Written for the court of Munich in 1780/81, "Idomeneo" is often regarded as
the first of the seven undisputed masterworks in Mozart's dramatic oeuvre.
Never before had he cast such bold, impassioned music into a dramatic form
or devised such a well-calibrated dramaturgy. Was it the plot that drove
Mozart to such extremes of expressive power? The story evokes countless
other opera seria subjects: King Idomeneo has promised to sacrifice to
Neptune the first person he meets if he is saved from shipwreck; this turns
out to be his son Idamante, who stands between two women, the Trojan
Princess Ilia, whom he loves, and the Greek princess Elettra, who loves
him. Four people on the edge of the abyss, drawn together by passion, torn
apart by reasons of state...
Though respecting the tenets of opera seria, Mozart repeatedly burst out of
the rigid corset of the genre. Arias are heightened by unexpected twists
and turns, accompagnato recitatives reach unheard-of levels of jagged
emotional rawness, and stereotyped set pieces such as the vengeance become
entire scenes in themselves. Mozart also treats the instruments in a far
more liberal and imaginative manner than ever before, blending the voices
with solo instruments and creating new tone colors that prefigure the
Romantic era.
Such an extraordinary work deserves an exceptional interpretation. And this
is ensured by Sir Roger Norrington and the Camerata Salzburg playing on an
"island" (the action unfolds on Crete) surrounded by narrow ramps on which
the singers, literally "on the edge of the abyss," pace about in search of
one another, of love, of redemption... Simplicity and elegance stamp both
the production of Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann, and the playing of the
Camerata Salzburg. Norrington entices entire catalogues of nuances from
his players, but never yields to manneristic over-refinement. His Mozart is
slender and suave, rigorous and concise.
Under his baton, the soloists blossom. First and foremost is Ramón Vargas
as Idomeneo, who colors his despair with exquisite delicacy and rousing
bravura. Magdalena Kozená is a passionate, glowing Idamante and Ekaterina
Siurina a lyrical Ilia. As Elettra, Anja Harteros triumphs with dramatic
fire and intensity. Every inch a noblewoman, she hurls out her vengeance
aria with repressed fury rather than scenery-chewing theatrics. They and
their colleagues Jeffrey Francis, Robin Leggate and Günther Groissböck,
along with the Salzburger Bachchor, lend their artistry to this
unforgettably intense performance.
The DVD is also released within the DVD package "Mozart 22 - The complete operas" which is available in selected stores worldwide and through Amazon or JPC.