Mitridate, Re di Ponto

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle and Nikolaus Harnoncourt have succeeded in turning the stylized figures of the 'opera seria' into living, flesh-and-blood characters. Written when Mozart was 14 and premiered at the Teatro Regio Ducale in Milan in December 1770, "Mitridate" faithfully adheres to the principles of the courtly opera seria. Such works were not expected to be realistic, but admirable and impressive, filled with coloraturas, cadenzas and vocal brilliance - much of it provided by castrati. Three of the roles in "Mitridate" were originally written for castrati and cast here with women (Farnace and Sifare) and a boy (Arbate). The production was filmed at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, which was built by Andrea Palladio, one of the greatest architects of the Renaissance.