A tale of intricate conspiracies and veiled forbidden love, where human relationships evolve from suspicion and doubt to forgiveness and redemption will unfold in Mozart’s classic three-act opera Mitridate, re di Ponto, grandly presented at Hong Kong City Hall Theatre from Friday to Saturday.
Set against the backdrop of the Kingdom of Pontus resisting the Roman Empire, the story follows King Mithridates' return from war, only to discover a web of familial passions and political intrigue, weaving an epic narrative of love, betrayal, and ultimate salvation.
Ticket prices range from HK$200 to HK$380. The show’s runtime will be two hours and 20 minutes, with 15-minute intervals.
Composed by Mozart at just 14 years old, Mitridate, re di Ponto is his first full-scale opera, adapted from a play by French dramatist Racine.
The story draws from the historical conflict between Pontus and Rome, centering on King Mithridates, his betrothed Aspasia, and his two sons Farnace and Sifare, entangled in forbidden desires, paternal mistrust, treachery, and reconciliation.
This marks Musica Viva’s debut staging of the masterpiece in Hong Kong, performed in Italian with Chinese and English subtitles, offering audiences a fresh artistic experience that bridges classical music with contemporary vision.
Lo King-man, hailed as the "Father of Hong Kong Opera," takes on dual roles as producer and director in the production.
To faithfully convey Mozart’s original intentions, the professor has made little to no adaptation and emphasizes that the opera’s music remains completely true to the composer’s score.
A key feature of this production is its modern visual presentation. Instead of traditional ancient Roman clothing, Lo chose modern costumes with the stage design employing an impressionistic realism, constructing ancient ruins that evoke the Kingdom of Pontus along the Black Sea coast.
Lo explained that his decision to incorporate modern elements for the production is due to the resemblance between the Kingdom of Pontus resisting the Roman Empire and the current Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Close to where today's conflict is happening, Lo decided to use modern elements because of the similarities between both stories about a small nation being bullied by a powerful force.
Local conductor Adrian Sit Ngai-cheung will lead the cast – featuring emerging vocalists backed by the distinguished Musica Viva orchestra – in delivering a musical feast to the audience.
Blending in Baroque musical techniques, Sit noted that the opera features 23 solo arias and is interspersed with numerous recitatives to drive the plot, showcasing the unique charm of Mozart’s early style of creation.
Unlike Mozart’s later operas, Mitridate, re di Ponto is dominated by solo performances, with only two ensemble pieces, placing a great test on the singers’ technical skills and emotional expression, Sit said.
Committing to nurturing young artists and giving them chances to perform, the casting for the opera was conducted by Musica Viva through open auditions to ensure fairness and provide opportunities for emerging talents.
With a goal of producing all 20 operas composed by Mozart, bringing Mitridate, re di Ponto to local audiences is a crucial part of Lo’s plan to bring more rarely performed operas to Hong Kong.
Khan Heeba Lazmi and Natasha Ng
