Idomain (Mozart's opera)

The opera was commissioned by the Bavarian and Palatinate elector Karl Theodor . Mozart, 24, arrived in the capital of Bavaria, leaving Salzburg for several months, where his father, Leopold Mozart , remained. There was constant correspondence between them (Mozart Jr. wrote almost every two days), as a result of which almost the entire process of work turned out to be documented.

The premiere took place on January 29, 1781 during the court carnival at the Elector’s residence in Munich , on the stage of the with the participation of Anton Raaff (Idomen), Dorothea Wendling (Elijah), Vincenzo dal Prato (Idamant), Elizabeth Augusta Wendling (Electra) , Domenico de Pantsacci (Arbas) and Giovanni Valezi (High Priest of Neptune).

The Munich production turned out to be the only one during the life of Mozart. His attempts to stage an opera in Vienna failed, the only concert performance took place on March 13, 1786 in the Vienna palace and required many forced changes (Vienna edition). The first stage production in Vienna took place only in 1806.

The libretto of , a court chaplain in Salzburg, was based on the texts of Antoine Dansche for the opera Idomeni (1712) by Andre Campra , which, in turn, were based on the in five acts of Prosper Crebillon (1705).

The plot is based on the traditions of mythological Hellas . The protagonist of the opera, the Cretan king Idomeneo is a commander, a participant in the Trojan War and is mentioned in the Iliad . The motives of the fatal vow to the deity and the sacrifice by the father of his child are found among many nations, including in the Old Testament Book of Judges , 11: 30-40 ( Jephthah and his daughter). In the libretto of Abbot Varesko, the story of a father swearing to sacrifice to the gods the first person he met, who turns out to be his own child, finds a happy ending in the image of "God from the car . "

Work on the libretto took place under the direct control of Mozart, he forced the librettist to rewrite many scenes, wanting the swiftness of action and the psychological truth of the plot twists. At the last moment, Mozart throws out two ready-made arias and duets from the opera, believing that they stretch the action. He quarrels with singers demanding cantilean arias when the drama of the plot requires a completely different one.

• Idomeneo, king of Crete - tenor
• Idamant, his son - soprano (in the Vienna edition, tenor)
• Electra, daughter of King Agamemnon - soprano
• Elijah, daughter of the Trojan king Priam - soprano
• Arbas, Idomenean's friend - tenor
• High Priest of Neptune - Tenor
• Neptune Oracle Voice - Bass
• Two Cretan women - soprano and mezzo-soprano
• Two Trojans - tenor and bass

The action takes place on the island of Crete after the end of the Trojan War .

Act 1

Captive Trojan Princess mourns the murdered father and the missing brothers. But not hatred, but love for the son of the Cretan king Idamant possesses her heart. Idamant also loves Elijah, and for her sake wants to restore freedom to the captured Trojans. Electra, Idamant's named bride, indulges in outbursts of jealousy. Meanwhile, Arbas brings the news that the Cretan king of Idomeneo, returning from the walls of Troy to his homeland, died in the sea.

In order to save his life and the lives of his associates, Idomeneo swore to Neptune to sacrifice the first person he met on his native coast. The first in a hurry to greet Father Idamant.

Act 2

Idomeneo advises Arbas on how to save his son. They send Idamant together with Electra to her native Argos . Idomeneo gives free will to the Trojan captives, but Elijah asks to remain in Crete. Idomeneo realizes the mutual love of Elijah and Idamant. Elektra is happy: Idamant will belong to her.

As soon as Idamant and Electra board the ship, an angry Neptune sends a sea monster to Crete. The people scatter in fear.

Act 3

Despite the wrath of Neptune, Idomeneo insists on the departure of Idamant, but Idamant decides to engage in battle with the monster and defeats him. The High Priest of Neptune warns the king of the calamities that befall his people for not fulfilling the oath. Idomeneo is ready to sacrifice his son. Elijah wants to give his life for Idamant. Neptune is touched by her love and through the oracle commands Idomeneo to leave the throne and transfer it to Idamant after his marriage to Elijah. The people sing praises to the gods, only Electra does not participate in glee: pursued by the furies of jealousy, she is removed from the scene.

Mozart's score includes:

• Piccolo flute (only in the storm scene from the ending of Act II); 2 flutes , 2 oboes , 2 clarinets , 2 bassoons
• 4 horns , 2 pipes ; 3 trombones (only in the episode with the voice of Neptune from Act III)
• Timpani
• Strings .

Bass Continuo:

• harpsichord and cello

• Overture

Act 1

• N. 1 Recitative Quando avran fine omai and Aria Padre, germani, addio! (Or me)
• N. 2 Aria Non ho colpa (Idamant)
• N. 3 Godiam la pace choir
• N. 4 Recitative Estino è Idomeneo? and Aria Tutte nel cor vi sento (Electra)
• N. 5 Choir Pietà! Numi pietà
• N. 6 Recitative Ecco ci salvi al fin and Aria Vedrommi intorno ( Idomen )
• N. 7 Aria Il padre adorato (Idamant)
• N. 8 March
• N. 9 Nettuno s'onori Choir

Act 2

• N. 10 Aria Se il tuo duol (Arbas)
• N. 11 Aria Se il padre perdei (Elijah)
• N. 12 Recitative Qual mi contruba i sensi and Aria Fuor del mar (Idomeneo)
• N. 13 Recitative Chi mai del mio provo and Aria Idol mio, se ritroso (Electra)
• N. 14 March and recitative Odo da lunge (Electra)
• N. 15 Choir of Placido è il mar
• N. 16 Terzet Prei di partir, oh Dio! (Idamant, Electra, Idomen)
• N. 17 Choir Qual nuovo terrore!
• N. 18 Corriamo Choir , fuggiamo

Act 3

• N. 19 Aria Zeffiretti lusinghieri (Elijah)
• N. 20 Recitative Odo? o sol quel, che brama and Duet S'io non moro a questi accenti (Idamant, Elijah)
• N. 21 Quartet Andro ramingo e solo (Idomeneo, Elijah, Idamant, Electra)
• N. 22 Aria Se colà ne 'fati è scritto (Arbas)
• N. 23 Recitative Volgi intorno lo sguardo (High Priest of Neptune)
• N. 24 Choir Oh voto tremendo!
• N. 25 March
• N. 26 Cavatina with the choir of Accogli, oh re del mar (High Priest of Neptune, Idomen)
• N. 27 Recitative Padre, mio ​​caro padre! and Aria No, la morte io non pavento (Idamant)
• N. 28 Scene Ha vinto amore (Voice of the Oracle of Neptune)
• N. 29 Aria D'Oreste, d'Ajace (Electra)
• N. 30 Last scene of Popoli! a voi
• N. 31 Aria Torna la pace al core (Idomeneo)
• N. 32 Choir Scenda Amor, scenda Imeneo
• KV 367 - ballet music for orchestra to the opera Idomen

... Mozart was not a reformer , did not intentionally destroy everything accepted , established by custom. On the contrary: he took ready e forms, but in them he strove to give full play to his artistic nature, his ability to create music .

The conditions of a serious opera for the Munich scene were weighed down by Mozart (a 24-year-old boy!). The singers were far from paramount: opera habits demanded a part for a male soprano, did not allow a bass part between the main persons, the virtuosity of the singers could not do without many bravura arias with fashionable roulades, etc. Thus, in this opera Idomen is a tenor (! ), his son is a soprano (!), the breastplate is also a tenor; the arias are filled with sugary ornaments from the time of wigs with braids, powder and flies. In the arrangement of the opera scenes, routine convention and rhetoric to the extreme chill the action and make this play from mythological times completely obsolete for the public today. Nevertheless, with all these “shackles” of the custom (usus tyrannus), Mozart was able to create excellent music of his kind, was able to combine the beauties of the Italian opera school (of his time) with the pathetic truthfulness of Gluck's style, to enrich such a merge with inexhaustible ingenuity in harmonization and in complex techniques crystal orchestra, before the appearance of this opera is unheard of. In general, the opera "Idomen" for our time is difficult, boring; in individual scenes there are beauties in it that Mozart himself was not surpassed, but as the first of the mature opera creations of the great artist, as a score in which the genius of Mozart first spoke in its entirety, in all the luxuries of his powers, “Idomen” justifies the addiction to him, Mozart himself will remain the most entertaining and useful model for study ...

In the 1920s, the opera was performed in St. Petersburg by the forces of a German troupe, but was not successful.

In September 2006, a production of director Hans Neuenfels in 2003 was canceled at the Berlin German Opera Theater for fear of offending the religious feelings of the audience (severed heads of world religions were exhibited in one scene).

• 1951 - deer. Fritz Bush - Richard Lewis, Leopold Simono , Sena Yurinats , Birgit Nilson
• 1982 - James Levine - Luciano Pavarotti , Frederic von Stade, Ileana Cotrubas, Hildegard Behrens - Choir and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera
• 1991 - deer. John Eliot Gardiner - Anthony Rolf Johnson , Anna Sophie von Otter , Hillevy Martinpelto, Sylvia McNair, Nigel Robson, Glen Winslade - Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists
• 1991 - deer. Colin Davis - Francisco Araisa, Barbara Hendricks , Werner Holweg, Uwe Heilmann, Suzanne Mentzer - Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
• 1996 - deer. James Levine - Placido Domingo , Cecilia Bartoli , Carole Vanessa, Bryn Terfel, Heidi Grant Murphy, Frank Lopardo, Thomas Hampson - Metropolitan Opera Choir and Orchestra
• 2001 - deer. Charles Mackerras - Ian Bostridge , Lorraine Hunt Liberson , Lisa Milne, Barbara Frittoli, Anthony Rolf Johnson - Edinburgh Festival Choir, Scottish Chamber Orchestra

• Score
• The complete libretto of the opera Idomeneo the King of Crete