Customer Reviews

Mozart - Idomeneo

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't know why a reviewer below found it necessary to point out that this is a 'live' recording. Firstly, 'live' recordings usually have an 'edge' to them that results in a more involving experience. Secondly, the sonic quality of the finished product, in this case, hardly EVER betrays the fact that an audience was present. The audience is totally silent for 99% of the time and the music is more clearly and cleanly recorded than many a studio-bound effort!
That said, this is probably the finest account of 'Idomeneo' available. It's electric! The singers give beautiful renditions of their roles and are dramatically and emotionally convincing. The Monteverdi Choir is, as usual, terrific and the English Baroque Soloists are surely as good, if not better, than the original Mannheimers for whom this score was written. One last thing, for those not familiar with the Ballet Music that Mozart himself composed for the end of the opera then this set is a MUST BUY! Even if Mozart did find writing it a chore the finished ballet is, of course, a masterpiece: some of the most 'muscular' and thrilling orchestral music he ever penned; and played here with the upmost verve, vitality and virtuosity.
All in all a definitive recording, including as it does all the alternative music written by Mozart and then cut before the premiere (except that music written for the 1786 revival. All the 1780-81 stuff is here).

If Mozart had composed nothing but Idomeneo, he would still be one of the greatest composers of all time. This gorgeous score was composed for the Mannheim Orchestra, probably the greatest orchestra of the XVIII Century, so it demands superb musicians, and that is what Sir John has at his disposal. The English Baroque Soloists are terrific and the woodwind players deserve a special mention. Of the singers, it is Anne Sophie von Otter as Idamante and Anthony Rolfe-Johnson as Idomeneo who take the vocal honours, but in general everyone is just fine. Needless to say this is the finest recording of Idomeneo available, and the sound is rather excellent. Yes, this is a live recording and so much the better.

I really enjoy this recording of one of Mozart's frequently overlooked operas. Gardiner's use of period instruments really brings out the emotions in the music in a way that more modern interpretations do not. This opera is full of passion, and Gardiner's orchestration brings that out in a way that is rarely heard. The musicians play beautifully, and the vocalists are top-notch. Sylvia McNair is radiant in the role of Ilia, and Rolfe Johnson is one of the best in the role of Idomeneo that I have ever heard.

Don't listen to people who say that the period instruments rob this work of its vitality. Listen to it yourself and form your own opinion. I think that once you hear this recording, you'll find yourself returning to it again and again.

Mozart - Idomeneo / Rolfe Johnson · von Otter · Martinpelto · McNair · N. Robson · Winslade · EBS · Gardiner is a wonderful recording with the amazing conductor John Eliot Gardiner and the accomplished English Baroque Soloists playing on authentic instruments. There are so many good singers on this recording but if I have to pick on then I will say that Anne Soffie Von Otter is truly outstanding. Deutsche Grammophon has certainly not skimped on the book-let. The book-let is quite thick (167 pages) and cotains the entire lyrics of the opera. It also has a very well-written essay by Gardiner and many fine photographs. I gave this recording 5 well deserved stars.

As several listeners state, Idomeneo is without doubt a masterpiece, a flawed masterpiece but a masterpiece all the same. Gardiner's recording is hugely enjoyable and full of dramatic tension; the chorus which has a large part to play is brilliant and the singers are generally good, without deleting memories of some of their great predecessors. They are all on the light side. Rolfe Johnson is especially good as Idomeneo, particularly in his final aria of reconciliation, but I prefer a fuller, more characterful voice (I am thinking of Richard Lewis in the old Glyndebourne recording or Placido Domingo more recently). The two sopranos in the roles of rival princesses are both lightweight. Von Otter is a great singer but, in truth, not a great one for impersonating male characters, the way the Janet Baker or Ann Murray were. It is strange that for all its political correctness, casting a mezzo in the role of Idamante leaves me dissatisfied and I return to the old recordings with male singers in this role (I am listening to Pavarotti in the live performance from Glyndebourne 1964, as I am writing this review. How can a mezzo match this?) A word of praise for Nigel Robson as Arbace - I found him excellent in the part, at times outsinging Rolfe Johnson with a timbre that reminds me strongly of Richard Lewis. All in all, the sound quality, orchestral playing, completeness, choral singing and Gardiner's conducting make this a most desirable version of a great score.

I took the opportunity to listen again to Mozart's Idomeneo in anticipation of hearing this opera performed live by the Opera Lafayette at the University of Maryland in a few weeks. I have long known Idomeneo from the LP recording of the 1956 Glydenbourne Festival version conducted by Sir John Pritchard and featuring Lewis, Jurinac,Simoneau, and Udovick as the leads. (This version is still available.) I hadn't revisited the opera for too many years.

The 1993 recording, which I just heard and which renewed my love for the work, conducted by John Elliot Gardiner did much to bring Idomeneo to a broad public. The soloists include Anthony Rolfe Johnson in the title role, Annie Sophie von Otter as Idomeneo's son Idamante, Sylvia McNair as Ilia, and Hillevi Martinfelto as a passionate Electra. Gardiner conducts on period instruments and attempts to capture, to the extent possible, performances in Mozart's day. In addition, Gardiner's version utlizes the version of the score performed at the opera's 1781 debut. This score did not come to light until the 1980s and thus was unavailable for Sir John Pritchard's recording which introduced me to Idomeneo many years ago.

Idomeneo is a grand work which only in the past half-century has been recognized as belonging in the same company as Mozart's more famous operas. To me it has the marks of a coming-of-age work where Mozart reached and maintained his compositional maturity. Mozart composed it in 1781, in a matter of a few short months, while paying close attention to its staging and liberetto and to the foibles of his singers. Although Idomeneo owes a great deal to Gluck and Rameau, we hear Mozart throughout. Following the premier of this work, Mozart at the age of 25, moved to Vienna where he lived for the rest of his life. The late Stanley Sadie's recent biography, "Mozart the Early Years" (2006) concludes with a magisterial treatment of Idomeneo.

Idomeneo tells the story of how his subject, the King of Crete, makes a promise to Neptune to sacrifice the first person he meets on a deserted island in gratitude for his rescue from a storm. This person turns out to be Idomeneo's son, Idamante. Idomeneo tries to avoid his vow, and Neptune wrecks terror upon Crete. Then, when Idomeno attempts to perform the sacrifice, Idamante's lover, Ilia, offers herself in his stead. Neptune intervenes,(in a moment that recalls Gluck and foretells Don Giovanni) declares Idamante the King of Crete and Ilia his bride. Electra, a spurned would-be lover of Idamante, stalks off the stage after delivering an aria of great fury.

Idomeneo is full of some of the greatest music Mozart composed. The orchestral writing is predominant throughout, particularly in the recitive sections where Mozart generally uses a fully-developed orchestral accompaniment rather than a continuo. The work begins with a masterful overture, and, following the French tradition, there are orchestral interludes, marches, and dance scenes punctuating each of the three acts.

The most famous vocal work in the score is the quartet from Act III in which each of the principals, Idomeneo, Idamante, Ilia, and Electra, express their own widely diverging feelings while singing the same words. The work includes some grand choruses, including the concluding scene of triumph, some tranquil lyrical choral music, and scenes of terror and horror when the sea-monster sent by Neptune threatens Crete. Each of the principals has three great arias, including two arias full of rage sung by Idamante's spurned lover, Electra. Idomeneo's "Furor del Mar", Ilia's opening aria "Padre, germani, adio" and her second act aria "Se il padre perdei" are among the many memorable moments of the score.

In his standard work on Mozart, Alfred Einstein points out that "It is said that [Mozart] valued and loved Idomeneo most among all his works and this any true musician can easily understand." John Elliot Gardiner's recording offers a great entry to exploring this early masterpiece of Mozart.

Robin Friedman

The most popular of Mozart's operas range from 'The Marriage of Figaro' to 'The Magic Flute'; sometimes people will include 'The Abduction from the Seraglio' in that listing. Few extend the listing of great operas back to 'Idomeneo: King of Crete', but this is in many ways the logical starting point for observing Mozart's development as an opera composer.

As one scholar says, no two of Mozart's operas are alike -- while they share classifications and stylistic elements, they can each of them be considered sui generis in many respects. 'Idomeneo' was the first dramatic opera in Mozart's mature style; written while he was still in Salzberg, it attracted the attention of come in the musical court in Vienna. There are decidedly French qualities to 'Idomeneo', with influences apparent both in the composition and the anecdotal evidence from Mozart's contemporaries.

This particular piece includes a composite of most of Mozart's 1781 composition on 'Idomeneo', following a rediscovery of the original performance score. However, Mozart continued to edit the score, sometimes even in between performances one night from the next, so a 'standard' scoring is next to impossible to obtain on this opera.

The story is based on the ancient gods and goddesses, human frailty and foolishness, and, of course, love. Idomeneo makes a vow to sacrifice to the god Neptune should he be saved; he breaks his vow when it turns out his son will be the likely sacrifice. Meanwhile, Ilia, the daughter of Priam, king of the newly-destroyed city Troy, arrives as an already-tragic figure. Ilia falls for Idamante, son of Idomeneo, but is competing with the jealous Elettra, who does not wish there to be a Trojan queen of Crete. In the end, the gods will not be put off of their promised sacrifices, and while Idamante is saved, there is drama in unrequited love in several directions, and Idomeneo has to yield the throne in the end.

John Eliot Gardiner, conducting the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists out of Queen Elizabeth Hall in London (1990), is one of the masters of classical music in the past generation. Anthony Rolfe Johnson is the lead as Idomeneo; Anne Sofie Von Otter sings the part of the young son, Idamante, in a part that might have been a castrati part in the past. Sylvia McNair is Ilia, Hillevi Martinfelto is Elettra, and Nigel Robson rounds out the major parts as Arbace, the king's advisor.

This live recording is a technical masterpiece, a bit thin in some pieces, but overall rather satisfying. Anne Sofie von Otter probably has the best overall performance here, but the others do a nice job as a group. There aren't many arias or parts for individuals to use to make stand-out impressions (that fault, if indeed it constitutes a fault, is the composer rather than the performers), as many are accustomed to finding in Mozart operas. The English Baroque Soloists are an interesting touch, but a fuller orchestra and scoring might serve better here.

Still, this is an Archiv production of Deutsche Grammophon, one of the leading lights in classical music recording.

This is the only version available which contains all the music Mozart wrote for Idomeneo. Apparently, he did not run out of ideas on the 3rd act and could not stop creating new and alternate arias. Kudos to Gardiner for his effort. However, I felt the whole recording a bit underpowered, and the singers (especially in the role of Elettra) seemed to be on Valium. I believe there must be a better recording soon. The studio CD of Mitridate is a good example to follow. Despite all this, I amply prefer this style to the Levine, with Domingo on the title role.

Alfred Einstein hailed Idomeneo as a paragon of operatic composition. However, the public has never embraced this unusually intricate work with such enthusiasm. The possible reasons for this are obvious: a paucity, if not an entire lack, of memorable arias; an unforgiving libretto punctuated by a tortuous plot; a highly complex musical structure that often seems discursive and even esoteric; and confusion regarding the actual score and its various components. Add to this the fact that, unlike many of Mozart's more popular operas, Idomeneo does not have a sensational finale, the results can be underwhelming. On the other hand, a compassionately skillful conductor heedful of these liabilities can undermine any doubts about the viability of this masterpiece. Unfortunately, that is not the case here.

To give the devil his due, I must admit that, from a technical perspective, the playing of the English Baroque Soloists is beyond reproach. And, were I to confine myself to the overture, orchestral marches, and ballet only, I would be compelled to give this record the highest rating. Likewise, taken on its own, the Monteverdi Choir exhibits the discipline and proficiency that we have come to expect from this accomplished group of singers. Plus, the soloists are an impressive lot, marked by moments of enviable introspection and pathos. At all times, they are, at least, competent, and their innate abilities are never in question.

Anne Sofie von Otter as Idamante is the star of this performance; her singing is consistently mellifluous, strong, and marked by a melodic integrity that is notable for its consistency-though I would rather have a tenor in the role. Sylvia McNair as Ilia can be thin-toned and, at times, underpowered in duets, but this may in fact be desirable with Idamante sung as a soprano, since the contrast could lend itself to a desirable dynamic between the tormented lovers. Otherwise, McNair displays her Mozartian credentials well, with an understanding of the dramatic moments in the music that is welcome.

The men sing admirably, but none of them rises to the levels achieved by some of their peers in more traditional performances. Anthony Rolfe Johnson is a believable but not compelling Idomeneo, and, despite his pleasant voice, he does not command the presence of, say, Domingo in the Levine production on DG. Nigel Robson turns in a serviceable performance as Arbace that doesn't fulfill the potential for dramatic expression in this character. He's certainly no Thomas Hampson, who is a wonderful Arbace, also on the Levine recording.

At this point, you may be asking yourselves what, if anything, is wrong with Gardiner's Idomeneo, given my praise of certain parts of the recording. The answer is quite simple and trite: this Idomeneo is less than the sum of its parts. A successful performance of a Mozart opera, particularly one that has-justly or unjustly-been viewed as structurally byzantine, depends on the coherent integration of various elements into a flowing, logically animated whole. In addition, it may occasionally be necessary to sacrifice literary (or dramatic) consistency, in the guise of recitatives, to achieve greater musical consistency and believability. Neither of these points appears to have been heeded by Gardiner.

For all its emphasis on progressive tempi, this Idomeneo lacks a sense of forward momentum, not to mention animation. Gardiner allows the opera to wallow in overly accentuated recitatives, which are utterly bereft of any transitional impetus, thereby creating the impression of a series of disconnected exercises for voice, not an integrated composition. Furthermore, the same sparseness of texture that conveys freshness in unaccompanied orchestral passages ultimately exposes a glaring lack of balance between orchestra and singers. As a result, the performance loses all vestiges of gravitas and is beset by an astringency that, despite the emphasis on historicity, makes it sound more like Monteverdi than Mozart.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the finale, which, as mentioned, is not the most fantastic Mozart ever composed. The English Baroque Soloists' slender tone adds none of the support that is required to execute a forceful operatic climax, nor do the enervated emanations from the smallish Monteverdi Choir help the situation. Indeed, the choir, whose technical prowess cannot be questioned in the abstract, is out of its league in this performance.

As for the team of soloists, the singers may have moments of individual distinction, but their ensemble passages are lees than expert. Rolfe Johnson was either farther from the microphones than some of the others or his voice is no match for the power von Otter (and to a lesser extent McNair) is capable of projecting, because he is unashamedly overpowered by her and just about everyone else. Plus, the melodic balance among the soloists is continually disturbed in key numbers, which is something that Gardiner should have caught. All in all, despite their laudable pedigrees, the soloists are really not a team at all but a group of vocal contestants, if you will, vying for attention and occasionally accompanied by an orchestral continuo (or so it sounds).

There are too many features of this Idomeneo that I, frankly, found unconvincing, definitely too many to highlight them all here. Let me just say that, in the end, this confirmed many of my suspicions regarding period-instrument practices. I would not deny that period-instrument performances have frequently provided insights into compositions that would otherwise be lacking. In certain circumstances, period orchestras may more accurately define the essence of the music, and such may be the case with baroque compositions, though I am not convinced. Most importantly, conductors such as Charles Mackerras and Nikolaus Harnoncourt have been able to apply the lessons learned from period-instrument performance to traditional settings and create truly inspired readings of the standard repertoire with modern instruments.

Nevertheless, if for no other reason than the vast differences between today's singers and those of-especially-the 18th and early 19th centuries, and the corresponding incongruities between the comparatively lush tonal qualities of modern singers, on the one hand, and the ascetic timbres of period orchestras, on the other, period-instrument performances of opera are very difficult, if not impossible, to stage. The case against period interpretations of the operatic corpus has an effective, albeit ironic, spokesman in Gardiner (whose lackluster rendition of Falstaff [Philips 462-603-2] further attests to my contention.

Con Idomeneo comienza la madurez operística de Mozart. Aunque a la usanza de la gran ópera seria que ya apuntaba síntomas de vejez, el joven autor (25 años), lograba uno de sus mejores trabajos en el campo teatral. La historia del padre desesperado ya había sido puesta en música por Campra en 1712 y, a la experiencia mozartiana, le seguirán otros compositores (Gazzaniga, Paër, Farinelli y Federici). Sin embargo, pese a sus valores, Idomeneo no ha tenido la difusión teatral y discográfica que han conseguido los posteriores trabajos del autor. De las existentes en el mercado, es esta quizá la versión que mejor reúne todos los ingredientes para su disfrute. La orquesta (de instrumentos originales) clara, enérgica y pletórica de matices, se adentra en el clasicismo más puro y ofrece una lectura impresionante de la obra, al igual que el espléndido Monteverdi Choir. Los solistas destacan por su dominio del estilo y la belleza de sus voces. Se ha dicho que a Rolfe Johnson le falta de robustez vocal para enfrentar el personaje, pero ante tanta musicalidad y buen decir: ¿hace falta más? El Idamante de la Von Otter es el mejor de la discografía, sin lugar a dudas, y la Ilia de McNair es dulce y sutil. Martinpelto, con su Elettra, se aleja de las versiones "veristas" a las que nos han acostumbrado algunas cantantes, y no por ello resta dramatismo a su atormentado personaje. Si a todo esto añadimos una buena distribución de secundarios, excelente toma de sonido y que, como apéndice, podemos encontrar todo lo que Mozart suprimió en Munich y agregó a la versión de Viena, estoy seguro que no se tendrá dudas de coronar a esta lectura de Gardiner como la mejor de la discografía de este título mozartiano.