La Clemenza di Tito

Mozart went two years without an opera commission after Cosi Fan Tutte in 1788. La Clemenza di Tito was composed "on spec" for the new emperor's coronation and is something of a regression for Mozart in choice of subject matter. The libretto had already been used nearly 40 times by other composers, with minor revisions here and there. Intrigue in ancient Rome, the Capitol burns, Emperor Tito forgives everybody. Give Mozart a break, he needed the cash.