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A Short but Memorable Run Philadelphia
The Academy of Music
09/09/2026 - & September 10, 13, 2026
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Mitridate, re di Ponto, K. 74a [87]
Lawrence Brownlee (Mitridate), Anthony Roth Costanzo (Farnace), Brenda Rae (Aspasia), Meredith Wohlgemuth (Sifare), Nola Richardson (Ismene), Minghao Liu (Marzio), Sarah Coit (Arbate)
Opera Philadelphia Orchestra, Corrado Rovaris (conductor)
Emma Griffin (director), Kay Voyce (set and costume designer), Masha Tsimring (lighting designer), Thomas Kurzman (hair and make-up designer), Jennifer Shaw (stage manager)
B. Rae, L. Brownlee (© Dominic Mercier)
Mitridate, re di Ponto, an opera by the 14‑year‑old Mozart, has enjoyed a short but memorable run with Opera Philadelphia, an ensemble renowned for its productions of new works, underperformed classics, and traditional repertoire. The production features some splendid singing and dramatic verve, real‑life valor by a soprano stand‑in and a breathtaking French horn and soprano pas de deux.
The opera takes place in 63 BC in Turkey near the coast of the Black Sea, where King Mitridate—defeated by the Romans—finds that his two sons are in love with the woman to whom he has been betrothed. The audience for Mozart’s opera was the Milanese aristocracy and other affluent Italians. (Fun fact: the premiere took place just 10 days after the probable birth date of Beethoven.)
There are two particular features of this production that intrigued me, one curious and the other nothing short of dazzling. First, to judge by the intermittent laughter, it soon became clear that the audience was interpreting this tragedy as a comedy. Now, we know that audiences in the 18th and early19th centuries preferred stage works with happy endings, but an opera in which everyone dies is hardly a picture of levity. Was Mitridate fish or fowl? I am still undecided.
Moving from mild confusion to sublime perfection, I was mesmerized by the performance of “Lungi da te, mio bene” (“Far from you, my dear”), the soprano aria with French horn obbligato, in Act II. This duet is as gorgeous as anything the mature Mozart later composed, performed with elegance, precision, and profound musicianship. Hats off to Meredith Wohlgemuth, in the trouser role of the King’s faithful son, Sifare, and to John David Smith, OP’s principal horn, worthy of a curtain call at the very least.
This production benefitted from some splendid vocal artists. Although he doesn’t make an immediate appearance, tenor Lawrence Brownlee as King Mitridate leaves an indelible impression as he enters the stage, not only with physical presence but with remarkable vocal range and volume control. There is at times a gritty edge to his delivery of lines, defining his character as a bully of magnificent proportions.
I don’t know whether to credit good luck or sorcery, but one could not wish for a more exciting pair of warring brothers than the aforementioned Meredith Wohlgemuth as Sifare, the virtuous, and Anthony Roth Costanzo, countertenor, as Farnace, the schemer who plots to overthrow his father. Sifare’s voice remains radiant, untiring, and pure, through the longest episodes. As Farnace, Costanzo brings more than a dash of good humor, even comic relief, to his role, his full range of vocal hijinks on display, and with astonishing physical agility. (He is, of course, also general director and president of Opera Philadelphia).
A situation scarier than many opera plots occurred last week when the putative star of the production, who played Queen Aspasia, was unable to perform. Soprano Brenda Rae was called in at the last moment to save the production. There is an excellent article at apnews.com for those who would like to read the exciting story of Rae’s speedy journey to Philadelphia from the Midwest to save the show. Her performance was passionate and heart‑felt, technically fine save for some troublesome trills. She is definitely a singer to be watched, and one any troupe would want on their team.
A surprising treat came in Act III with tenor Minghao Liu as the minor role of Roman officer Marzio. He took this opportunity to deliver a strong, Italian-grand-opera style performance of the aria, “Se di regnar sei vago.” What a rich, voluptuous sound, delivered with grace and steadiness.
The set for Mitridate was functional and not time specific, but that was fine for anyone focusing on the music and elements of theater. The orchestra clearly enjoyed playing some relatively new Mozart, and I enjoyed hearing it.
Linda Holt
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