Short Summary
We follow the story of Emperor Tito of Rome, who is surrounded by intrigue. After an assassination attempt, Tito must decide how to deal with the conspirators.
Despite personal feelings of revenge, Tito opts for mercy and forgiveness. The plot also includes complex love stories between Tito, his confidants and the women in their lives. With beautiful music and dramatic twists and turns, Mozart tells a story of power, love and the noble act of forgiveness.
La Clemenza
di Tito
Storyline
Tito sacrifices his love to the will of the people. He separates from his lover, the Jewess Berenice, and is prepared to take a Roman patrician as his wife.
Vitellia, the daughter of the overthrown Emperor Vitellio, claims the throne. She tries to make Sesto, a friend of the emperor, submissive to her will to power. She promises him her favor if he succeeds in killing the emperor. Sesto, wavering between his friendship with the emperor and his love for Vitellia, agrees to join Lentulo's conspiracy and attempt the assassination.
Annio, a young patrician, reports on Berenice's departure. Vitellia then regains hope and orders Sesto to postpone the deed once more. Annio asks his friend Sesto for his consent to marry his sister Servilia. Rome's nobility gather on the Capitol for Tito's coronation. However, the new emperor dedicates the gift offered to him to alleviating the suffering of the victims of the recent eruption of Vesuvius.
In order to honor Sesto with his friendship, he wants to elevate his sister Servilia to empress. He considers promoting virtue and friendship to be the purpose of his reign. Annio, who is prepared to submit to the emperor's wishes, tells his bride Servilia that she has been chosen by Tito as his wife. However, she refuses to submit, reaffirms her love for Annio and confesses her love for Tito, whereupon the latter magnanimously renounces her hand and wants to establish the lovers' happiness himself.
Vitellia, who has meanwhile learned of Servilia's intended elevation to empress, feels hurt in her pride and urges Sesto anew to take action. He is reluctantly persuaded to carry out the attack once and for all. However, he has barely set off when Vitellia learns of Tito's new plan to choose her as his wife. Lentulo's rebellion has begun. Vitellia tries in vain to put a stop to it. Fate takes its course. The Capitol is in flames and the people wail in an attempt to save themselves. Sesto returns, convinced that he has killed Tito. Everyone mourns the death of the benevolent ruler.
Annio tells the distraught Sesto that the emperor has remained unharmed in the turmoil. Another had been hit by the murderer's dagger. Sesto now confesses his guilt. Vitellia urges him to flee in haste, while Annio advises him to trust in the emperor's mercy.
Publio has Sesto arrested as the proven assassin. He now realizes that he has mistakenly struck his co-conspirator Lentulo, who had already triumphantly adorned himself with the coronation mantle, with the dagger. Tito, who by a stroke of luck escaped death, shows himself to his people and tries to alleviate their suffering after the burning of the city. The Senate has pronounced the death sentence on Sesto, but the Emperor is reluctant to sign it. He wants to speak alone with the friend who betrayed him.
Sesto does not reveal the secret of his deed. He is ready to die. Although the silence of his guilty friend remains a mystery to him, Tito decides to lift the death sentence. Vitellia, beset by Servilia's pleas, finally decides to save Sesto by confessing. Remorseful, she throws herself at the Emperor's feet. Tito feels betrayed by everyone. But he does not want to let revenge have the last word. He gives the assassins and conspirators life and freedom. The people praise the happiness of this historic moment.
