Mitridate, Re di Ponto

DRAMMA PER MUSICA in three acts (1770)

Music by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

text by

Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi after Jean Racine

An opera seria is a large, serious work of music theatre – even when composed by the young Mozart. He was just 14 years old when he wrote »Mitridate« for the Teatro Regio Ducale in Milan, a story based on a tragedy by the great French poet Jean Racine. A Japanese directing team led by Satoshi Miyagi will now stage this stunning opera in the spirit of Kabuki theatre.

It is set during the time of the Roman Empire, and King Mitridate’s kingdom, the land of Pontus, is located on the southern Black Sea coast. His beautiful young fiancée, Aspasia, also descends from a royal family; but his two mutually hostile sons wish the worst for the king and his princess. There are many kinds of inevitable conflicts, which flare up repeatedly and defeat any solution, especially in the times of war against the Romans. Mozart’s opera, composed exactly 250 years ago and probably the richest of his early opera works in musical terms, vividly portrays the fate of Mitradate and the other protagonists in a spectacular show of music and acting. The score is in the best of hands with Marc Minkowski and his Musiciens du Louvre.

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Supported by the Association of the Friends and Supporters of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden

Mitridate, Re di Ponto

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