La clemenza di Tito

When a ruler decides to override the law and commits himself - almost godlike - to permanent forgiveness, the very fabric of social society loses its balance. Titus, the emperor, holds mercy and forgiveness dearly and, by virtue of his power, raises amnesty to a law. This, however, presents a challenge to his subjects, who must now grapple with their own misdoings. "You forgive me, it is true; but my heart, that will lament its error as long as memory lasts, does not forgive me!", the assassin Sesto desperately proclaims. But Mozart's "La Clemenza di Tito" also deals with the unthinkable: how the assassin's hatred, the scruples of his followers, and the suffering of the victims can actually dissolve into divine music of permanent forgiveness and reconciliation.