Mozart’s Mitridate: love, power and betrayal

Mozart’s first opera seria, Mitridate, re di Ponto: a tale of love, betrayal, and power, brought to life in a dazzling new Teatro Real’s production.

A storm of love, power, and betrayal unfolds in Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto, the opera seria he composed at only 14 years old. Inspired by Racine’s tragedy, it was Mozart’s very first commission for a major Italian stage, a glorious debut that revealed the brilliance of a prodigy.

For this premiere at Madrid’s Teatro Real, acclaimed director Claus Guth reinvents Mozart’s early masterpiece with striking theatricality. A brilliant cast, Juan Francisco Gatell, Sara Blanch, Elsa Dreisig, and Franco Fagioli, brings back to life the fire, beauty, and youthful genius of this rarely performed treasure.

The plot follows King Mitridate, who leaves for war and entrusts his sons Sifare and Farnace with his empire. Believing his father dead, Farnace dares to declare his love for Aspasia, the king’s fiancée. Aspasia, caught between loyalty and desire, turns to Sifare for protection, sparking rivalries where politics and passion dangerously entwine. Mitridate’s sudden return exposes betrayal and forces the characters to confront love, duty, and vengeance.

Unlike Racine’s darker endings, Mozart offers reconciliation: the fierce old king falls, but harmony is restored. The opera sustains high drama while dazzling with virtuosic arias that grow ever more beautiful as the music unfolds.

Genre Live Show
TV Director Pedro Toscano & Javier Rubio
Recording location Teatro Real, Madrid
Stage Director Claus Guth
Conductor Ivor Bolton
Costumes Ursula Kudrna
Light Design Olaf Winter
Choreography by Sommer Ulrickson
Production year 2025