"Non Più di Fiori" (La Clemenza di Tito, 1791, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756–1791)
[Operatic singing]
Grace Matthews of the Princeton Opera Company (POCO) performing "Non Più di Fiori" (La Clemenza di Tito, 1791, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791) to be paired with Tu est Moi by Niki de Saint Phalle. Description of pairing by David Timm '22: “Non Più di Fiori” comes at a critical point of La Clemenza di Tito: the soprano, Vitellia, expresses feelings of resignation and fear as she prepares to confess her role in an assassination attempt on Emperor Tito. For me, the spread of weapons in Tu est moi by Niki de Saint Phalle evokes the essence of betrayal and violence, much like Vitellia’s initial intentions. The artist explains that the title, Tu est Moi, can sound like “You and me,” “You are me,” or “Kill me” when spoken. I believe that these phrases correspond well with Vitellia’s arc; “You and me” could be used to describe Vitellia’s initial plot with Sesto to assassinate Emperor Tito, “You are me” could also refer to the guilt she feels for implicating Sesto in her plot, and “Kill me” could represent her confession, trading her life for Sesto’s. Ultimately, they are both shown mercy, which I find analogous to the fixed position of these weapons, mementos of violence that are immobilized in plaster.
