adored you?
che, in faccia a morte,
who in the face of death
si gran fede ti serba?
still great faith has in you?
e tu frattanto,
and you meanwhile,
non ignota a te stessa,
not known to you yourself,
andrai tranquilla al talamo d'Augusto?
will go calmly the marriage bed of Augustus? (Caesar)
Ah! mi vedrei sempre Sesto d'intorno
Ah! I should always see Sextus around me
e l'aure, e i sassi temerei
and (fear) the breezes, and the stones
che loquaci mi scoprissero a Tito.
that talkative was exposing (me) to Titus
A piedi suoi vadasi il tutto a palesar.
At his feet, is going to everything reveal.
Se scemi il delitto di Sesto,
If idiots the crime of Sextus,
se scusar no si può, col fallo mio.
if to be exposed cannot be done, with my fault
D'impero e d'Imenei speranze, addio!
Of empire and of Hymen, hopes, goodbye!
Non piu di fiori
No more flowers
Vaghe catene
vague chains
Discenda Imene
Descends Hymen
Ad intrecciar.
To weave.
Stretta fra barbare
Held between barbarous
Aspre ritorte
rough twisted
Veggo la morte
I see death
Ver me avanzar.
towards me advance.
Infelice! qual orrore!
Unfortunate! What horrors!
Ah di me che si dirà?
Ah of me what will be said?
Chi vedesse il mio dolore,
Who saw my pain
Pur avrai di me pieta.
Although you would pity me.