Mozart - Idomeneo / Domingo, Bartoli, Grant Murphy, Vaness, Hampson, Terfel, Lopardo, MET, Levine

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), James Levine (Conductor), Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus (Orchestra), Placido Domingo (Performer), Cecilia Bartoli (Performer), Carol Vaness (Performer), Bryn Terfel (Performer), Heidi Grant Murphy (Performer), Frank Lopardo (Performer), Thomas Hampson (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Placido Domingo, Cecilia Bartoli, Carol Vaness, Bryn Terfel, Heidi Grant Murphy, et al.
• Orchestra: Metropolitan Opera Orchestra & Chorus
• Conductor: James Levine
• Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Audio CD (October 22, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001GR8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,998 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #4 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Bartoli, Cecilia
  • #4 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Featured Performers, A-Z > A to B > Bartoli, Cecilia > All Works Featuring Bartoli

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Recording, March 28, 2000

By 

Mobius "definitive" (Folsom, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mozart - Idomeneo / Domingo, Bartoli, Grant Murphy, Vaness, Hampson, Terfel, Lopardo, MET, Levine (Audio CD)

This is simply a wonderful recording of a really terrific opera. I recently had a chance to see it live at the San Francisco Opera where it was performed quite admirably. Carol Vaness just happened to be both the live performer as well as one of the stars on this recording. While not my all time favorite Elettra she is quite good and does a solid job. There are just not enough good things to say about Domingo (or Cecilia Bartoli). Do yourself a favor and buy this opera. If you listen to it and love it as much as I do, do yourself another favor and buy the Met's version on VHS with Pavarotti and Hildegard Behrens. Ileana Cotrubas gives quite a wonderful performance on the video as well. As far as the original instruments go, that's a real don't care for most listeners. I have a few Mozart recordings performed on original instruments and though they are quite good, I don't feel cheated or consider the work diminished in any way when listening to a modern instrument rendition.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent, March 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Mozart - Idomeneo / Domingo, Bartoli, Grant Murphy, Vaness, Hampson, Terfel, Lopardo, MET, Levine (Audio CD)

Levine has really surpassed himself in this recording. The performance is breathtaking and stunning. The cast looks like a who's who list of shortlist for the Oscars - Domingo, Bartoli, Grant Lurphy, Hampson, terfel, Lopardo. And it isn't just clever 'brand name' marketing. It is not uncommon to have an all-star cast of a recording of an opera and yet have a lackluster performance. Not so down here. These opera singers really live up to their names and they sing with intensity and commitment, as if it were a live performance and not some monotonous studio recording. All the singers are dramatically involved in the roles that they sing. The Grammophone rightly recommends this as a top choice for a modern instrument recording of Idomeneo. If you want period instrument performance, Gardiner's would be the one. Added to the singers, the Met orchestra and chorus are in superb form here. The chorus sings vigorously and the Met orchestra plays wonderfully - up there with the best.

A firm first recommendation. Be sure not to miss this performance.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!, November 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Mozart - Idomeneo / Domingo, Bartoli, Grant Murphy, Vaness, Hampson, Terfel, Lopardo, MET, Levine (Audio CD)

I think this recording is nothing short of fabulous!! It's one of those recordings that you have no trouble sitting through from first to last at the first hearing.

Levine's conducting is magnificent. The Met Orchestra responds acutely to his direction and the Met chorus' lusty singing is incredible. At points of dramatic urgency, the Met Chorus' singing is appropriate.

Domingo is fantastic as Idomeneo. His voice is strong and virile, befitting that of a king.

The rest of the cast is incredible.

For modern period performance, this is the definitive version. For period performance, the gardiner is the definitive version.

Different times, different styles. There is no comparison. It's just a question of whether you like modern period "sound" or period instrument "sound". In my view, they complement each other. Afterall, music is a living art. And music as beautiful as those of mozart's deserve to have multiple interpretations on record.

You should buy both if you are an opera lover.