CityLife

La Clamenza di Tito

La Clemenza Di Tito
Royal Northern College Of Music
March 18, 2010

There aren’t a lot of laughs in Mozart’s La Clamenza Di Tito (though the audience did find a few titters in the English translation as it was sung – that’s the perils of subtitling for you).

But this is serious opera, and was a serious task for all involved in performing it at the Royal Northern College of Music. They succeeded in making the highly formal work – which could easily have become static – live as both drama and music.

Stefan Janski’s production – with an imposing fixed set by Simon Rorstrand and inventive, colourful costuming by Elaine Needham – relied upon bringing all the recitative dialogue to the front of the stage, with the remaining area for the set-piece chorus numbers, and curtains (a little noisy) to separate the two. 

It worked very well, concentrating on characterisation and conflict in all those ‘dry’ recitatives, but adding grandeur at key points. My only quibble was why the chorus walked on stage so cheerfully in the final scene when they were supposed to be expecting a condemnation?

Sipho Fubesi was excellent in the title role, combining dignity with humanity (and only a touch of US-election-style glad-handing). He sang strongly and kept an extra charge of emotion in reserve for when he finally realises the extent of his betrayal.

Helen Sherman and Kathryn Rudge, in the ‘trouser’ roles as Sesto and Annio, have proved their worth in RNCM opera before, and were splendid. Alison Rose, as Servilia, was a new name to me and has a very useful, incisive timbre as well as good stage sense.

Andrew Fellowes (Publio) was a rock in ensemble. But for me the outstanding soloist was Lorna James, as the spiteful and duplicitous Vitellia. She emerged from the start as a vivid (if nasty) personality, spitting venom in her dialogue and singing superbly in solos and ensemble.

Garry Walker conducted with attention to audibility and pacing, and the RNCM Chorus at full throttle was wonderful. A note of thanks, too, to Rocio Bolanos in the orchestra for the clarinet and basset horn solos. Non più di fiori (Lorna James’ big aria near the close) was a highlight of the night, and it says much for the whole effort that the final ensemble packed so much punch. 

Repeated March 21 (3pm), 24 and 27 (7.30pm).

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