Performer: Felice Venanzoni

Propora's Mitridate at Schloss Schwetzingen lacks dramatic sense (blame librettist Cibber and director Spirei). But exciting music strongly delivered makes a case for more Porpora in the repertoire.

The genre of semi-opera is a peculiarly British one. Emerging from the courtly Masques during the restoration, the semi-opera served as an English operatic utterance, at a time where opera was emerging as one of the pre-eminent theatrical forms in Europe.

Weit weniger bombastisch als die Uraufführung ist diese "Opernausgrabung" beim Winter in Schwetzingen, doch das junge Heidelberger Ensemble überzeugt gesanglich und darstellerisch.