MITRIDATE

in 1770 he was commissioned to write an opera for what would later become La Scala in Milan, at the time of the already prestigious Teatro Regio Ducal. The 14-year-old prodigy was tasked with setting the libretto by Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi, based on Racine’s only tragedy with a happy ending, Mithridates (1673), to music.

This ferocious fictional character follows in the footsteps of the real-life King of Pontus, a historical figure who distinguished himself by his resistance to the Roman conquests: he fascinated and inspired numerous operas in the 18^th century. Set in an ancient Orient full of passion, the plot oscillates between love and politics, with two enemy brothers and betrayal and jealousy as their sisters. His thirst for revenge orders poison, but in the end the tyrant dies a hero’s death and reunites the lovers.

While Mozart was still young, the great composer was already present, with his expressive and moving recitatives, his powerful arias moving from fury to sweetness, as well as the grace of his vocalisations.

This opera seria has only been performed in Lausanne once before, in 1984, the year the Théâtre Municipal – the forerunner of today’s Opéra – was founded. We are therefore delighted to offer a new production, which will see the Lausanne debuts of Emmanuelle Bastet and of Andreas Spering, who will conduct the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne for the first time.