The story of this opera is an expansion from a side story in Homer’s epic, The Iliad, into the play Idomenee by Antoine Danchet. Idomeneo, the Greek King of Crete, left his kingdom in the care of his young son Idamante while he joined Agamemnon and Menelaus in the siege of Troy.
Composed in 1781 when the composer was only 25 yrs old, this was a milestone opera for Wolfgang Mozart. This work pretty much was the point where Mozart graduated into composer of musical drama rather than a composer of the music of an operatic text. The libretto was written by Gian Battista Varesco in an extensive collaboration with Mozart himself (who was quite harassed by the star tenor Anton Raaff, who would premiere the title role, during the composition period). The opera was not a big success and was rarely revived during Mozart’s life time despite of his fondness for it. The fact that Mozart toyed with it a lot means that there are many versions of the work around (by Mozart himself and by other composers).
Although this work is essentially opera seria in style (tragic serious story with clear cut arias connected by sung speech/recitative), its’ music flows like no other serie does. The transitions between arias, ensemble numbers, and recitatives (mostly accompanied by the orchestra with only a few by the continuo instrument) are almost seamless. Even the overture doesn’t have a formal finish, easing off right into the first sung number (a chief reason why this beautiful piece isn’t often included in symphony concert... you'd be left hanging in the end expecting something more even though the piece is over).
THE STORY:
The story takes place at the end of the ten-year Trojan war. The opera opens with a gorgeous sonata in D major of an overture. A sea-scape painting if I’ve ever heard one. It is worth noting the repeating motif at the very end of the overture before Ilia starts singing. This theme is called ‘Idamante’s Motif’ and will recur in the string (especially cello) parts through out the opera, as the story is very much of the uneasy relationship between him and his dad Idomeneo.
After some brooding, it eases off gently as Ilia the Trojan Princess (daughter of King Priam) appears to sings a lamentation of her captivity (which also serves to give us a summary of the situation this story begins on).
Idomeneo, the Greek King of Crete, had gone to fight in the siege of Troy. After the fall of Troy, he sent Ilia and her fellow Trojans ahead of him to Crete as prisoners of war. At the same time, his ally King Agamemnon of Argos was assassinated by his wife Klytaemnestra, precipitating their daughter Elettra's flight to seek asylum in Crete. Both princesses fall in love with Idomeneo’s only son Idamante (who only loves Ilia back).
Now, Ilia is alone at the sea shore lamenting the loss of her homeland and family, while being a prisoner both physically to the Cretan Greeks and romantically to the enemy prince Idamante (Padre, germani, addio!). Idamante finds her, but when his attempt to console her is rebuked by the proud princess, he bursts into a song of protest that he isn’t at fault for her ill fate (Non ho colpa, e mi condanni). Seeing her unmoved by his song, he goes further and orders the liberation of the Trojan prisoners (the rejoicing chorus ‘Godiam la pace’), to Elettra’s consternation.
The party is rained on when Arbace comes running in with the news that Idomeneo’s fleet had succumbed to a sea storm. As Idamante runs off to the sea shore, Elettra launches into a tirades, thinking that with Idamante becoming the King he would now have a free path to marrying Ilia instead of her. Her very impressive rage (Tutte nel cor vi sento.) is supernaturally transformed by the music into the monstrous sea tempest that wrecks Idomeneo’s fleet (chorus ’Pieta! Numi pieta!’. ). There is no pause in the music between these 2 pieces. Can you hear how the whistling wind in Elettra’s rage aria (the flute & the piccolo) gets blown over into wind gusts and water-sprouts blowing at the fleet’s masts? Or the clasps of thunder and the crashing waves (the strings)? The chorus even eases off into calming waves that wash the survivors of the shipwreck ashore.
Having survived the marvelous sea tempest, Idomeneo now regrets the promise he made to the sea god Nettuno (Neptune) to sacrifice the first person he meets ashore in return for the calming of the storm (Vedrommi intorno). And would you know it, the strange boy (sacrifice victim to-be) who approaches him asking about the shipwreck turns out to be his only son Idamante! The king flees in horror as his son sinks into despair at his dad’s seeming lack of love toward him (Il padre adorato). Act I concludes with a ballet/chorus (Nettuno s’onori, quel nome risuoni) as the Cretans rejoice at the safe return of their long absent king.
Act II
(Only in the 1786 revival of the work, this Act opens with Ilia yielding Idamante to Elettra, to which he replies with the beautiful insertion aria Ch’io mi scordi di te/ non temer amato bene’.)
At the Royal Palace with the distraught Idomeneo confiding in Arbace his vow to Nettuno and asking his confidant for advice. Arbace suggests that Idamante be sent out of town (Se il tuo duol). Agreeing to the idea, Idomeneo resolves to send Idamante to safety from the Sea God by going on a sea voyage (yes, a sea voyage... being a king doesn’t immune one from having a thick skull, you know), escorting Elettra to her home of Argos. Ilia now approaches the king extending her good will by calling him father (Se il padre perdei). This only adds to Idomeneo’s distress since he realizes from this that she loves his son, so that any harm done to Idamante will now hurt her as well.
The distressed king seizes the first private moment to launch into his famous rage aria ‘Fuor del mar’, which comes in 2 version. The original Munich version was written for the splendid virtuoso tenor Anton Raaff, and is one of the most difficult thing to sing in the tenor repertoire. The Vienna version was revised for a lesser singer and doesn’t boast as many lung busting coloratura passages (virtuosically ornamented melodic line), but is just as majestic in other ways. The sea storm he survived now seems trivial in the light of the rage he feels in his heart of the malice of Nettuno.
Elettra; meanwhile, is encouraged by the prospect of an extended sea voyage where she will have ample opportunity to try to win Idamante over, and breaks into a preposterously tame aria ‘Idol mio, se ritroso’. It is so deliciously fake (out of character, if you will) that only those without a working ear would believe her optimism (it is arguable that even she herself doesn't believe it).
As they are to board the ship (chorus ‘Placido e il mar’), a monstrous storm blows in courtesy of the angry Nettuno (who adds a Greek-eating Sea Monster to this latest show of temper in his zeal to let it be known that he is cranky). The voice of Nettuno is actually heard during this terrific scene (listen to the orchestra, folks!), crying a very sonorous ‘No!’ to each of Idomeneo’s plea for mercy. Demanded answer for the reason of Nettuno’s latest vendetta (as if Greek gods ever need real reason to have a fit!), the King confesses to the Cretans that his failure to fulfill a vow of a human sacrifice had precipitated it. Everybody runs for cover as the curtain closes to end the act.
Act III finds Ilia in the Palace garden asking the gentle breeze to carry her love to Idamante (Zeffiretti lusinghieri), whose timely precipitation catches her so off-guard that she finally admits her love for him (duet S’io non moro). The love birds are interrupted by the arrival of Idomeneo and Elettra.
Their meeting ends rather unhappily in what’s known as the "Death Quartet" (Andro ramingo e solo) where Ilia remains hesitant between her love for Idamante and her loyalty to Troy, Elettra is full of barely suppressed rage at seeing the two together, Idamante feeling hurt by his dad's dismissal of his resolve to fight the sea monster or die trying, and Idomeneo is lost in his own wish that Nettuno would kill him instead of his son (this is reportedly the chunk of music very dear to Mozart's heart. The composer sung the part of Idamante himself during a performance in a private residence in Salzburg and was reportedly so moved during this quartet that he broke into tears and couldn't finish).
After Idamante had stalked off, a crowd of Cretans led by the High Priest of Nettuno enter seeking audience with the king (chorus "O voto tremendo"). They demand that the sacrifice be made, reasoning quite reasonably that the death of an innocent un-named victim is a fair price in preventing whole-sale slaughter of just as innocent Cretans by Nettuno's Sea Monster. Everyone shudders at the cruelty of the whole deal just as a commotion outside brings the happy news that Idamante had successfully slain the Monster (Stupenda vittoria!).
The hero himself enters and insists that he himself be sacrificed in order to pacify Nettuno once and for all (insertion aria "No la morte!"). Just as his dad is about to comply, Ilia comes in and begs to be sacrificed in place of her beloved. All these selfless requests to be killed prove too much for the gods and a supernatural voice is heard (usually interpreted as the voice of Nettuno himself, but sometimes as the voice of Zeus) lifting Nettuno's requirement for blood if Idomeneo would abdicate in favor of his son.
It's a happy ending for everyone.... but Elettra, who suffers a most marvelous mental breakdown with the venomous rage aria "D'Oreste, D'ajace" before storming off as if pursued by the furies. Can you tell what her hallucinations are of from that hissing orchestra accompaniment?).
In the original version, Idomeneo's abdication speech is greeted by the grateful crowd of Cretans who end the opera proper in the chorus "Scenda Amor, scenda Imeneo," which runs right into the final ballet. Sometimes the aria "Torna la pace" is added for Idomeneo to close the opera before the chorus, though Mozart himself cut it for dramatic effect in the premiere (cutting it leaves Idomeneo hanging at the end, deprived of the opportunity to try to go out on a high note after all the troubles he had caused).
More than most of his other opera, it is essential to pay attention to the orchestra when listening to Idomeneo. There isn't a gratuitous note in the entire score (yeah, various of them get cut in various edition, but they are all there to say something).
Congratulations @devoran! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPDo not miss the last post from @hivebuzz:
@devoran, thank you for supporting the HiveBuzz project by voting for our witness.
Click on the badge to view your Board of Honor.
Once again, thanks for your support!
Do not miss the last post from @hivebuzz: