La clemenza di Tito (ouvertyr)

The opera La Clemenza di Tito (The Clemency of Titus) is one of Mozart’s last great works. Written in two months during 1791, in parallel with The Magic Flute and Requiem, it premiered only three months before his death. The opera was commissioned by the Estates of Bohemia to celebrate the coronation of the new Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold II, as King of Bohemia in September 1791. The libretto was selected with care: history records Roman Emperor Titus (born 39 CE–died 81 CE) as a wise and magnanimous ruler. The commissioner of the work thereby encourages Leopold to follow in his footsteps. The overture is as exuberant as only a Mozart overture can be, setting the tone perfectly for both an opera with a happy ending and a concert programme.