"Sex And The City" Features Mozart's "La Clemenza Di Tito"

Ballo in Maschera: Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and
Jack (Joseph Murphy) are looking for [more] love.

Sex and the City, Season 1, Episode 8: "Architect and amazing lover Jack, an ideal catch for princess Charlotte, whom she met at many disease benefits, strongly suggests a trio with another woman- the friends are divided if or how....She talks about this to her friends and finds out that Samantha loves it, but insists that one should only be a 'guest star' in one to avoid complications." Charlotte and Jack attend a masked ball fundraiser for Attention Deficit Disorder where they set their sights on a willing third person for their ménage à trois fantasy. As the flirtation begins, the scene's accompanying music is the tenor aria "Se all'impero amici dei" from Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito. [Source] "Titus (Latin: Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus; December 30, 39 – September 13, 81) was Roman Emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, thus becoming the first Roman Emperor to come to the throne after his own biological father. Prior to becoming Emperor, Titus gained renown as a military commander, serving under his father in Judaea during the First Jewish-Roman War. The campaign came to a brief halt with the death of emperor Nero in 68, launching Vespasian's bid for the imperial power during the Year of the Four Emperors. When Vespasian was declared Emperor on 1 July 69, Titus was left in charge of ending the Jewish rebellion. In 70, he besieged and captured Jerusalem, and destroyed the city and the Second Temple. For this achievement Titus was awarded a triumph; the Arch of Titus commemorates his victory to this day. Under the rule of his father, Titus gained notoriety in Rome serving as prefect of the Praetorian Guard, and for carrying on a controversial relationship with the Jewish queen Berenice. Despite concerns over his character, Titus ruled to great acclaim following the death of Vespasian in 79, and was considered a good emperor by Suetonius and other contemporary historians. As emperor, he is best known for completing the Colosseum and for his generosity in relieving the suffering caused by two disasters, the eruption of Mount

Mercy, Mercy: Victory is at hand for the couple

Vesuvius in AD 79 and a fire in Rome in 80. After barely two years in office, Titus died of a fever on September 13, 81. He was deified by the Roman Senate and succeeded by his younger brother Domitian." [Source] Watch the scene from 1998 by clicking here. After the jump is a full text translation of the aria and a video of Jonas Kaufmann singing the aria from a 2005 production of Mozart's opera at the Opernhaus Zürich. You can purchase the entire first season of Sex and the City by clicking here. 




Text and translation for the aria can be found after the jump.
Libretto/Lyrics/Text:

TITO
Se all'impero, amici Dei,
Necessario e un cor severo;
O togliete a me l'impero,
O a me date un altro cor.

Se la fe de' regni miei
Coll'amr non assicuro:
D'una fede non mi curo,
Che sia frutto del timor.

TITUS
If a hard heart is necessary to a ruler,
ye benevolent gods,
either take the empire from me
or give me another heart.

If I cannot assure the loyalty
of my realms by love,
I care not for a loyalty
that is born of fear.

[Source]