Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

La Clemenza di Tito, K. 621; Nos. 22-23: Act II

La Clemenza di Tito (The Clemency of Titus), K. 621 was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) in 1791 after he had almost finished Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute). Commissioned to celebrate the coronation of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, as King of Bohemia, it was written very quickly and was considered to be a weaker work by the young composer. In the 20th century, a reevaluation of the opera has resulted in its inclusion among the fifty most often staged works in the repertoire. Telling the story of the Roman Emperor Titus, and the mercy he showed to his would-be assassins, the original three-act libretto by Pietro Metastasio was adapted by numerous other composers, although Mozart's two-act version was revised by Caterino Mazzolà. Non più di fiori takes place near the end of the second act, where Vitellia, Titus' new fiancée and the orchestrator of his assassination attempt, confesses to him out of guilt. The aria is well-known for including a basset horn obbligato that Mozart wrote for his close friend and clarinet player, Anton Stadler, who played the part at its premiere in Prague at the Estates Theatre on September 6, 1791. Instrumentation: 2.2.0+BstHn.2: 2.2.0.0: Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set): Solo Sop.