The multi-skilling of Scottish Chamber Orchestra conductor Maxim Emelyanychev – cueing the singers, directing his musicians and providing virtuoso keyboard continuo – has been a chief joy of the SCO’s concert performances of Mozart operas at recent Edinburgh international festivals. This, likewise, was an utterly involving evening that captured the urgency of La Clemenza di Tito’s speedy composition.

US mezzo Angela Brower brought palpable anguish to the trouser role of Sesto, torn between loyalty to the too-good-to-be-true emperor (tenor Giovanni Sala) and love for the more imperious Vitellia (Tara Erraught). Tito’s search for a faithful consort who meets with the approval of Rome’s citizens, as reported to him by bass Peter Kálmán’s Publio or sung by the excellent SCO Chorus, is further complicated by Servilia (Hera Hyesang Park) already being in love with Annio (Maria Warenberg).

If act one makes dating apps look sluggish, this luxury cast and Emelyanychev’s energising direction of the SCO strings matched the pace with superb performances. Following The Magic Flute and Così Fan Tutte, La Clemenza looked an odd choice on paper, but this was arguably a more eloquent case for the work than any staged production.

The vocal range required of the singer in the role of Vitellia is enormous, but Erraught sang every note perfectly. Using all of the available platform area, Brower and Sala were the dramatic heart of the semi-staging, the latter bringing a remarkable believability to his role. Park and Warenberg’s first act duet was an early melodic highlight and clarinettists Maximiliano Martín and William Stafford were first class in the basset horn solos that partner arias in each act.

From the fine overture, deserving of more outings as a concert piece, to the joyous choral conclusion, so obviously of the same year as Mozart’s Requiem, this flawless interpretation shows La Clemenza di Tito to be the work of a composer at his peak.