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ACT 1

Rome, adÌý79.Ìý

Titus (Tito) has succeeded his father Vespasian as Emperor of Rome and needs to choose a consort. Vitellia, daughter of Vespasian’s defeated predecessor, had hoped to regain what she sees as her rightful throne by becoming Titus’s wife, but now fears that Titus will instead marry the ‘barbarian’ (Judaean) queen Berenice, with whom he fell in love while suppressing a Jewish rebellion some years earlier. Vitellia has therefore inveigled Titus’s best friend Sextus (Sesto), who is besotted with her, into organising a conspiracy to set fire to the Capitol (Rome’s ancient citadel) and to murder Titus during the ensuing chaos. But, torn between his passion for Vitellia and his friendship for Titus, Sextus has delayed putting the plot into motion.

As the opera opens, Vitellia berates Sextus for his procrastination and threatens to find someone more worthy of her love. Yet no sooner has Sextus agreed to murder Titus that very day than his friend Annius (Annio) announces that Titus has banished Berenice from Rome; and, with her regal hopes rekindled, Vitellia orders Sextus to put the assassination on hold. Alone with Sextus, Annius suggests that now is the perfect time to seek Titus’s approval of his promised marriage to Sextus’s sister Servilia.

In the Forum, the assembled Romans beseech the gods to protect their new Emperor. The Senate has voted to build a new temple in his name, but Titus decrees that the money should be given instead to the victims of the recent eruption of Vesuvius.

To honour the people’s wish for him to marry a true-born Roman, and also to cement his friendship with Sextus, Titus has decided to marry Servilia and, ignorant of Annius’s love for her, he sends him to break the news. In response to Sextus’s embarrassed gratitude, Titus reflects that doing such acts of kindness is the one consolation of being emperor.

Annius steels himself to tell Servilia that they must renounce their love, but she decides instead to tell Titus the truth.

Publius (Publio), commander of the Praetorian Guard, tries to persuade Titus to carry out a witch-hunt against those who have supposedly defamed earlier emperors, but scarcely has Titus rejected the idea than Servilia prostrates herself before him. Overcome by her honesty, Titus immediately blesses her marriage to Annius and voices his dream of a state where all citizens can feel free to speak truth to power.

Wrongly believing that Titus still intends to marry Servilia, Vitellia once again incites Sextus to implement their murder plan. But, once he has left to do so, Annius and Publius inform Vitellia that Titus has now chosen her as his bride, mistaking her panicky confusion for delirious joy.

Sextus is still wrestling with his conscience when the Capitol bursts into flame and, fearing that it is now too late to turn back, he leaves to carry out the assassination. As the fire spreads and rumours of a conspiracy abound, Sextus reports that Titus has been killed and is about to confess that he himself was the assassin, when Vitellia silences him. All lament the tragic turn of events.

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ACT 2

Annius informs Sextus that Titus is not dead after all. Overcome with relief, Sextus admits his role in the conspiracy and prepares to flee from Rome, but Annius advises him instead to seek Titus’s forgiveness through renewed acts of loyalty. Vitellia, however, is keen for Sextus to flee, hoping thus to keep her own part in the plot a secret. But it’s too late: Publius arrives to arrest Sextus and take him before the Senate. As Sextus bids her a bittersweet farewell, Vitellia is torn between contrition and terror.

The Roman people thank the gods for preserving Titus’s life. As he anxiously awaits the Senate’s verdict, Titus himself is still convinced of Sextus’s innocence; Publius reflects that an honest man finds it hard to see dishonesty in others. Arriving to plead for Sextus,Ìý

Annius implores Titus to follow the dictates of his heart, but Publius returns with the news that Sextus has indeed confessed and been condemned to death, along with his accomplices. Although hurt by his friend’s betrayal, Titus refuses to sign the death warrant without giving Sextus a chance to defend himself. Unwilling to incriminate Vitellia, however, Sextus only admits to his own guilt, while begging Titus to remember their former friendship. Left alone with his conflicting thoughts, Titus reflects that he’d rather not rule at all than rule through fear instead of love.

Unaware of Titus’s decision to spare Sextus’s life, Servilia and Annius entreat Vitellia to use her influence as empress-in-waiting to intercede on his behalf. Though inwardly relieved that Sextus hasn’t implicated her, Vitellia nevertheless hesitates, and Servilia points out that tears alone won’t save him. Realising that, if she lets Sextus die for her, she will be forever haunted by his self-sacrifice, Vitellia finally accepts that she must admit her guilt; and, renouncing all hopes of both power and marriage, she anticipates only a shameful death.

At the arena where the conspirators are due to be thrown to the beasts, the people hail their godlike emperor. Titus is about to pronounce Sextus’s pardon, when Vitellia rushes in and publicly confesses her guilt. Reeling from this latest betrayal, Titus nevertheless opts once more for clemency over cruelty, and pardons them all. Amid universal acclaim, Titus prays to be allowed to die on that day when he no longer puts Rome’s interests first.

Synopsis © Mark Pappenheim