A Buxton International Festival Concert Performance, featuring the Buxton International Festival Orchestra.

What is it that drives Sextus to make an attempt on the life of his dearest friend, the emperor Titus? And what brings Titus to forgive him? Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, premiered in Prague where Austria’s Emperor Leopold II was crowned King of Bohemia, glorifies absolutism and the benevolent ruler.

The opera seria unfolds against the backdrop of ancient Rome. Emperor Tito, renowned for his benevolence and clemency, grapples with political intrigue and personal conflicts. The narrative takes a thrilling turn as Tito faces betrayal from those closest to him, including his closest friend Sesto and the enigmatic Vitellia. The opera reaches its climax with Tito’s struggle to balance mercy and justice, culminating in a powerful display of forgiveness and redemption.

Today, this work fascinates us for the way in which Mozart broke free from the formal constraints of opera seria and wrote music of a poignancy which is indistinguishable from the rest of the glorious output at the end of his short life.

Libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Pietro Metastasio


Sung in Italian with English side-titles

This event is on general sale from 14 April 2026

Priority dates are:

17 Mar – Directors Circle, Benefactors and Gold Patrons
24 Mar – Patrons
31 Mar– Gold Friends
7 Apr – Friends
14 Apr – Public and Next Gen