Mozart - La clemenza di Tito / Padmore, Pendatchanska, Fink, Chappuis, Im, Foresti, RIAS, Freiburg, Jacobs

Pendatchanska is thrilling as the evil pivot of the plot, singing with exciting abandon, while Fink (as her foil who betrays his friend for her love) is on the same level, singing with ardor and tossing off coloratura runs without breaking a sweat. Mark Padmore in the title role sings with his usual honeyed tenor and makes Tito a believable character, which takes some doing. What sets this recording apart from other worthy ones, such as those by Colin Davis, Charles Mackarras, and John Eliot Gardiner, is its dramatic thrust. Stock figures become believable, their dilemmas and self-doubts become interesting, their music revealing and impactful. By far the best version of the opera, it should be heard by all Mozartians. -- Dan Davis