This stunning concert aria, written to the Metastasio libretto "Temistocle, " is one of Mozart's most exciting compositions. The recitative alone is as dramatic as many arias, and the aria itself makes huge demands on the singer's vocal abilities as well. The recitative starts furiously, as Sebaste reproaches the woman who has betrayed him, and then sinks into bitterly remorseful reflections on his own treachery. The aria has a pounding, driving energy as Sebaste is tormented by the remorse that he had not felt before. The vocal line moves in huge leaps, and the orchestral lines are almost frenzied. The aria ends not with a bang but with a groan, as the voice and orchestra seem to sink back in despair. The bass or bass-baritone who can manage the entire range and dramatic expression can make this scene unforgettable. "Thus you have betrayed me, unfaithful princess! Ah, madness, and I dared to accuse her. A traitor complains of being betrayed. I deserved it. Flee, Sebaste, flee. Ah, where, where will I flee from myself. Ah, I carry in my own heart my executioner. Wherever I go, terror and horror will follow in my tracks. My guilt will always be before my eyes." Aria: "Bitter, atrocious remorse, the offspring of my crime, why so late, o God, do you tear my heart? Why, terrible voices, that now cry out to me, why do I hear you now, and not listened to you before?"

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