# Mitridate, curiosity or great opera?



## Morigan (Oct 16, 2006)

Well, the title says it all. Since I've heard and watched all of Mozart's well known operas, I'm gonna dig into the lesser known operas. Any thoughts on this particular one, or any suggestions for recordings?

I haven't heard Idomeneo, re di Creta, either... the DVD selection is narrow and the one with Pavarotti makes me doubt.


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## Handel (Apr 18, 2007)

You should try Haydn's works as well

Armida
Il Monda della Luna 
La Fedelta premiata

To see the complete list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_operas_by_Joseph_Haydn

His oratorio Il Ritorno di Tobia as well (if you didn't listen the Creation and the Seasons which must be see, prestissimo.)


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## Leporello87 (Mar 25, 2007)

I would recommend Idomeneo first. Some brilliant touches in that opera, although the in-depth characterization from the later operas isn't _quite_ present...

Mitridate is fine, but I don't find it especially exciting. Sort of a more conventional opera seria. If you're looking for something of that type, you might look into Lucio Silla, written a couple years after Mitridate, and shows some advancement-- although, once again, a more standard opera seria.

If you haven't listened to them, there's some really nice music to be found in the unfinished operas -- L'oca del Cairo, Zaide, and Lo sposo deluso -- all of which date from later in Mozart's life than earlier examples like Mitridate and Lucio Silla, so even though they are unfinished, they demonstrate some more mature writing. In L'oca del cairo and Lo sposo deluso, we get a sense of a "groping" towards the brilliant opera buffa style of Figaro, but we're not quite there yet. It's an interesting intermediate evaluation point.

Il re pastore is another more conventional work (unfortunately, almost all arias), but there are some quite eloquent touches.


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