Mozart: La clemenza di Tito

“… This recording serves the opera very well indeed. The Rouen Opera Company hadn’t really crossed my radar much prior to this, but their orchestra and chorus (helped out by Accentus) do a splendid job here, directed with dramatic vigour by their Music Director, British conductor Ben Glassberg. The orchestra uses modern instruments, but with lots of period touches: there’s a particular thwack to the timps and rasp to the trumpets that suggest older instruments there, and Glassberg’s tempi are consistently taut and driven. That makes the big ceremonial scenes very exciting, disarmingly so in the final scene, which is much faster than I’ve heard played before. However, I loved the final bars of tutti splendour which bring the curtain down with a crackle of energy that no other recording manages. There’s a lightness of touch to the whole orchestral palette that is consistently invigorating … The solo singing is mostly very good, too, led by a terrific performance from Nicky Spence as the Emperor. He’s a revelation here, unmasking new colours to his voice that few have had cause to suspect were there before…”